Technology Coursework Example

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First Mid-term Test
1. Technology comes from two Greek words; techne and logos. The former means art, skill and craft while the latter means expression of inward thought. In Rome “techne” was regarded as a way of creating a second nature. The term mechanical arts was adopted during medieval times as an alternative. During times of Francis Bacon and Germany technology meant practical arts. Present meaning is associated with things like computers.
2. The key elements of the incandescent light bulb system by Thomas Edison are a durable incandescent material, expulsion of air from the bulb and a filament material with high resistance.
3. A sigmoid curve is an S-shaped curve with represents progressive decline and rise. In technology, the curve is used to measure the rate of diffusion of innovation over time. Rising sigmoid curve means technology is more adopted while a decline means less diffusion and adoption.
4. Rationality is the act of being rational based on reason. Technology rationality is a concept which provided a foundation of incorporating rational decisions into technology. Max Weber used disenchantment to describe modern belief in technology being based on rational goals.
5. Technological developments follow trajectories as indicated by the history of high-speed aircraft. Advances in the craft industry were realized by different agencies. This occurred over a period of time with technology taking invariant directions. It involve progressive refinement and improvement.

6. A closed system is a system which does not interact or depend on the external environment. Disadvantages include complex construction, increased costs and instability. Its boundaries are not permeable to new information and ideas.
7. Frederick W. Taylor’s Scientific Management were supervision and standardization of tools and processes, specific planning, side rules and time saving devices, differential rate systems, routing and modern costing system. He championed industry management, productivity and automation. Criticism from prominent figures like Samuel Gripers was based on the concept of task allocation.
8. Charles Babbage’s computer offered a way of simplifying work and minimizing errors. His concepts and ideas from Difference Machine and Analytical Machine provided a framework for creating modern computing machines. Adopted ideas include machine commands, programming, and calculations.
9. The electric car is one of the technologies which were considered ahead of their time. Its full realization was disrupted by Ford’s gasoline model. Tesla Electric now provides new prospects. Other technologies are virtual reality headsets and messaging applications.
10. The tertiary sector of the economy is less affected technological advancement as relates to market forces. This is because the tertiary industry is a service industry mostly supplemented by human labour. In the U.S, 80 percent of labour force is concentrated in the tertiary sector.
11. Poor technological developments in centrally planned economies like USSR and East European countries was due to autonomous and entrepreneurial efforts being suppressed by national institutions. Areas of technology that performed poorly include computer, laser, robotics, new biotechnology and new materials. Laser technology is an application based invention since it has a wide range of applications including heat treatment and microscopy.
12. Excessive focus on science and mathematics is problematic to engineering because the two entities focus on theories. Engineering requires skills of solving real-world problems climate change thus realizing technological advancement.
13. Early civilizations like Greece and Rome were more concerned in exploring science and understanding nature than solving problems. Pursuit of science can lack innovation which results in society stagnation.
15. Samuel Slater is regarded as the father of the American factory system. He migrated into America and built the first spinning cotton mill powered by water. Thereafter, he built a modern mill with residential workers and a company store.
16. Not Invented Here (NIH) syndrome is the unwillingness to adopt an idea because of its source or origin. This is caused by strict institutional culture, unnecessary improvements, value of own ideas, nationalism.
17. One way of restricting the diffusion of technology is foreign patenting. Different countries set their own rules for filing patents.
19. Technology movement has the potential of solving economic problems like increasing earnings in the artisan sector. It also has the potential to reduce the cost of vaccination by providing timely information and better logistics. Effective marketing and improved services will also be achieved.
20. Electricity obtained from photovoltaic cells is cheaper when considering tapping and environmental costs. Burning coal is more costly in terms of the environment. Other sources like nuclear are also expensive to establish and operate.
21. Energy intensity is the level of energy efficacy for a particular country. High energy intensity is related to high prices with respect to GDP. Energy intensity has been declining since 1950 due to less energy produced from depleting sources.
22. Consequences of climate predicted by scientist’s decades ago are already occurring and are expected to be pronounced in the future. These include abnormal temperatures, rising sea levels, flooding, storm surges, heavy rainfall and heat waves.