Space technology is technology that is related to entering space, maintaining and using systems during spaceflight and returning people and things from space.

Teddy bears lifted to 30,085 metres above sea level on a heliumballoon in a materials experiment byCU Spaceflight and SPARKS science club. Each of the bears wore a different space suitdesigned by 11-13 year olds from SPARKS.

"Every day" technologies such as weather forecasting, remote sensing, GPS systems, satellite television, and some long distance communications systems critically rely on space infrastructure. Of sciences astronomy and Earth sciences (via remote sensing) most notably benefit from space technology.

Computers and telemetry were once leading edge technologies that might have been considered "space technology" because of their criticality to boosters and spacecraft. They existed prior to theSpace Race of the Cold War (between Russia and the U.S.A.) but their development was vastly accelerated to meet the needs of the two major superpowers' space programs. While still used today in spacecraft and missiles, the more prosaic applications such as remote monitoring (via telemetry) of patients, water plants, highway conditions, etc. and the widespread use of computers far surpasses their space applications in quantity and variety of application.

Space is such an alien environment that attempting to work in it requires new techniques and knowledge. New technologies originating with or accelerated by space-related endeavors are often subsequently exploited in other economic activities. This has been widely pointed to as beneficial by space advocates and enthusiasts favoring the investment of public funds in space activities and programs. Political opponents counter that it would be far cheaper to develop specific technologies directly if they are beneficial and scoff at this justification for public expenditures on space-related research.

Advantages Of Technology

"The advantages Technology has given us outweigh the disadvantages."

Many argue that as we venture further into the frontier of technology we proceed with a slow death of society, by losing culture and ultimately a sense of self. To a certain extent this may be true, but realistically if we cease to progress we wont be able to survive. (Robert)
There are many examples of advantages and disadvantages some mentioned were " Technology has the ability to create shortcuts in working and can make tasks easier also. Solid examples are cars, calculators and phones, through technology life may be faster but is also easier. To further this point a fact brought up by Jo-ann was that diseases we have today would be and could have become epidemics, if it were not for technology being there in the field of medicine, medical advances would not have happened or would have come years later (Jo-ann). As far as transportation man has come a long way from horses and coal driven trains to computer navigable and driven cars. In boats crossing the Atlantic it took four to six months, in 747 airliner commercial jets takes ten to fifteen hours (Dana), even though they add to the pollution crisis a population accustomed to having these conveniences is still using them regardless. Among other advantages is the fact that with technology communications is a hundred times faster than without it (Ailua). Before telephones, emails and fax machines, there were trains, carriages and the pony express with the modes of traveling we have now we have been able to make the world smaller so to speak. With technology we enjoy luxuries such as movies, television, fresh food and refrigerators, ovens to cook on and bake in. And with every advantage that technology gives, it brings along with it a disadvantage we have come to depend on it more and more as we advance in the field.
If we didn't have technology we would become victim to things we were ignorant of. An...

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Although there are differing opinions about the nature of instructional technology, the Commission on Instructional Technology (1970) provided the following definition:

Instructional technology is a systematic way of designing, carrying out, and evaluating the total process of learning and teaching in terms of specific objectives, based on research in human learning and communication, and employing a combination of human and nonhuman resources to bring about more effective instruction. (p. 199)

Typical applications of instructional technology may use conventional media such as videotapes, computer assisted instruction, or more complex systems, such as hypermedia programs in which computers are used to control the display of audio and visual images stored on videodisc (Blackhurst & Morse, 1996), CD-ROM and digital video discs. The use of telecommunication systems, particularly the Internet (Williams, 1995) and its World Wide Web component (Williams, 1996), have great promise for use in classrooms and for distance education. Computer software systems are now available that can be used to manage the delivery of instruction via the Web. Such systems have been used successfully to deliver instruction to undergraduate and graduate students on topics related to special education (Blackhurst, Hales, & Lahm, 1997).

It is important to note the various components of the above definition and to realize that technology is actually a tool for the delivery of instruction. In this conceptualization, technological devices are considered as means to an end and not an end in and of themselves. Use of technology cannot compensate for instruction that is poorly designed or implemented.

