Technology concepts and applications

¶ … technology has determined the outcomes of events in the twentieth century. Technology has framed events of the twentieth century from the very turn of the twentieth century, and it changed the way people lived, worked, and played throughout the century.

Beginning at the turn of the twentieth century, technology and innovation has changed just about everything in American (and worldwide) life, from how people commute to how people spend their time on the job, at home, and in society. When people think of technology, they often think of computers, which certainly have changed the way people work. However, there has been much more innovation that has truly changed the way we live and work. Think of the invention of the first commercial automobile and the assembly line by Henry Ford in 1908 to the harnessing of air power in 1903 and the resulting growth of rocketry and jet propulsion that led to man's first steps on the moon in 1969.

At the turn of the twentieth century, electricity was still not commonplace, telephones were still an oddity, and automobiles were seen as a threat to horses and the "normal" way of life in America. Today, technologies like these are commonplace, we cannot imagine our lives without them, and countless other innovations that we take for granted, like satellites that run our phones, radios, and iPods, and space travel that seems no longer special but commonplace. Yet, all of these technologies evolved in the twentieth century, and they framed events of the twentieth century, from making travel across country a common occurrence to creating some of the most threatening technologies on earth, such as weapons of mass destruction, the atomic bomb, and weapons that helped win World War I and II. Three scholars write, "Two world wars and countless other military conflicts killed millions around the globe, but the century was also an age of impressive innovation in every field of human endeavor, some of the most far-reaching in medicine, science and computer technology" (Best, Hanhim ki, Maiolo, and Schulze 483). In World War I, the airplane was new technology, and it changed the way the war was fought. By World War II, the airplane was one of the most important elements of the war, from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 to the ending of the war by dropping the atomic bombs on Japan. Technologies like radar, sonar, rocketry, and jet propulsion helped win the war, as well, and then went on to become more advanced and help create global travel opportunities that were not thought of before the war. Therefore, technology changed the way we fight wars, win wars, and view wars, even as it helped change the way we travel and think about travel. (Travel before the automobile and airplane was a long, tedious affair, now, it is much simpler and available to everyone.)

Technology changed warfare and travel, but it has also impacted work. The computer has changed the way people work, not only by making many different types of work more effective and detailed, but it has created entire areas of employment and industry that did not exist even 50 years ago, such as the semiconductor and PC industries, along with all the components of technology, from iPods to cell phones and beyond. All of these tools have created a far different workplace than existed 100 years ago. We can communicate around the globe in an instant, we can work from home with computers and phone lines, and we can even use wireless computers on the go when we travel. More importantly, computers and other technology have allowed most factory work to be modernized, many tedious and repetitive jobs have been eliminated or replaced by robotic procedures, and the fabric of employment has changed.

At the turn of the twentieth century, America was still largely an agricultural country, and farmers were by in large successful and independent. By the end of the twentieth century, agriculture has modernized, the numbers of farmers had fallen dramatically, and technology changed the face of agriculture and the way the world eats. Another author notes, "Technology, including new farm equipment, hybrid seeds, herbicides, pesticides, and eventually genetically modified crops, increased the cost of farming and sparked public criticism that modern farming practices endangered the health and safety of the general population" (Walker). Better transportation methods helped farmers reach a global market, but they also helped increase the cost of food, and helped more farmers give up agriculture as their employment, too. Technology helped farms become more efficient, but it also helped develop large, factory farms that ran small, independent farmers out of business because they could not compete financially.

Many other innovations that we take for granted today also changed the face of life in the twentieth century. One of those is plastic. "Time" Magazine editors note, "In 1908, Belgian inventor Leo Baekeland created Bakelite, the first plastic, by combining phenols and formaldehyde; it was used originally as an alternative to ivory billiard balls" (Editors). Plastic does not seem to be a vital invention, and yet, everywhere we look today there are plastics, from our computer keyboards and components, to Zip-lock storage bags, water bottles, and automobile interiors. Plastics are everywhere, and they are another innovation that really changed the way we live. They are disposable, and yet, they do not break down for thousands of years (if ever), so they clog landfills and create mountains of trash that is difficult to deal with. Trash is another innovation that has mushroomed in the twentieth century, and has really altered life, too. One hundred years ago, most trash was organic or biodegradable, and when it got to be a problem, city dumps were routinely burned. Now, there is so much trash that it has become a global problem and disposing of much of it has become dangerous, because so many toxins exist in items like computers and other technological advances. We have created a world of innovation and technology, but we have created a massive problem with waste, that so far technology has not been able to solve.

Technology has really crept into every corner of life, from television to motion pictures and all forms of entertainment. Some of these technologies actually began before the turn of the twentieth century, but really came into their own after 1900. Television is a fact of life today, and most people would not think of not owning at least one television. At the turn of the century, people had to leave their homes to see live performances of plays, music, vaudeville, and motion pictures, but today, people never have to leave their homes to rent movies on pay-per-view, watch live sporting events, and see televised shows of every type, including concerts and live sitcoms. Entertainment is very different than it was at the turn of the century, and that is due to technological advances in every area of entertainment.