Changes

Many times you hear the word science and technology together. What is the connection between the two? Do you know? Study of science includes a method of observing things around us, thinking about why those events happen, explaining why the events happen, recording information about the events and also predicting what might happen. Often, scientists imagine what might be the solution and what might be the answer to the puzzles around us. The understanding of phenomena can lead to the development of tools – this is  what we call technology. The technology can provide us more methods of observing, experimenting and recording.  And this in turn results in the advancement of science.  Thus, science and technology share a symbiotic relationship.

Many times you hear the word science and technology together. What is the connection between the two? Do you know? Study of science includes a method of observing things around us, thinking about why those events happen, explaining why the events happen, recording information about the events and also predicting what might happen. Often, scientists imagine what might be the solution and what might be the answer to the puzzles around us. The understanding of phenomena can lead to the development of tools – this is  what we call technology. The technology can provide us more methods of observing, experimenting and recording.  And this in turn results in the advancement of science.  Thus, science and technology share a symbiotic relationship.

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|style="width: 82%;| A symbiotic relationship is when two phenomena work together and one affects the other.  This term originated in biology and ecology to describe interactions between different organisms.

| style="width: 82%;" | A symbiotic relationship is when two phenomena work together and one affects the other.  This term originated in biology and ecology to describe interactions between different organisms.

Watch the attached video for examples of symbiotic relationship.

Watch the attached video for examples of symbiotic relationship.

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Thus, the technology for information creation and communication has been changing, connected with the advancements in scientific knowledge. Changes happened in the way computing evolved and changes happened in the way communication technology evolved, each impacting the other to produce the ICT environment we are now in; and which is still changing rapidly.

Thus, the technology for information creation and communication has been changing, connected with the advancements in scientific knowledge. Changes happened in the way computing evolved and changes happened in the way communication technology evolved, each impacting the other to produce the ICT environment we are now in; and which is still changing rapidly.

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|style="width: 70%;|[[File:Long_Waves_of_Social_Evolution.jpg|650px]]

| style="width: 70%;" |[[File:Long_Waves_of_Social_Evolution.jpg|650px]]

|style="width: 30%;|Growth of ICT can be seen to be broadly in terms of 4 ages

| style="width: 30%;" |Growth of ICT can be seen to be broadly in terms of 4 ages

#premechanical

#premechanical

#mechanical

#mechanical

=Analog and digital technologies=

=Analog and digital technologies=

==Impact on computing and development of computers==

==Impact on computing and development of computers==

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|style="width: 70%;|During the mechanical and electric analog phases of technology, information was created by a series of physical changes converted into electrical impulses for storing and  machine, and each analog information storage required a specialized equipment to decode and read the information. A cassette player or a gramaphone disc is an example of such a device.  Analog machines could be programmed for specific applications as well as for generalized computation. Representing information for computing using physical changes often meant that the results could not be accurate as the changes could not be replicated exactly.   

| style="width: 70%;" |During the mechanical and electric analog phases of technology, information was created by a series of physical changes converted into electrical impulses for storing and  machine, and each analog information storage required a specialized equipment to decode and read the information. A cassette player or a gramaphone disc is an example of such a device.  Analog machines could be programmed for specific applications as well as for generalized computation. Representing information for computing using physical changes often meant that the results could not be accurate as the changes could not be replicated exactly.   

|style="width: 30%;|See below how a difference engine, designed by Charles Babbage worked.

| style="width: 30%;" |See below how a difference engine, designed by Charles Babbage worked.

{{#widget:YouTube|id=i_u3hpYMySk}}  

{{#widget:YouTube|id=i_u3hpYMySk}}  

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|style="width: 70%; |An important breakthrough came when the binary system was invented.  In the binary system information can in a series of "0"s and "1"s thus allowing information to be accessed through only a combination of "1"s and "0"s.  This allowed information to be communicated in discrete bits which could be combined and recombined. Such a computer which uses "0"s and "1"s to perform computations a digital computer. What makes our society now different from ever before is the presence of digital technologies. Combined with the development of new methods of designing circuits like transistors and micro chips, it became possible to design computers which performed computations using digital methods.  This improved the reliability and ease of computations significantly over the analog machines.  The digital electronics changed operations in many applications including manufacturing, however the impact on ICT has been almost revolutionary.  This has led to the growth of computers as we know it - from large clunky computers to the computer on your desktop to the laptop and now the smart phone.   

| style="width: 70%; " |An important breakthrough came when the binary system was invented.  In the binary system information can in a series of "0"s and "1"s thus allowing information to be accessed through only a combination of "1"s and "0"s.  This allowed information to be communicated in discrete bits which could be combined and recombined. Such a computer which uses "0"s and "1"s to perform computations a digital computer. What makes our society now different from ever before is the presence of digital technologies. Combined with the development of new methods of designing circuits like transistors and micro chips, it became possible to design computers which performed computations using digital methods.  This improved the reliability and ease of computations significantly over the analog machines.  The digital electronics changed operations in many applications including manufacturing, however the impact on ICT has been almost revolutionary.  This has led to the growth of computers as we know it - from large clunky computers to the computer on your desktop to the laptop and now the smart phone.   

|style="width: 30%;|slideshow - http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/computers/

| style="width: 30%;" |slideshow - http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/computers/

See the slideshow here for a glimpse of how the digital technology revolutionized history of computing.

See the slideshow here for a glimpse of how the digital technology revolutionized history of computing.

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Can you make a list of all the things a cell phone does?  

Can you make a list of all the things a cell phone does?  

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|[[File:mindmapofcellphone.jpg|400px]]

|[[File:mindmapofcellphone.jpg|400px]]

=What can ICT do=

=What can ICT do=

If so many things are impacted by ICT, it is important to understand how these work, and how they should be used [[What should students know about safe use of technology|safely]] and ethically.  Technology should be treated like a common resource where everyone can access it, interact with it, benefit from it and contribute to it.  It should be used such that more and more people can get access in society should be treated like a public information good.

Look around you - can you make a list of things that have digital technologies involved in them?  Yes, that is right.  Starting from the computer in your school, television, movies, videos and other materials for subject learning mobile communication, Aadhar card, land records, bank accounts, pension accounts and so many more things, ICT have become integrated into society in many ways.  If so many things are impacted by ICT, it is important to understand how these work, and how they should be used [[What should students know about safe use of technology|safely]] and [[What students should know about ethics of technology|responsibly]].   

 

Technology should be treated like a common resource where everyone can access it, interact with it, benefit from it and contribute to it.  It should be used such that more and more people can get access in society should be treated like