Outline of technology

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to technology: collection of tools, including machinery, modifications, arrangements and procedures used by humans. Engineering is the discipline that seeks to study and design new technology. Technologies significantly affect human as well as other animal species' ability to control and adapt to their natural environments.

Components of technology

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Branches of technology

* Aerospace – flight or transport above the surface of the Earth.
** Space exploration – the physical investigation of the space more than 100 km above the Earth by either crewed or uncrewed spacecraft.
** General aviation
** Aeronautics
** Astronautics
** Aerospace engineering
* Applied physics – physics which is intended for a particular technological or practical use. It is usually considered as a bridge or a connection between "pure" physics and engineering.
* Agriculture – cultivation of plants, animals, and other living organisms.
** Fishing – activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping.
*** Fisheries – a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats, purpose of the activities or a combination of the foregoing features".
*** Fishing industry – industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products. It is defined by the FAO as including recreational, subsistence and commercial fishing, and the harvesting, processing, and marketing sectors.
** Forestry – art and science of tree resources, including plantations and natural stands. The main goal of forestry is to create and implement systems that allow forests to continue a sustainable provision of environmental supplies and services.
** Organic gardening and farming
** Sustainable agriculture
* Communication –
** Books –
** Telecommunication – the transfer of information at a distance, including signaling, telegraphy, telephony, telemetry, radio, television, and data communications.
*** Radio – Aural or encoded telecommunications.
*** Internet – the global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP).
*** Technology of television –
**** Television broadcasting – Visual and aural telecommunications.
* Computing – any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computers. Computing includes designing and building hardware and software systems; processing, structuring, and managing various kinds of information; doing scientific research on and with computers; making computer systems behave intelligently; creating and using communications and entertainment media; and more.
** Computer engineering – discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems, from designing individual microprocessors, personal computers, and supercomputers, to circuit design.
*** Computers – general purpose devices that can be programmed to carry out a finite set of arithmetic or logical operations. Since a sequence of operations can be readily changed, computers can solve more than one kind of problem.
** Computer science – the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems.
*** Artificial intelligence – intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it.
**** Natural language processing –
**** Object recognition – in computer vision, this is the task of finding a given object in an image or video sequence.
*** Cryptography – the technology to secure communications in the presence of third parties.
*** Human-computer interaction
** Information technology – the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications.
** Software engineering – the systematic approach to the development, operation, maintenance, and retirement of computer software.
*** Programming – the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs.
*** Software development – development of a software product, which entails computer programming (process of writing and maintaining the source code), but also encompasses a planned and structured process from the conception of the desired software to its final manifestation.
*** Web design and web development –
** Software – one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of the computer for one or more purposes. In other words, software is a set of programs, procedures, algorithms and its documentation concerned with the operation of a data processing system.
*** Free software – software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction.
*** Search engines – information retrieval systems designed to help find information stored on a computer system.
** Internet – the global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP).
*** World Wide Web –
** Computer industry
*** Apple Inc. – manufacturer and retailer of computers, hand-held computing devices, and related products and services.
*** Google – Google Inc. and its Internet services including Google Search.
* Construction – building or assembly of any physical structure.
* Design – the art and science of creating the abstract form and function for an object or environment.
** Architecture – the art and science of designing buildings.
* Electronics – Electronics comprises the physics, engineering, technology and applications that deal with the emission, flow and control of electrons in vacuum and matter.
* Energy – In physics, energy is the quantitative property that must be transferred to an object in order to perform work on, or to heat, the object.
**Energy development – ongoing effort to provide abundant, efficient, and accessible energy resources through knowledge, skills, and construction.
** Energy storage – the storage of a form of energy that can then be used later.
** Nuclear technology – the technology and application of the spontaneous and induced reactions of atomic nuclei.
** Wind energy – wind energy is the use of wind to provide the mechanical power through wind turbines to turn electric generators and traditionally to do other work, like milling or pumping.
** Solar energy – Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of ever-evolving technologies such as solar heating, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, solar architecture, molten salt power plants and artificial photosynthesis.
* Engineering – the application of science, mathematics, and technology to produce useful goods and systems.
**Chemical engineering – the technology and application of chemical processes to produce useful materials.
** Computer engineering – Computer engineering (CE) is a branch of engineering that integrates several fields of computer science and electronic engineering required to develop computer hardware and software.
** Control engineering – Control engineering or control systems engineering is an engineering discipline that applies automatic control theory to design systems with desired behaviors in control environments.
** Electrical engineering – the technology and application of electromagnetism, including electricity, electronics, telecommunications, computers, electric power, magnetics, and optics.
** Climate engineering – the large-scale manipulation of a specific process central to controlling Earth’s climate for the purpose of obtaining a specific benefit.
** Software engineering – the technology and application of a systematic approach to the development, operation, maintenance, and retirement of computer software.
* Firefighting – act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent destruction of life, property and the environment. Firefighting is a professional technical skill.
* Forensic science – application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action.
* Health
** Biotechnology – applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts.
** Ergonomics – the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movements, and its cognitive abilities.
* Hydrology – The study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability.
* Industry – production of an economic good or service.
** Automation – use of machinery to replace human labor.
** Industrial machinery –
** Machines – devices that perform or assist in performing useful work.
** Manufacturing – use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale.
** Robotics – deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots.
*** Object recognition
* Information science –
** Cartography – the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.
** Library science – technology related to libraries and the information fields.
* Military science – the study of the technique, psychology, practice and other phenomena which constitute war and armed conflict.
* Mining – extraction of mineral resources from the earth.
* Nanotechnology – The study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with structures sized between 1 and 100 nanometre in at least one dimension, and involves developing materials or devices possessing at least one dimension within that size.
* Prehistoric technology – technologies that emerged before recorded history (i.e., before the development of writing).
* Quantum technology –
* Sustainability – capacity to endure. In ecology, the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. Long-lived and healthy wetlands and forests are examples of sustainable biological systems. For humans, sustainability is the potential for long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions.
* Transport – the transfer of people or things from one place to another.
** Rail transport – means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks consisting of steel rails installed on sleepers/ties and ballast.
** Vehicles – mechanical devices for transporting people or things.
*** Automobiles – human-guided powered land-vehicles.
*** Bicycles – human-powered land-vehicles with two or more wheels.
*** Motorcycles – single-track, engine-powered, motor vehicles. They are also called motorbikes, bikes, or cycles.
*** Vehicle components
**** Tires – ring-shaped coverings that fit around wheel rims

