Technological Innovations

Technology? • Technology is the use of materials, tools, and skills to meet human needs. • Technological innovation is the development of new technology.

• There are several categories of technological innovation:oNavigation support- Compass, GPS…oCommunications- Moveable type, printing press, computers, telephones,

internet…o Transportation- Chariot, Wagon, Steam engine, Railroads, Automobiles,

Airplanes…o Information Technologies- Graphic Information Systems, GPS…oMedical- Penicillin, MRI, Antibiotics, Radiation, CAT-SCANo Environmental Modification- Air-conditioning, Desalinization, Agriculture,

Trade

With your table group….With your table group I want you to read each of the station cards and take notes over each section.

1. You will have only 6 minutes to read and take notes over each station. 2. As a group you will divide into partners. 3. Each partner group will choose the technological innovation category that they believe

made the biggest impact on the world and is the most important. 4. The government of the United States has decided to cut spending on technological

innovations. With your partner you will create an advertisement for your category convincing the government why your innovation category should still receive funding. You will need to include- • Category name• Examples of inventions from your category• Explanation why y’all believe it is the most important/impactful• Explanation of how it has impacted • An idea for a possible invention that could be created if you were to get the money.

Navigation Support Throughout history humans have needed help navigating to new locations and destinations. Ancient people groups used the sun, the moon, and the location of the stars to help them navigate as they migrated from one location to another. However, over time people have created technological innovations that have aided in navigation. For example, in ancient China the Chinese invented the compass which was later spread to Europe through trade. The compass uses the magnetic pull of the North Pole to point the users in the correct direction. As technology has become more advanced so have navigation systems, for example, today we use GPS (Global Positioning Systems) to provide navigational support. Satellites that are powered by solar energy, circle the earth in outer space. These satellites send signals to earth that are used by GPS devices. These devices can be found on computers, in cars, and even on cell phones. Today governments around the world use GPS for search and rescue, to guide missiles, and to eavesdrop on potential enemies.

Communications People communicate with each other in various ways including speaking and writing. Technological innovations have forever changed the way that individuals communicate with one another. In 1450, Johann Gutenberg invented movable type. This innovation allowed for books and pamphlets to be printed cheaply so news and ideas could spread more quickly. Over the centuries the idea of movable type has been advanced and now people use computers and printers to share information and ideas. Additionally, the telephone which was invented by Alexander G. Bell in 1876 allowed for people to communicate through voice more quickly from farther distances than had been done before. Today, telephones have greatly advanced to what we now refer to as ‘smart phones’ in which people can have real-time conversations face to face over the phone. This communication has allowed for families, friends and businesses to stay connected even if they are separated by thousands of miles.

Transportation Since the beginning of civilizations people have been moving from one location to another often times transporting goods/resources with them. As technological innovations have advanced people have found ways to make travel easier with different forms of transportation. In 2200 B.C. the Hittites used iron to create and build a three-man chariot which helped them specifically in warfare. Throughout the centuries humans have continued to advance their forms of transportation by using boats, using wagons pulled by animals, or digging canals that connected waterways. However, transportation drastically changed in the 1700’s with the invention of the steam engine. The steam engine provided a new source of power that could be used in factories but it also provided power for transportation. People quickly realized that boats could be powered with the steam engine which allowed for long distance journeys. The steam engine was also used to power railroad trains on land. At the end of the 1800’s transportation was again greatly changed with the invention of the combustion engine. Today this type of engine is used in cars, and airplanes.

Information Technologies Information technologies allow for people to share ideas and information. New information technologies, based on computers and the internet are bringing more information to greater numbers of people than ever before. The Internet connects millions of computers together and makes vast amounts of information easily available. People that live in nations with internet access can now tap into this vast storehouse of information. Computers also make Graphic Information Systems (GIS) possible. In GIS, mapmaking and database technology are joined together. With GIS people can better understand, interpret and visualize data in order to show how the information is connected and creates patterns.

Medical Humans have always searched for ways to heal sickness, ease pain and cure those who are ill. Ancient civilizations and people groups often used natural herbs and spices to help those who were ill or injured. Due to science and technological innovations scientists and doctors now understand DNA, which is the genetic basis for human life. They are able to design and test new medicines to fight specific diseases. Scientists also have new tools like X-RAY CAT-scans and MRI machines. These use computers to put 3-D images of a patient together. Now doctors are able to use these machines and see where an arm is broken, where cancer might be in a body or why a patient might be having trouble breathing. Scientists are continually working to develop new medicines, treatments and machines to help those who are ill/injured.

Environmental Modification As long as humans have been able to they have been modifying the environment in order to better meet their needs. Today, due to technological advancements humans can live more comfortably in hot/humid areas, in locations where there is not much clean water and can increase the amount of agriculture that they produce. In the United States, the population used to be largest in the Northeast. Many Americans found the South and West to be too hot in the summer. The invention of the air conditioner made it possible to cool the insides of buildings which has increased the population in the South and West. Additionally, in many places of the world there is a lack of fresh drinking water. Scientists are experimenting with ways of heating and cooling salt water in order to separate the salt and make fresh water. This process is known as desalinization. Israel is a dry desert country on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Israeli scientists have built several desalinization plants to provide fresh water. Fresh water is not the only thing that scientists have found ways to modify. Today technology also assists farmers in agriculture. The introduction of the tractor in the 20th century transformed agriculture. Today scientists have developed better seeds and improved fertilizers. Farmers grow more plants with less water, land and labor which makes more food available to our growing population.