Clean Sky JTI

Clean Sky JTI

Joint Technology Initiative (JTI): What is it? A JTI is a new instrument created by the European Commission for the 7th Framework Programme for Research (FP7) to allow large scale and long term public private research partnerships to implement the ambitious research priorities of the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) which are of such scale that they will require the mobilisation and management of very substantial public and private investment. The "Clean Sky" JTI The "Clean Sky" JTI is an industry driven 7-year research programme plan for greener generation of European Air Transport that will radically improve impact on the environment while strengthening and securing European aeronautics industry’s competitiveness. Its purpose is to demonstrate and validate the technological breakthroughs that are necessary to reach the environmental goals set by the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE: the European Technology Platform for Aeronautics & Air Transport). Goals ACARE goals to be obtained in 2020 through the Technology Domains developed in the Clean Sky JTI: 50% reduction of CO2 emissions through drastic reduction of fuel consumption 80% reduction of NOx emissions 50% reduction of external noise A green design, manufacturing, maintenance and disposal product life cycle These Technology Domains are developed within six Technology Platforms, and a Technology Evaluator will evaluate the global impact of the technologies on the environment. Next

THE EVOLUTION OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

To many of us, the term technology conjures up visions of things such as computers, cell phones, spaceships, digital video players, computer games, advanced military equipment, and other highly sophisticated machines. Such perceptions have been acquired and reinforced through exposure to televised reports of fascinating devices and news articles about them, science fiction books and movies, and our use of equipment such as automobiles, telephones, computers, and automatic teller machines.

While this focus on devices and machines seems to be very prevalent among the general population, many educators also hold a similar perspective. Since Pressey developed the first teaching machine in 1926 (Nazzaro, 1977), technology applications in public schools and post-secondary education institutions have tended to focus on the acquisition and use of equipment such as film projectors, audio and video tape recorders, overhead projectors, and computers.

Since the early 1960s, however, a trend has emerged that is changing the way we perceive technology in education. At that time, educators began considering the concept of instructional technology. Subsequently, after considerable deliberation, a Congressional Commission on Instructional Technology (1970) concluded that technology involved more than just hardware. The Commission concluded that, in addition to the use of devices and equipment, instructional technology also involves a systematic way of designing and delivering instruction.

With the rapid development of microcomputer technology, increased research on instructional procedures, and the invention of new devices and equipment to aid those with health problems, physical disabilities, and sensory impairments, the latter third of the 20th century has borne witness to a very dramatic evolution. The current perspective is a broad one in which six types of technology are recognized: the technology of teaching, instructional technology, assistive technology, medical technology, technology productivity tools, and information technology .

A parabolic dish and Stirling engine system, which concentrates sunlight to produce useful solar power.

Solar energy
Solar power Solar thermal Photovoltaics Solar vehicle

Renewable energy
Biofuel Biomass Geothermal Hydroelectricity Solar energy Tidal power Wave power Wind power
v • d • e

Solar energy is the radiant light and heat from the Sun that has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation along with secondary solar resources such as wind and wave power,hydroelectricity and biomass account for most of the availablerenewable energy on Earth. Only a minuscule fraction of the available solar energy is used.

Solar power provides electrical generation by means of heat engines or photovoltaics. Once converted, its uses are limited only by human ingenuity. A partial list of solar applications includes space heating and cooling through solar architecture,potable water via distillation and disinfection, daylighting, hot water, thermal energy for cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial purposes.

Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solardepending on the way they capture, convert and distribute sunlight. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors (with electrical or mechanical equipment) to convert sunlight into useful outputs. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.

Cheaper LEDs

Flexible arrays of bright inorganic LEDs could mean cheaper displays and lighting.

By Katherine Bourzac

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2009

E-mail Audio » Print Favorite Share »

A new technique makes it possible to print flexible arrays of thin inorganic light-emitting diodes for displays and lighting. The new printing process is a hybrid between the methods currently used to make inorganic and organic LEDs, and it brings some of the advantages of each, combining the flexibility, thinness and ease of manufacturing organic polymers with the brightness and long-term stability of inorganic compounds. It could be used to make high-quality flexible displays and less expensive LED lighting systems.

Stretchy screens: Arrays of tiny red inorganic LEDs can be printed on stretchable rubber substrate to conform to curves. The gold-colored wires are electrical connections and are also flexible. Credit: Science/AAAS

Inorganic LEDs are bright and long lasting, but the expense of manufacturing them has led to them being used mainly in niche applications such as billboard-size displays for sports arenas. What's more, the manufacturing process for making inorganic LED displays is complex, because each LED must be individually cut and placed, says John Rogers, a materials science professor in the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. So display manufacturers have turned to organic materials, which can be printed and are cheaper. While LED-based lighting systems are attractive because of their low energy consumption, they remain expensive. The new printing process, developed by Rogers and described today in the journalScience, could bring down the cost of inorganic LEDs because it would require less material and simpler manufacturing techniques.

Displays based on inorganic LEDs, says Nicholas Colaneri, director of the Flexible Display Center at Arizona State University in Tempe, "are not generally economical to make." The manufacturing process involves sawing wafers of semiconducting materials such as gallium arsenide, picking and placing each piece individually using robotics, and adding electrical connections one at a time.