Technology by region

* Science and technology in Africa
** Science and technology in Algeria
** Science and technology in Angola
** Science and technology in Morocco
** Science and technology in South Africa
* Science and technology in Asia
** Science and technology in Bangladesh
** Science and technology in China
** Science and technology in India
** Science and technology in Indonesia
** Science and technology in Iran
** Science and technology in Israel
** Science and technology in Japan
** Science and technology in Malaysia
** Science and technology in Pakistan
** Science and technology in the Philippines
** Science and technology in Russia
** Science and technology in Turkey
* Science and technology in Europe
** Science and technology in Albania
** Science and technology in Belgium
*** Science and technology in Brussels
*** Science and technology in Flanders
*** Science and technology in Wallonia
** Science and technology in Bulgaria
** Science and technology in France
** Science and technology in Germany
** Science and technology in Hungary
** Science and technology in Iceland
** Science and technology in Italy
** Science and technology in Portugal
** Science and technology in Romania
** Science and technology in Russia
** Science and technology in Spain
** Science and technology in Switzerland
** Science and technology in Ukraine
** Science and technology in the United Kingdom
* Science and technology in North America
** Science and technology in Canada
** Science and technology in the United States
** Science and technology in Jamaica
* Science and technology in South America
** Science and technology in Argentina
** Science and technology in Colombia
** Science and technology in Venezuela

History of technology

History of technology
* Timelines of technology''
* Man vs. Technology
* Technology museum

