Technology and Innovation

Terms to know:  Technology: the use of materials, tools and skills  Technological innovation: the development of new technologies

Innovation #1: Moveable type  Created in 1450 by Johann Gutenberg  Allowed books to be printed more cheaply; news and ideas spread quickly  Helped launch the Protestant Reformation by spreading criticism of the Catholic Church

Innovation #2: Steam Engine  Invented in the 1700’s  Provided power for factories, transportation, steamboats, and trains.

Innovation #3: Internal Combustion Engine  Powered automobiles and airplanes  Improvements in places and ease of travel and shipping goods

Innovation #4: GPS and GIS  GPS: Global Positioning Systems  Utilize satellites to send exact locations on Earth.  Used today for cars, addresses and routes, search and rescue capabilities, and weapons/military.  Example: GoogleEarth

Innovation #4: GPS and GIS  GIS: Graphic Information Systems  Utilize computers to capture, store, manage, and analyze information  Allows for better interpretation and visualization of data

Innovation #5: Air Conditioning  Allow people to move and live in places that have more extreme weather.  Caused a major population shift to the South and West starting in the 1960’s.

Innovation #6: Desalinization  The process by which salt is separated to make fresh water  Allows people to adapt to new environments where only salt water may be present (example: Israel)  El Paso, Texas has one of the world’s largest desalinization plants

Innovation #7: Agriculture  Introduction of the tractor allowed for farmers to harvest crops more quickly  Fertilizers and pesticides keep crops healthy and insect-free  Farmers are learning to grow plants with less water, land, and labor  Satellites help farmers get more accurate weather reports

Innovation #8: Trade  Movement from trading with nearby communities to a world wide market place  Larger ships, planes, trucks, and trains allow more goods from more places.  Some of the biggest manufacturers in the world are China, Mexico, Japan, USA, and Chile.

Innovation #9: Medicine  The understanding of DNA has opened doors for scientists to understand genetics  New tools like CAT scans and MRI’s use computers to create 3D images the body  Creation of medicines and developing cures for diseases