History and Industry Trends

Information Technology 1985 "Hacking," or entering / gaining unauthorized access to a computer system, has been committed by a group of young computer programmers. The victims of this new incidence of hacking were the Pentagon and the telecommunications company, AT&T. Nuclear energy became the primary source of energy used in weapons making, characterized to be more efficient and powerful compared to its predecessor, the atomic bomb (energy). 1986 The first operation was conducted which granted a patient an artificial heart, lengthening the life survival of patients who have poor heart conditions.

1988 Stealth bomber aircrafts were manufactured and introduced by the United States. These new aircrafts provide ease and increasingly rapid speed of flight without being detected by enemy radar (especially during war time). 1990 Switzerland had produced the first solar-powered vehicle, which runs on solar power alone, without the use of excessive fuel energy. This project aims to provide alternatives to use 'fuel efficient' vehicles to preserve the environment.

1991-1995 1991 With the rapid development of computer technology, IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) and Apple Computers launched an "open-system" program that shares and integrates the two computer companies' software programs in order to develop computer technologies in the future. 1992 The use of non-ferrous metals and heavy inorganic chemicals, such as titanium and polymers and plastics, respectively, has become prevalent during this period. Titanium is useful in medical technology because it is lightweight and stronger than other metallic alloys such as aluminum.

Plastics and polymers, on the other hand, provide as efficient alternatives to the production of materials for everyday use, such as telephones, textiles, containers, and compact discs. 1995 Laser light has become useful in the development of printing technology, particularly that of Optical Character Recognition or OCR, which is a technology that converts hard copies of texts into electronic form. Video technology also prevailed with the use of laser light, allowing television viewers to record and re-produce copies of programs viewed on television.

Gene therapy was introduced in the world of medicine, where it became possible for scientists and doctors to manipulate a human being's genes within cells in order to treat and cure genetic disorders. The digital satellite system was introduced, providing a wide range of television channels to choose from. Encompassing the capabilities of cable television, satellite TV allows users to access channels from around the globe. 1996 This period marked a big change in the development of technologies and industries in the world.

Manufacturers are no longer producing materials for consumption for profit; considerations about the hazardous effects of these technologies on the environment were also taken into account. One specific example is the use of "clear fuels" in cars to reduce air pollution in the environment as a result of too much consumption of fuel energy. As a response to the increasing awareness of the destructive effects of fuel energy in the environment, electric vehicles were manufactured, which uses and runs on low emission fuels by consuming electric energy.

1997 The Internet emerged as the most prevalent form of multimedia technology for this period, integrating the audio and visual elements found in print and broadcast technologies. Cloning followed after gene therapy, providing opportunities for further improvement of 'correcting' and developing cures and treatments for ailments and genetic disorders among humans. 1999 Medical transplantation replaced cloning and gene therapy as efficient forms of medical procedures in curing and treating certain ailments, primarily because of ethical issues regarding the practice of cloning and gene therapy.

Thus, kidneys, eyes, and other organs of an ill or injured patient are transferred into another patient who needs an organ in order to live and survive the operation. 2000-2001 Marked as the period of Information Technology, this period is characterized by the introduction of MP3 and digital piracy, which focused centered on two important aspects of digital communications" information and the Internet.

Internet communications and technology are gradually replacing other media forms, providing as an effective alternative where media users can enjoy the multi-media features and accessibility of the Internet. ASSESSMENT: Evidently, an analyses of the three period enumerated above illustrates how technology has become a lucrative and useful phenomenon for human society for many years already. Through the Internet, humans have learned to create and destroy, to establish ties and produce conflicts among others.

Noticeably, over these three periods, medicine, the automobile industry, and computer technology have been the most productive sectors that utilized technology.