History of technology by period

* Prehistoric technology ( outline)
** Control of fire by early humans
* Ancient technology – c. 800 BCE – 476 CE
** Ancient Egyptian technology –
** Ancient Greek technology – c. 800 BCE – 146 BCE
** Ancient Roman technology – c. 753 BCE – 476 CE
** Science and technology of the Han dynasty – 206 BCE – 220 CE
** Science and technology of the Tang dynasty – 618–907
* Science and technology of the Song dynasty – 960–1279 CE
* Medieval technology – 5th to 15th century
** Byzantine technology – 5th to 15th century
* Islamic Golden Age – 8th to 13th century
* Science and technology in the Ottoman Empire – 14th to 20th century
* Industrial revolution – 18th to 19th century
* Second Industrial Revolution – 1820–1914
* Technology during World War I – 1914–1918
* Technology during World War II – 1939–1945
** Allied technological cooperation during World War II –
** American military technology during World War II –
** German military technology during World War II –
* 1970s in science and technology
* 1980s in science and technology
* 1990s in science and technology
* 2000s in science and technology
* 2010s in science and technology

Technological ages

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Media about the history of technology

* '' Connections'' – documentary television series and 1978 book ("Connections" based on the series) created, written and presented by science historian James Burke. It took an interdisciplinary approach to the history of science and invention and demonstrated how various discoveries, scientific achievements, and historical world events were built from one another successively in an interconnected way to bring about particular aspects of modern technology. There were 3 seasons produced, and they aired in 1978, 1994, and 1997.
* ''The Day the Universe Changed'' – documentary television series written and presented by science historian James Burke, originally broadcast in 1985 by the BBC. The series' primary focus is on the effect of advances in science and technology on western society in its philosophical aspects. Ran for one season, in 1986.

History of technology by region

* History of science and technology in the Mediterranean
** Ancient Greek technology –
** Ancient Roman technology –
** Timeline of Polish science and technology –
* History of science and technology in Africa –
* History of science and technology in Asia
** History of science and technology in China –
*** Science and technology of the Han dynasty –
*** Science and technology of the Tang dynasty –
*** Science and technology of the Song dynasty –
*** History of science and technology in the People's Republic of China –
** History of science and technology in the Indian subcontinent –
*** Science and technology in ancient India –
** History of science and technology in Korea –
** Science and Technology in the Ottoman Empire –
** Science and technology in the Soviet Union –
* History of science and technology in North America
** United States technological and industrial history –
** History of science and technology in Mexico –
* Technological and industrial history of Canada –
** Technological and industrial history of 20th-century Canada –
** Technological and industrial history of 21st-century Canada –
* Technological and industrial history of the People's Republic of China –
* Technological and industrial history of the United States –

History of technology by field

* History of invention
* History of aerospace
* History of artificial intelligence
* History of agriculture
* History of agricultural science
* History of architecture, timeline
* History of biotechnology
* History of cartography
* History of chemical engineering
* History of communication
** History of computing, timeline
** History of computer science
** History of computing hardware
** History of the graphical user interface
** History of hypertext, timeline
** History of the Internet, Internet phenomena
*** History of the World Wide Web
** History of operating systems
** History of programming languages, timeline
** History of software engineering
* History of electrical engineering
* History of energy development
* History of engineering
* History of industry
* History of library and information science
* History of microscopy
* History of manufacturing
** History of the factory
** History of mass production
* History of materials science, timeline
* History of measurement
* History of medicine
* History of motor and engine technology
* History of military science
* History of transport, timeline
* History of biotechnology –
** Timeline of biotechnology –
* History of display technology –
* History of film technology –
* History of information technology auditing –
* History of military technology –
* History of nanotechnology –
* History of science and technology –
* History of web syndication technology –
* Timeline of agriculture and food technology –
* Timeline of clothing and textiles technology –
* Timeline of communication technology –
* Timeline of diving technology –
* Timeline of heat engine technology –
* Timeline of hypertext technology –
* Timeline of lighting technology –
* Timeline of low-temperature technology –
* Timeline of materials technology –
* Timeline of medicine and medical technology –
* Timeline of microscope technology –
* Timeline of motor and engine technology –
* Timeline of particle physics technology –
* Timeline of photography technology –
* Timeline of rocket and missile technology –
* Timeline of telescope technology –
* Timeline of telescopes, observatories, and observing technology –
* Timeline of temperature and pressure measurement technology –
* Timeline of time measurement technology –
* Timeline of transportation technology –

