Technology
53 records found. Displaying 1 - 24.
3D Printing: The Revolution in Personalized Manufacturing
3D printing was once only known through science fiction, such as Star Trek, the popular 1960s TV series. But inventors and engineers on Earth began experimenting in real life with 3D printing Read More →
Agriculture through the Ages: From Silk to Supermarkets
From the Series Technology through the Ages
"For of all gainful professions, nothing is better, nothing more pleasing, nothing more delightful, nothing better becomes a well-bred [person] than agriculture."—Marcus Tullius Cicero,… Read More →
Ancient Agricultural Technology: From Sickles to Plows
From the Series Technology in Ancient Cultures
Did you know . . . • Ancient Romans invented a machine to harvest grain? • Farmers in ancient China destroyed the pests that harmed crops by bringing in their natural predators? • The… Read More →
Ancient Communication Technology: From Hieroglyphics to Scrolls
From the Series Technology in Ancient Cultures
Did you know that people first used road signs more than 2,000 years ago? Did you know that Ancient Rome had its own postal service? Did you know that Egyptian writers used flakes of… Read More →
Ancient Computing Technology: From Abacuses to Water Clocks
From the Series Technology in Ancient Cultures
Did you know . . . • Ancient cultures measured time accurately with water clocks? • An engineer in the first century B.C. designed an odometer to calculate distance traveled? • People… Read More →
Ancient Construction Technology: From Pyramids to Fortresses
From the Series Technology in Ancient Cultures
Did you know . . . • The ancient Maya built magnificent pyramid-temples? • Ancient Chinese builders created central home heating systems? • One ancient Greek monument was taller than a… Read More →
Ancient Machine Technology: From Wheels to Forges
From the Series Technology in Ancient Cultures
Did you know . . . • Ancient people used bows to drill holes and start fires? • The ancient Chinese built a machine to detect earthquakes? •The ancient Romans operated a factory for milling… Read More →
Ancient Medical Technology: From Herbs to Scalpels
From the Series Technology in Ancient Cultures
Did you know . . . • Doctors in ancient Peru performed brain surgery? • Ancient Greek doctors ran medical schools? • The ancient Indians knew how to protect people from smallpox? Medical… Read More →
Ancient Transportation Technology: From Oars to Elephants
From the Series Technology in Ancient Cultures
Did you know . . . • People first used skis more than 8,000 years ago? • The first wheels were used in pottery—not for transportation? • Traffic jams often clogged the streets of ancient… Read More →
Ancient Warfare Technology: From Javelins to Chariots
From the Series Technology in Ancient Cultures
Did you know . . . • The Scythians used guerrilla warfare more than 2,500 years ago? • The Chinese general Sun-tzu wrote the first military manual in the fourth century B.C.? • Some ancient… Read More →
Apollo 13: A Successful Failure
"Houston, we've had a problem." On April 13, 1970, the three astronauts aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft were headed to the moon when a sudden explosion rocked the ship. Oxygen levels began… Read More →
Artificial Intelligence: Building Smarter Machines
In 2011 a computer named Watson outscored two human competitors on the TV quiz show Jeopardy! and snagged the million-dollar prize. Watson isn't the only machine keeping up with humans. The… Read More →
Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors
From the Series Worlds Beyond
During the formation of the solar system, not all of the materials in the vast could of dust and gas were used. What happened to the remaining ice, metal, and rock? It formed what became… Read More →
Attention Hijacked: Using Mindfulness to Reclaim Your Brain from Tech
Technology surrounds us every day: a phone alarm wakes us up, an electronic calendar tracks assignment deadlines, GPS directs us to the new dentist’s office, social media keeps us connected… Read More →
Black Holes: The Weird Science of the Most Mysterious Objects in the Universe
In 2015 two powerful telescopes detected something physicists had been seeking for more than one hundred years—gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes. This announcement… Read More →
Body 2.0: The Engineering Revolution in Medicine
Scientists are on the verge of a revolution in biomedical engineering that will forever change the way we think about medicine, even life itself. Cutting-edge researchers are working to build Read More →
Buildings That Breathe: Greening the World's Cities
Imagine looking out from your 18th floor apartment in the middle of the city and seeing trees right in front of you. In an effort to stem climate change, reduce pollution, combat heat, and… Read More →
Communication through the Ages: From Speech to Smartphones
From the Series Technology through the Ages
Reading texts or direct messages, communicating through speech or sign language, and viewing artwork are all among the many ways people share news, ideas, and feelings with one another.… Read More →
Computing through the Ages: From Bones to Binary
From the Series Technology through the Ages
“The discovery both of [geometry] and of the other sciences proceeded from utility.”—Proclus Lycius, Greek philosopher, fifth century CE “Geometry is the knowledge of the eternally… Read More →
Construction through the Ages: From Pyramids to Plumbing
From the Series Technology through the Ages
Ancient societies built massive monuments, many of which still stand. How did ancient engineers and builders raise up the Great Wall of China or the Great Pyramids of Egypt? They often needed Read More →
Cryptocurrencies and the Blockchain Revolution: Bitcoin and Beyond
In January 2009, a mysterious software developer, Satoshi Nakamoto, exchanged a specially designed code with another developer. The code was a digital currency that Nakamoto had proposed… Read More →
Curiosity's Mission on Mars: Exploring the Red Planet
Could life have previously flourished on Mars? Will humans be able to travel there one day? Can humans one day colonize the red planet? NASA scientists have been interested in answering… Read More →
Cyber Attack
In 2013, the FBI started posting a new most wanted list—not for kidnappers, murderers, or armed robbers, but for online crooks. These "Cyber's Most Wanted" criminals have committed serious… Read More →
De-Extinction: The Science of Bringing Lost Species Back to Life
In the twenty-first century, because of climate change and other human activities, many animal species have become extinct, and many others are at risk of extinction. Once they are gone, we… Read More →