Science and Technology téma

Science and Technology téma

Mankind has come a long way during its existence. In pre-historic times, people´s lives and their needs were simple – everything needed for life was at hand. People hunted for food and made tools from stones and simply clothes to protect them from the cold.

Step by step, people started changing the world, trying to make their lives easier and more comfortable. The invented the wheel, started transporting goods and traded precisious materials. They learnt how to use water for energy and built water mills. Later, windmills were built to use wind energy. Important discoveries, exploration and inventions came in the 15 th. and 16 th. century, for example the discovery and exploration by Europeans of new continents such as America, Asia, Africa, the invention of the printing press, and the developements in the true sciences like astronomy, medicine and biology. All this resulted in new thinking.

Industrial revolution happened in the 18 th. and 19 th. centruy. It brought important inventions, for example the steam engine invented by J.Watt, the electric light bulb ivented by Edison, the electric motor, and the first petrol driven car. Thanks to this inventions small manufacturing businesses changed into large factories and hand-made good were replaced by machine-made products. Mass production started and all sorts of goods became cheaper and more available to more people.

The developement of science and technology went on rapidly and the 20 th. century brought such inventions as the airplane, the televison, the Internet, the computer, the mobile phone, and the videophone. Research in medicine brought new drugs that prolong people´s lives. Research in chemistry brought pesticides and fertilizers that enable us to plant more crops for the growing population of Earth.

At the beginning of the 3 rd. millennium science and technology influence communication. We can talk to our friends or relatives in any part of the world using phones, satellites or computers. We can take part in online discussion and even do our shopping from home by mail order. These are the advantages of new technologies. The disadvantage of new technologies is that some people are going to become unemployed. The problem is that we spend less time with our famillies and friends. We communicate with a computer, not with real people.

New technologies have improved working conditions. Hard work is done by machines and directed by computers, which is eassier for people. New technologies have also made some transaction easier. Using smart cardc like credit cards or phone cards is simple and comfortable and you can easily get used to it. Many people don´t like these cards because they think confidential information can get to the wrong people and be misused.

In the past few decades, we´ve witnessed a rapid development of new technologies in medicine. New medical equipment is more efficient and shortens the time a person has to spend in hospital after having an operation.

New technologies are everywhere, even surrounding us at home. Our households are equipped with modern appliances, such as fridge and freezers, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, dishwashers, microwave ovens, computers, TV sets, stereos and DVD and video players. All these appliances and entertainment equipment have made our lives much easier and more comfortable than the lives of our great grandparents.