Hypothetical technology

Potential technology of the future includes:

Hypothetical technology –
* Femtotechnology – hypothetical term used in reference to structuring of matter on the scale of a femtometer, which is 10−15 m. This is a smaller scale in comparison to nanotechnology and picotechnology which refer to 10−9 m and 10−12 m respectively. Work in the femtometer range involves manipulation of excited energy states within atomic nuclei (see nuclear isomer) to produce metastable (or otherwise stabilized) states with unusual properties.

Philosophy of technology

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Management of technology

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Advancement of technology

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Politics of technology

Politics and technology
* AI takeover
* Accelerating change
* Format war
* Information privacy
* IT law
* PEST analysis
* Robot rights
* Technological singularity
* Technological sovereignty

Economics of technology

* Energy accounting
* Nanosocialism
* Post-scarcity economy
* Technocracy
* Technocapitalism
* Technological diffusion
* Technology acceptance model
* Technology lifecycle
* Technology transfer

Technology education

* Technology education

Technology museums

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Technology organizations

Science and technology think tanks

* Applied Biomathematics
* Battelle Memorial Institute
* Cicada 3301
* Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
* Edge Foundation, Inc.
* Eudoxa
* Federation of American Scientists
* Free Software Foundation
* GTRI Office of Policy Analysis and Research
* Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
* Institute for Science and International Security
* Institute for the Encouragement of Scientific Research and Innovation of Brussels
* Keck Institute for Space Studies
* Kestrel Institute
* Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology
* Moore Center for Theoretical Cosmology and Physics
* Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
* Piratbyrån
* RAND Corporation
* Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
* Res4Med
* Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
* Swecha
* Wau Holland Foundation

Technology media

: ''For historical treatments, see Media about the history of technology, above''

* Technology journalism –

Books on technology

* ''Engines of Creation'' –

Technology periodicals

* '' Engadget'' –
* '' TechCrunch'' –
* ''Wired'' –

Websites

* ''The Verge''

Fictional technology

Fictional technology –
* ''In Death'' technology –
* Technology in ''Star Trek'' –
* Technology in ''Star Wars'' –
* Technology of ''Robotech'' –
* List of technology in the ''Dune'' universe –

Persons influential in technology

* List of engineers
* List of inventors
* List of scientists

See also

* Outline of applied science

Further reading

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* Huesemann, M.H., and J.A. Huesemann (2011)
''Technofix: Why Technology Won’t Save Us or the Environment''
New Society Publishers, .
* .
* Kevin Kelly. '' What Technology Wants''. New York, Viking Press, 14 October 2010, hardcover, 416 pages.
* Mumford, Lewis. (2010). ''Technics and Civilization.'' University of Chicago Press, .
* Rhodes, Richard. (2000). ''Visions of Technology: A Century of Vital Debate about Machines, Systems, and the Human World.'' Simon & Schuster, .
* Teich, A.H. (2008). ''Technology and the Future.'' Wadsworth Publishing, 11th edition, .
* Wright, R.T. (2008). ''Technology.'' Goodheart-Wilcox Company, 5th edition, .

References

External links

; Technology news

BBC on technology

Bloomberg on technology

''MIT Technology Review''

''New York Times'' technology section

Wired

Miscellaneous topics

: ''Note: these topics need to be placed in the outline above. Some may be irrelevant and those should be removed. New sections may be needed in the outline to provide a suitable place for some of these items. Annotations by way of short descriptions may help decide where a link should go.''

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