Technology

Technology ("science of craft", fromGreek τέχνη, techne, "art, skill, cunning of hand"; and -λογία, -logia^[2]) is the sum of techniques, skills, methods, andprocesses used in the production ofgoods or services or in the accomplishment of objectives, such asscientific investigation. Technology can be the knowledge of techniques, processes, and the like, or it can be embedded in machines to allow for operation without detailed knowledge of their workings. Systems (e.g. machines) applying technology by taking an input, changing it according to the system's use, and then producing an outcome are referred to as technology systems ortechnological systems.

The simplest form of technology is the development and use of basic tools. Theprehistoric discovery of how to control fire and the later Neolithic Revolutionincreased the available sources of food, and the invention of the wheel helped humans to travel in and control their environment. Developments in historic times, including the printing press, thetelephone, and the Internet, have lessened physical barriers tocommunication and allowed humans to interact freely on a global scale.

Technology has many effects. It has helped develop more advancedeconomies (including today's global economy) and has allowed the rise of aleisure class. Many technological processes produce unwanted by-products known as pollution and deplete natural resources to the detriment of Earth's environment. Innovations have always influenced the values of a society and raised new questions in theethics of technology. Examples include the rise of the notion of efficiency in terms of human productivity, and the challenges of bioethics.

Philosophical debates have arisen over the use of technology, with disagreements over whether technology improves the human condition or worsens it. Neo-Luddism, anarcho-primitivism, and similar reactionarymovements criticize the pervasiveness of technology, arguing that it harms the environment and alienates people; proponents of ideologies such astranshumanism and techno-progressivism view continued technological progress as beneficial to society and the human condition.