|
Technology Today Magazine:
Introduction to Technology Today
By Jim Youngquist with special
acknowledgment to Dr. James Strauss
Send a link to a friend
[October 01, 2014]
In
1758, scientist Carolus Linnaeus claimed that he had discovered a
new subspecies of evolved human beings. Their evolutionary trait was
that they had become much more intelligent and adaptable than their
predecessors, and seemed to learn at a ferocious pace.
|
|
 The current species of human beings were dubbed Homo sapiens,
translated intelligent humans. Their intelligence was
measurable and different from previous generations of human beings.
Linnaeus made the observation that this new species was measurably
more intelligent and so he called them Homo sapiens sapiens, or
very smart humans.
Whether he had indeed discovered a new species of people or not, it
was evident that mankind was adapting to their environment and
learning and figuring things out.
The significant feature of human beings over the rest of the animal
world is that we are considered “tool makers.” Some animals are tool
users, like baboons who will take a stick, lick it, and then put the
sticky wetted stick down an anthill to bring out a tasty bunch of
ants stuck to the stick as a snack.
Humans go further and actually shape various different tools for
different tasks, and it is this inventive creativity that has
allowed us to prosper as a species. And this toolmaking ability has
developed over the millennia into what we now call TECHNOLOGY.
We seem to be programmed to be attracted to technology. I am sure
that the poor guy who first discovered fire had people following him
everywhere trying to get their hands on his new technology, and
everybody wanted to know when he was going to come out with fire
2.0.
In the Bible, God Himself gave the whole planet over to humans and
told them to have dominion over it. That dominion has for the most
part translated itself into technology.
There is a great clamoring among people for the newest technologies.
When the newest computer operating system comes out, people adopt it
immediately. When the newest smartphone or game console come out,
people feverishly stand in line to be among the first to get their
hands on it and experience it. People want new technologies because
they believe that new technologies will make their lives better.
[to top of second column] |
Most current technology has become very advanced, and many technologies have
computers at their core. The five articles in this technology magazine all have
computers involved: Weather technology, smartphones, entertainment and game
consoles, the internet and of course, computers.
The computer reflects and mimics our intelligence back to us and has become the
perfect companion. Many have said that because of the presence of so much
information available today because of technology, that we have evolved again,
but not for the better. We may no longer be Homo sapien or Homo sapien sapien
because we have come to rely on the ability and intelligence of technology so
much that we no longer use our own minds.
Perhaps this new generation, going where no man has gone before, should be
called Homo technologicus, people who seek technology. Where will it lead us?
 |
