Loading...

Technological design is a process that enables us to develop new tools and technologies.

student listening to music on laptop

One potential question that technology could answer includes "How can I get my computer to download music files faster?"
Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to make or do something new. For example, you just learned about how the first movies did not have sound or color. Later, as scientists learned more about sound waves and how film can be used to convey color, people used the knowledge to make new technology that added sound and color to movies. In a way, the new technology was developed in order to meet a need or want of society--in this case, the want for movies that were more realistic and easier to understand.

There are many needs and wants of society today that still need to be addressed. Technological advances are helping to meet those needs each day, but we still have much work to do. In the picture, you see one example of a question that technology can address. As scientific knowledge advances in the fields of computers and electronic transmission of data, new technology will likely be developed that will enable us to download music faster than ever before.

The Need for Technology

What other needs and wants of society can you think of that could be addressed by technology?

How can I get my car to use gas more efficiently? How can we get better sound quality from recorded music? How can we recycle more of our waste materials? How can people in developing countries get access to clean freshwater? How can we protect cities from the devastating effects of tornadoes? How can scientists get astronauts on other planets?