An Operating System for the Cloud Google is developing a new computing platform equal to the Internet era. Should Microsoft be worried? By G. Pascal Zachary E-mail Audio » Print Favorite Share » From early in their company's history, Google's founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, wanted to develop a computer operating system and browser. Credit: Brian Stauffer They believed it would help make personal computing less expensive, because Google would give away the software free of charge. They wanted to shrug off 20 years of accumulated software history (what the information technology industry calls the "legacy") by building an OS and browser from scratch. Finally, they hoped the combined technology would be an alternative to Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer, providing a new platform for developers to write Web applications and unleashing the creativity of programmers for the benefit of the masses. But despite the sublimity of their aspirations, Eric Schmidt, Google's chief executive, said no for six years. Google's main source of revenue, which reached $5.5 billion in its most recent quarter, is advertising. How would the project they envisioned support the company's advertising business? The question wasn't whether Google could afford it. The company is wonderfully profitable and is on track to net more than $5 billion in its current fiscal year. But Schmidt, a 20-year veteran of the IT industry, wasn't keen on shouldering the considerable costs of creating and maintaining an OS and browser for no obvious return. Finally, two years ago, Schmidt said yes to the browser. The rationale was that quicker and more frequent Web access would mean more searches, which would translate into more revenue from ads. Then, in July of this year, Schmidt announced Google's intention to launch an operating system as well. The idea is that an OS developed with the Internet in mind will also increase the volume of Web activity, and support the browser. Google's browser and OS both bear the name Chrome. At a year old, the browser holds a mere 2 to 3 percent share of a contested global market, in which Microsoft's Internet Explorer has a majority share and Firefox comes in second. The Chrome operating system will be released next year. Today, Windows enjoys around 90 percent of the global market for operating systems, followed by Apple's Mac OS and the freeware Linux. Does Google know what it's doing? Ritualized Suicide Going after Microsoft's operating system used to be hopeless. When I covered the company for the Wall Street Journal in the 1990s, I chronicled one failed attempt after another by software innovators to wrest control of the field from Bill Gates. IBM failed. Sun failed. Borland. Everybody. By the end of the 1990s, the quest had become a kind of ritualized suicide for software companies. Irresistible forces seemed to compel Gates's rivals, driving them toward self-destruction. The networking company Novell, which Schmidt once ran, could have been one of these casualties. Perhaps Schmidt's managerial experience and intellectual engagement with computer code immunized him against the OS bug. In any case, he knew that the task of dislodging Microsoft was bigger than creating a better OS. While others misguidedly focused on the many engineering shortcomings of Windows, Schmidt knew that Microsoft was the leader not for technical reasons but for business ones, such as pricing practices and synergies between its popular office applications and Windows.

Energy-Aware Internet Routing Software that tracks electricity prices could slash energy costs for big online businesses. By Will Knight MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2009 E-mail Audio » Print Favorite Share » An Internet-routing algorithm that tracks electricity price fluctuations could save data-hungry companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon millions of dollars each year in electricity costs. A study from researchers at MIT, Carnegie Mellon University, and the networking company Akamai suggests that such Internet businesses could reduce their energy use by as much as 40 percent by rerouting data to locations where electricity prices are lowest on a particular day. Data beast: Google maintains a huge datacenter in The Dalles, OR. Credit: John Nelson Modern datacenters gobble up huge amounts of electricity and usage is increasing at a rapid pace. Energy consumption has accelerated as applications move from desktop computers to the Internet and as information gets transferred from ordinary computers to distributed "cloud" computing services. For the world's biggest information-technology firms, this means spending upwards of $30 million on electricity every year, by modest estimates. Asfandyar Qureshi, a PhD student at MIT, first outlined the idea of a smart routing algorithm that would track electricity prices to reduce costs in a paper presented in October 2008. This year, Qureshi and colleagues approached researchers at Akamai to obtain the real-world routing data needed to test the idea. Akamai's distributed servers cache information on behalf of many large Web sites across the US and abroad, and process some 275 billion requests per day; while the company does not require many large datacenters itself, its traffic data provides a way to model the demand placed on large Internet companies. The researchers first analyzed 39 months of electricity price data collected for 29 major US cities. Energy prices fluctuate for a variety of reasons, including seasonal changes in supply, fuel price hikes, and changes in consumer demand, and the researchers saw a surprising amount of volatility, even among geographically close locations. "The thing that surprised me most was that there was no one place that was always cheapest," says Bruce Maggs, vice president of research at Akamai, who contributed to the project while working as a professor at Carnegie Mellon and is currently a professor at Duke University. "There are large fluctuations on a short timescale."