Science

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TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS

 

Ever since people appeared on the Earth, they have had to work to get food, clothing, and build houses. Through the ages, people invented tools, machines, materials, and techniques to make work easier.  

Many people call the age we live in the age of technology. Industrial technology began about 200 years ago with the development of steam power-driven machines, the growth of factories, and the mass production of goods. As industrial technology developed, it affected more and more aspects of people's lives. For example, the invention of the automobile influenced where people lived and worked and how they spent their leisure time. Radio and television changed entertainment habits, and the telephone revolutionized communication. Today, industrial technology helps to conquer hunger and to cure or prevent many diseases. 

Industrial technology enables people to live in greater security and comfort than ever before. Through the ages, technology has benefited people in four main ways:  

First, it has increased the production of goods and services.  

Second, it has reduced the amount of labour needed to produce goods and services.

Third, technology has made labour easier.  

Fourth, it has given people higher living standards.  

Technological progress has also created serious problems. These problems have appeared because technologies were used without thinking about their possible effects.

Four major undesirable effects of today's technology are: 

(1) Environmental pollution. 

(2) The Depletion of Natural Resources. 

(3) Technological Unemployment. It is the replacement of human workers with machines. 

(4) The Creation of Unsatisfying Jobs. Most factory workers make only a part of the finished product. As a result, they do not have the feeling of pride in their work that comes from creating an entire product.  

Let’s hope that people will have the intelligence, imagination, and inventive skill to сорe with problems created by technology.  

 

Vocabulary

age – век, эпоха   to invent – изобретать  tool – орудие  steam power-driven machine – паровая машина  to influence – влиять  leisure time – свободное время  entertainment – развлечение, отдых  to conquer – победить  hunger – голод  to cure – лечить  to prevent – предотвращать   disease – болезнь, заболевание  to enable – давать возможность  to benefit – приносить пользу   to increase – увеличивать  goods – товары  services – услуги   to reduce – сокращать

amount – количество, объём  labour – труд  to create – создавать  undesirable effects – нежелательные последствия  environment – окружающая среда  pollution – загрязнение   depletion – истощение (ресурсов)   unemployment – безработица  replacement – замещение  creation – создание   unsatisfying job – работа, не приносящая морального удовлетворения  pride – гордость  entire – весь, целый   intelligence – интеллект, разум  imagination – воображение  inventive skill – изобретательность   to cope – справиться

 EXERCISES

I. Find English equivalents:

Приходилось работать; изобрели орудия; облегчить труд; изобретение паровой машины; массовое производство товаров; влияла на жизнь людей; победить голод; вылечить болезни; жить в безопасности; уровень жизни; создала проблемы; не думая о последствиях; истощение природных ресурсов; безработица; работа, не приносящая морального удовлетворения; готовый продукт; справиться с проблемами. 

II. Find one out:

a) tools, machines, equipment, materials, apparatus; 

b) technique, method, way, technology, invention;   

c) to affect, to live, to influence, to change, to impress;   

d) to increase, to grow, to raise, to spend, to enlarge;  

e) goods, services, products, commodities;   

f) work, labour, job, leisure; 

III. Complete the sentences: 

1. People invented …, materials, and techniques to make work easier.   2. Industrial technology enables people to live in greater … and … than ever before.  3. Technology helps to conquer … and to cure or prevent many … . 4. Technology has reduced the amount of … needed to produce goods and services. 5. Technological progress has also created serious … .  6. Technologies were used without thinking about their possible … .

hunger security labour comfort problems effects tools diseases

 IV. Answer the questions:

1. How did people try to make their life and work easier?   

2. What was invented in 1900?

3. What is the role of industrial technology today?

4. How has technology benefited people?   

5. What problems has technological progress created? Why?

6. What is technological unemployment?  

7. Why do most factory workers not have the feeling of pride in their work? 

8. Are there any ways to сорe with problems created by technology?  

V. Translate the sentences:

1. Современные технологии облегчают жизнь людей.

2. Мама гордится результатами работы своего сына.

