Developments in technology are closely linked to changes in society. Early people hunted animals and gathered wild plants for food. Stone tools made by such people about 1 million years ago provide the oldest evidence of technology. Early people also learned to use wood, bones, skins, and other natural materials. They learned to control fire. This provided the warmth needed to live in cold climates.
Some 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, people began to farm and raise livestock. This provided a more reliable food supply. People began to settle permanently in villages. They gradually learned to build houses. They began to weave fabric and make pots and baskets for storing food.
In time, the discovery of ways to make and use metals led to better tools and weapons. The development of the wheel made it easier to travel. The invention of writing brought changes in communication and knowledge.
The ancient Greeks and other Mediterranean people developed many laborsaving devices. These included the waterwheel and the pulley. The Chinese invented paper, cast iron, the wheelbarrow, gunpowder, and the compass. They had a method of block printing before A.D. 900. The use of movable type and the printing press began in Europe in the 1400s. It made books available to more people.
The Industrial Revolution began in Europe in the 1700s. It was a time of rapid change. Textiles and other goods began to be produced by machine rather than by hand. Large factories were built to house the machines. Many people moved from rural towns to cities to find work in the factories.
Factories began to use assembly-line and mass-production techniques. They produced goods faster and in greater quantities. Mass-produced items cost less. More people could afford to buy them. Today many factories are automated. That is, machines rather than people control the equipment. And computers control many kinds of complex machines.
The past one hundred years have brought an explosion of technology to every field. Technology has even allowed people to leave Earth and make use of space. And by unlocking the secrets of the nucleus of the atom, people have developed new sources of energy and powerful new weapons.
Some 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, people began to farm and raise livestock. This provided a more reliable food supply. People began to settle permanently in villages. They gradually learned to build houses. They began to weave fabric and make pots and baskets for storing food.
In time, the discovery of ways to make and use metals led to better tools and weapons. The development of the wheel made it easier to travel. The invention of writing brought changes in communication and knowledge.
The ancient Greeks and other Mediterranean people developed many laborsaving devices. These included the waterwheel and the pulley. The Chinese invented paper, cast iron, the wheelbarrow, gunpowder, and the compass. They had a method of block printing before A.D. 900. The use of movable type and the printing press began in Europe in the 1400s. It made books available to more people.
The Industrial Revolution began in Europe in the 1700s. It was a time of rapid change. Textiles and other goods began to be produced by machine rather than by hand. Large factories were built to house the machines. Many people moved from rural towns to cities to find work in the factories.
Factories began to use assembly-line and mass-production techniques. They produced goods faster and in greater quantities. Mass-produced items cost less. More people could afford to buy them. Today many factories are automated. That is, machines rather than people control the equipment. And computers control many kinds of complex machines.
The past one hundred years have brought an explosion of technology to every field. Technology has even allowed people to leave Earth and make use of space. And by unlocking the secrets of the nucleus of the atom, people have developed new sources of energy and powerful new weapons.
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