| The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002. |
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| Technology |
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| There are two reasons to pursue scientific knowledge: for the sake of the knowledge itself, and for the practical uses of that knowledge. Because this second aspect of science affects the lives of most people, it is more familiar than the first. Knowledge must be gained, however, before it can be applied, and often the most important technological advances arise from research pursued for its own sake. | 1 |
| Traditionally, new technology has been concerned with the construction of machines, structures, and tools on a relatively large scale. The development of materials for building bridges or skyscrapers is an example of this, as is the development of the internal-combustion engine and the nuclear reactor. While such activities involve all the sciences, from chemistry to nuclear physics, the overriding goal has been the same: to improve the human condition by finding better ways to deal with the macroscopic world. | 2 |
| Since World War II, the focus of technological activity has undergone a major change. While the old activities are still pursued, they have been largely superseded by applications of technology at the microscopic level. Instead of building large-scale structures and machines, modern technology tends to concentrate on finding improved ways to transfer information and to develop new materials by studying the way atoms come together. The silicon chip and microelectronics typify this new technological trend, as does the blossoming of genetic engineering. The advent of the Internet is just one familiar consequence of this new trend, which can be expected to continue into the foreseeable future. | 3 |
| The dividing line between what we include in the following list as technology and what we call science elsewhere in this volume is somewhat arbitrary. In general, what we have done is this: if a term is essential to understanding a particular branch of science, it appears in the list for that science. Thus, atom appears with the physical sciences, even though an understanding of atoms is clearly important to the new technology. If, however, the term involves something that is likely to affect an individual’s life, even though it is not a central concept of a particular branch of science, it is listed under “Technology.” —J.T. | 4 |
| Entries |
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| alternating current |
amp |
amplifier |
| amplitude modulation |
analog signal |
Apollo program |
| Arpanet |
artificial intelligence |
ASCII |
| astronaut |
ATM |
atomic bomb |
| backbone |
bandwidth |
bar code |
| bathyscaph |
battery |
baud rate |
| Bell, Alexander Graham |
binary |
biological warfare |
| biometrics |
bioterrorism |
bit |
| black box |
blackout |
blue screen technology |
| boom, sonic |
Braille |
breeder reactor |
| broadband |
brownout |
browser |
| bug |
byte |
calculator |
| capacitor |
cathode-ray tube |
CD-ROM |
| cell phone |
Celsius |
CERN |
| chat room |
chemical warfare |
Chernobyl |
| circuit, electrical |
code |
.com |
| composite materials |
compression |
computer |
| computer virus |
conductor |
content provider |
| cosmonaut |
CPU |
crash, computer |
| cruise missile |
cryogenics |
cryptography |
| current, electric |
cybernetics |
cyberspace |
| cyberwarfare |
data compression |
data mining |
| data packet |
data processing |
database |
| DDT |
denial-of-service attack |
dielectric |
| digital divide |
digital signal |
direct current |
| DNA fingerprinting |
dot-com |
drone |
| DVD |
e- |
Edison, Thomas A. |
| electromagnet |
electroplating |
e-mail |
| embedded microchips |
encryption |
epoxy |
| Fahrenheit |
FAQ |
feedback |
| fiber optics |
filter |
fingerprint |
| firewall |
frequency modulation |
fuel cell |
| fulcrum |
Fulton, Robert |
galvanizing |
| garbage in, garbage out |
gasohol |
Gates, Bill |
| generating plant |
generator |
geosynchronous satellite |
| germ warfare |
global positioning system |
groupware |
| handheld computer |
hard drive |
hardware |
| hardwired |
heat sink |
high definition TV |
| high-tech |
holography |
HTML |
| hydraulic |
hyperlink |
hypertext |
| impedance |
inductance |
induction |
| information superhighway |
information warfare |
infotech |
| instant messaging |
insulator |
integrated circuit |
| interactive |
internal-combustion engine |
Internet |
| Internet service provider |
irrigation |
Jobs, Steven |
| kilowatt-hour |
LAN |
laptop |
| laser |
laser printer |
laser-guided weapons |
| last mile |
leap second |
line noise |
| magnetic levitation |
magnetic memory storage |
magnetic tape |
| mainframe |
Marconi, Guglielmo |
mass media |
| megabyte |
megahertz |
megawatt |
| meltdown |
memory, computer |
Mercury program |
| microchip |
microfilm |
microscope |
| microwave communication |
modem |
mouse |
| MP3 |
nano |
nanosecond |
| nanotechnology |
Napster |
network |
| neural networks |
nuclear power |
nuclear reactor |
| nukes |
offshore drilling |
ohm |
| online |
operating system |
packet switched system |
| pager |
parallel processing |
peaker plant |
| peripheral |
perpetual-motion machine |
personal computer |
| petrochemical |
photoelectric effect |
platform |
| portal |
power transmission grid |
program |
| program, to |
programming language |
protocols |
| radar |
radioactive waste |
radwaste |
| RAM |
real-time |
reboot |
| resistance |
retinal scan |
ROM |
| satellite |
scanning probe microscope |
search engine |
| semiconductor |
serial processing |
server |
| SGML |
short circuit |
silicon |
| silicon chip |
Silicon Valley |
smart weapons |
| snail mail |
software |
solar cells |
| solar photovoltaic cells |
sonic barrier |
sonic boom |
| sound barrier |
space shuttle |
space station |
| spam |
The Spirit of St. Louis |
spreadsheet |
| Sputniks |
SST |
stealth technology |
| streamline |
superconductivity |
superconductor |
| surfing the Web |
synfuels |
synthetic polymers |
| telemetry |
thermal pollution |
thermocouple |
| thermonuclear |
thermostat |
Three Mile Island |
| transformer |
transistor |
Turing test |
| UHF |
universal time |
URL |
| V-chip |
VHF |
Viking spacecraft |
| virtual reality |
virus |
voice recognition technology |
| volt |
vulcanization |
Watt, James |
| weapons of mass destruction |
Web |
Web address |
| Web browser |
Web page |
Web site |
| Whitney, Eli |
wireless technology |
World Wide Web |
| Wright brothers |
WWW |
Yucca Mountain |
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| | | The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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