Pei Yi Zhuo Spring 2012

Technology is an object made by living beings that does certain tasks. Some examples of technology include the computer, car, microscopes, Internet, scientific instrumentation and many other things that make our lives easier or better. These inventions may be considered good or bad. Many people might consider Facebook a fun site where people share information. But the information shared might not be the kind you want to give to other people. Sometimes this kind of information might leak out and cause you trouble. Inventions have their good and bad sides but they are all devoted to make life more fun or easier.

The Abacus The abacus was the first counting device. It was invented in Babylonia in 2400 BC. The abacus allowed problem solving to be easier. It was invented so long ago yet it’s still used in some places today. It is the predecessor of the calculator which is the ancestor of the PC making the abacus a very important invention.

The Electronic Telegraph During the early 18oo’s letters and messages had to be sent using the pony express or on a stagecoach. This was slow and unreliable; the telegraph changed it all. The electronic telegraph was the first long distance communication device. One telegraph operator would send a message written in dots and dashes over a wire. Another telegraph operator would receive it and translate the dots and dashes. It made communication more efficient. The telegraph would eventually blaze the trail for the phone. The phone would transform communication just as the telegraph had.

The Assembly Line Long ago items such as cars or a table had to be made by one person. One person would have to build a car from scratch which made the item expensive and time consuming to make. The assembly line was the answer to that. It allowed goods to be made cheaper and faster. In an assembly line work is shared. An assembly line involves people stationed at different points of a conveyer belt. Each worker is assigned a job. Parts come down the line and stop at each worker and the worker does their job. Now machines have jobs on the assembly line. Which is where most things are manufactured. The things we have today might not have been available to us if it had not been for the assembly line.

Antibiotics Many people died from infections of wounds and sickness before antibiotics solved that problem. Antibiotics was a huge milestone in medical history. The first antibiotic was penicillin which was made from mold spores. It killed germs to stop infections. It also stopped the spread of infectious diseases. Back then this was a huge improvement in the medical field. Now we have more than a hundred kinds of antibiotics. This advance in medical technology helped save many lives.

The Telescope Telescopes gave us a new view of the universe. Back when it was invented it provided a brand new wave of discoveries. A way to look at space without actually going up there changed beliefs that was considered correct for years. It provided a way for scientists and an average person to look at space. In a telescope light enters through the objective lens into the telescope and travels down the telescope as the light journeys through the telescope it gets magnified by the lenses and bounces off mirrors finally entering your eye. Now we have the Hubble telescope which takes pictures of immense beauty yet it holds fascinating information..

The Microscope The microscope allowed us to see a brand new world. They contribute to the medical world and other forms of science. They allow us to see things that cannot be seen with the naked eye. It was amazing back then and it’s still amazing today. Light enters through the objective lens gets magnified by it and other lenses before entering your eye. There is another kind of microscope called the electron microscope which uses electrons instead of light. Without the microscope we would not have known that cells make up objects and the microscopic critters roam the earth. The microscope changed the way we look at things.

The Personal Computer The personal computer changed the way people work. Before the PC was invented computers were mainly used by businesses for math related work. In 1953 IBM announced the first PC. After that many other PCs were made such as the Compaq Portable. PCs run programs that allow people to work or entertain themselves. Now computers have internet capability which makes a PC even more desirable.

The Worldwide Web The worldwide web allowed information to be gained more easily and could do many other tasks also. Before it was invented people would have to travel to a library to gain information but now you could do it from the comfort of your own home. The world wide web provided a way to find information that keeps changing, like science. People are also more connected than ever through the web. Social networking sites are booming. You can also shop and share resources and other kinds of information. The worldwide web changed the world.

The Moon Landing The soviet union was ahead of America in the space race. The US needed to do something drastic. So they did what many people thought was laughable. Apollo 11’s mission was to land a man on the moon. NASA sent Neal Armstrong, Buzz Aldran and Michael Collins to the “Bella Luna”. They brought back valuable information that helped us understand space better and help NASA plan future space missions The worldwide web allowed information to

Vaccination Many diseases haunted the human race such as measles. But soon vaccines for these illnesses were invented and lives were saved. Vaccines are copies of the diseases without the part that does the damage. They sent the vaccines through your blood stream. When the body senses it, antibodies gets produced. But when the antibodies arrive on the scene there is no threat since the disease lacks the part that does the damage but the antibodies remain. When the actual disease invades the body it can be easily defeated.

Technology has changed our lifestyles. Has it changed our values ? I believe so. Technology is an important part of many peoples lives and it’s easy to understand that because technology is almost everywhere. But today we take it for granted. We are very used to an easy life. A life where travel is so fast that it makes our world seem very small. And to talk to someone from the other side of the globe is as easy as the press of a button because it is so easy a lot people can do it. Entertainment is now a very important part of society but a long time ago hard work was on many peoples minds. I think the reason for that is because people live an easier life now so they can care more about entertainment. I think in the future people will improve on technology and make it even better. Technology will probably grow at a faster rate. Technology will change the world even more than it has.