Environmental Technology-Part 7

The 5th sub-category of Technology is Environmental Technology.

Environmental Technology is study of the processes to control waste, soil erosion, reducing sediment in waterways, conserving water, and improving water quality, artificial ecosystems, and the effects of technology on the development of flora and fauna.

Examples of Environmental Technology are:

Conservation

Synthetic energy

Waste management

Positive Impacts of Environmental Technology are:

Earth – improves quality of life

Disease – reduces chance of disease from bad air and chemicals

Negative Impacts of Environmental Technology are:

Earth – use of technology may hinder life span of the planet

Disease – economical forces the need to make choices that are not easily made

Briefly describe a game that you could do involving Environmental Technology.

Medical Technology-Part 6

The 4^th sub-category of Technology is Medical Technology.

Medical Technology is the study of medicine through the use of and advances of technology, such as medical instruments and apparatus, imaging systems in medicine, and mammography.

Examples of Medical Technology are:

Medical instruments and apparatus

Vaccine

Pharmaceuticals

Artificial limbs

Imagining equipment

Ergonomics – the study of designing equipment to fit the human body, its movement & thinking patterns

Positive Impacts of Medical Technology are:

Health – improves quality of life

Disease – research on controlling diseases and their spread is shortened

Negative Impacts of Medical Technology are:

Health – use of technology may hinder life span

Disease – not all cultures embrace use of vaccines and thus disease spreads

Briefly describe a game that you could do using Medical Technology.

Bio-Related & Agricultural Technology-Part 5

The 3rd sub-category of Technology is Bio-Related and Agricultural Technology.

Biotechnology is the application of the principles of biology to create commercial products or processes.

Agricultural Technology is the application of processes that make it possible for food to be available year-round and to conserve resources.

Biotechnology and Agricultural Technology both deal with living things:

Plants

Animals

People

Examples of Bio-related Technology are:

Pharmaceuticals

Artificial limbs

Genetic engineering

Hydroponics

Imaging devices

Cardiovascular devices

Ethics

Examples of Agricultural Technology are:

Agriculture

Food, Fiber, and Fuel

Plant growth

Machines

Production of agricultural products

Transportation of agricultural products

Storage of agricultural products

Positive Impacts of Bio-related and Agricultural Technology are:

  Health – improves quality of life

  Environmental – can produce more food per acre than before

Negative Impacts of Bio-related and Agricultural Technology are:

  Health – Drugs may cause birth defects

  Environmental – Chemicals have found their way into ground water, polluting good drinking water
Briefly describe a game that you could design in this technology sub-category.

Communication Technology-Part 4

The 2nd sub-category of Technology is Communication Technology.

Communication Technology is a process of giving or exchanging information. 

Communication Technology has:

  Streamlined publishing techniques and allows us to produce more accurate drawings

  Expanded entertainment choices

  Enabled us to contact people thousands of miles away

Examples of Communication Technology are:

  Cell Phones

  Computer Aided Drafting

  Video Cassette Recordings

  Internet

  Radio

  Television

  Graphic Arts

Positive Impacts of Communication Technology are:

  CAD – using a computer to generate drawings

  Internet – a means of communicating quickly and inexpensively over long distances

Negative Impacts of Communication Technology are:

  Paper usage – People tend to create and print more documents.

  Internet – People tend to misuse the internet for personal gain.
 Briefly describe a design game that you could do using Communication Technology.

Information Technology-Part 3

The 1st sub-category of Technology is Information Technology.

Information Technology is the process of gathering and storing data to be used in various forms.

Information Technology has:

   Streamlined access to vast sources of information

   Allows us to produce more accurate forms of communication

   Expanded resource choices

   Enabled us to retrieve data in seconds

Examples of Information Technology are:

  Data collected on paper

  Data stored in computers

  Data stored in books

  Data stored in equipment or machines

Positive Impacts of Information Technology are:

Computers – use of a computer to gather data easily and store

Internet – using to store information for easy access

Negative Impacts of Information Technology are:

Obsolescence – machines need to be maintained and upgraded

Internet – information is not always accurate or reliable

Briefly describe a design game that you could do using Information Technology.

Getting Our Needs and Wants Met Through Technology-Part 2

Technology addresses human needs and wants.

What are human needs?

Physical Needs

  Basic Shelter

  Basic Clothing

Biological Needs

  Water

  Food

Psychological Needs

  Family

  Friends

What are human wants?

Physical Wants

  Nice House

  Nice Car

  Nice Clothes

Biological Wants

  Fresh Water

  Fancy Food

  Healthy Living

Psychological Wants

  Talk with Family

  See Friends

  Entertainment

How does Technology address human needs and wants?

Through the use of the technology subcategories (that I listed in my last blog), often the meeting of human needs and wants is accomplished.
Can you think of other needs and wants that technology addresses? If so, list some.

Technology vs. Science-Part 1

Since our games are going to be in the S.T.E.M. genre, which is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, I want to explain what technology is and how it and science are alike and different. 

The definition of technology is the process by which humans modify nature to meet their needs and wants. 

Technology is the study of our human made world and deals with "what can be." Science is the study of our natural world and deals with "what is."•

Technology is made up of the following sub-categories:

Information 

Communication 

Bio-related and Agriculture 

Medical 

Environmental 

Production:

  Manufacturing

  Construction 

Transportation 

Energy and Power

Science is made up of the following sub-categories:

Earth Science 

Biology 

Chemistry 

Physics 

Astronomy 

Other specialty areas: 

  Quantum Physics 

  Computer Science 

I'd like to hear your comments on the above information, especially in relation to what technology is. Did you know that technology includes all those sub-categories? If yes, explain how you knew. If no, what did you think technology was?