3. Помоги мне справиться с этой проблемой.

4. Он всегда обладал богатым воображением и изобретательностью. 

5. Знаете ли вы, кто изобрёл радио. 

Pros and cons of technological progress

Pros of technological progress

Humans live longer and much more comfortable lives. The medical advancements have helped us develop vaccines and treatment for diseases which were previously lethal. Giving birth is not as dangerous as it used to be.

Technology has allowed humans to travel faster and trade goods all over the world. Thanks to technology we can have holidays in remote locations and capture these moments through pictures. We can now buy and consume goods produced far away.

Genetically modified foods (GMO) may help fight hunger and ensure that world population continues to be fed. Genetic modification techniques contribute to produce more food and to maintain agricultural production at affordable prices.

The Internet, computers and mobile phones illustrate the role of technology in improving society. Our work and social lives have been transformed. People can now work from home and collaborate with teams located in other towns, countries or even continents. We can keep a fluid communication and relationship with friends and family living abroad. News of events cross the globe in seconds. Social netwoks such as facebook and twitter are extremely useful.

Thanks to new technologies, alternative forms of entertainment and art have developed during the last century. Photography, radio, movies, television shows, music and video games occupy a central spot in people's lives.

The importance of technology in the delopment of renewable energies is evident. Without technological progress it would be difficult to envisage a green future in which the problem of climate change could be kept under control. Scientific advancements are making electric cars more affordable and enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of solar and eolic energy, as well as that hydropower.

 Cons and risks of technology

Technology is altering our lifestyle and will alter the cognitive and social development of current and future generations. There are many different ways in which the evolution of technology and society are connected. Technological innovation has changed our lives. Computers, smartphones and the internet have strongly affected how we interact with other people. Many claim that they are dehumanizing our lives and making us more solitary people.

Human cloning technology is a reality and in addition to some obvious advantages, human cloning brings some risks. For instance it could create worrisome divides in society between those genetically divided to be smarter or physically more attractive and the rest. Human cloning will be difficult to regulate and will bring concerns regarding its interference with nature and religious beliefs.

Weaponization of viruses. For instance, viruses such as Ebola or AIDS could be transformed into a virus that could be transmitted through the air. This could endanger or even cause the extinction of the the human race. Lifeforms can be created through genetic manipulation. With techonological progress the techniques to create or manipulate lifeforms will be increasingly accessible to us. Genomes of infectious diseases will be available to download from the internet. Terrorists, psychopaths and other criminals will have the capacity to use genetic manipulation to harm or threaten others.

Similarly, scientific experimentation might create enormous dangers for society. Risky experiments may go wrong. Researchers are currently mutating microorganism in order to find cures to diseases. By accident these diseases could escape the laboratory and spread.

Enrichment of uranium is becoming an increasingly cheaper process. Traditionally the infrastructure required to produce nuclear power and build nuclear bombs was extremely expensive. Thanks to technological progress and the use of laser beams to separate U-235 and U-238, in the not so distant future, people might be able to enrich uranium home. Nuclear weapons in the hands of the wrong organizations or individuals could create enormous unrest in the world population and a serious security threat.

Technological progress is to be blamed for the negative effects of global warming and climate change. The role of technology fostering economic progress is difficult to deny. However, at the same time the generation of enegy necessary to the increased production and transportation of goods, for instance through combustion engines and thermoelectric generators, has produced an increased in the emission and concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Technology can be also used as an undesirable tool of control. For instance, scientists are working to develop brain scanning machines which could allow read a person's thoughts. This would have great benefits as could allow people with disabilities or people having suffered brain damage to communicate. Moreover if through a magnetic resoncance we could enquire criminals and terrorist we could also prevent harm for society. Similarly, thanks to advanced IT, it is possible to analyse the communications of millions of people and identify potential crimes and wrongdoers. Unfortunately, there is a very real possibility that technology will end up used by some governments in a draconian way. A dystopian future where people are constantly inquisitorially surveilled by a Big Brother as in Orwell's science fiction classic 1984.