What is technology?

Technology is a medium for us to achieve an objective in a more efficient manner. We perform a number of sub-tasks in order to achieve our objective generally. Technology, which is the result of our increased knowledge, reframes, or at times removes these sub-tasks to help us achieve the objective in a faster and more efficient manner. You can look at the way we send messages, or travel to visualize the above lines.

Why do we keep finding efficient solutions?

There can be several answers to why we keep finding efficient solutions to our existing and new problems.

• From a utilitarian perspective, finding better solutions to our problems makes our lives easier. We crave solutions that give us results with low effort.
• From a neurological view, the principle of least effort is upheld. It says “that animals, people, and even well-designed machines will naturally choose the path of least resistance or "effort”. Therefore, we are wired to follow the path of least effort. Our brain (which is an energy-demanding organ) needs to conserve energy, and it does so by achieving results and getting work done with the lowest possible efforts.
• There is an evolutionary side to it too. Our ancestors who were better at finding more efficient solutions to their problems were more likely to survive and pass on their genes. In this sense, innovation is an innate survival strategy. We always had to adapt to the changing environments and overcome resource limitations, and we did it by finding better innovative solutions.

How do we advance technology?

A very interesting question comes up now and that is: How do we advance technology? We believe this happens with our experience and increased understanding of the situation, and its corresponding environment. Experience gives us intuition and the ability to cross-utilize techniques. Whereas, the increased knowledge and understanding of the corresponding environment (which we can also call Science) leads us to find more efficient alternatives.

Technology is that medium, it is that path that makes the subtasks easy, and at times removes them. It is neither the task nor the objective. Nor is any task, the objective.

Example: Sharing a message

Let's consider a simple example: sharing a message with someone far away. In the past, we would have to send a person to recite the message in person. But as our knowledge and technology evolved, we invented writing, which allowed us to send letters (which gave us speed and scale). Eventually, we invented the fax machine and email, and today we have messaging apps. Each technological advancement allowed us to complete the same subtasks (sharing a message) faster and more efficiently. Similar transitions can also be visible if we notice the objective of finding food, or moving from one place to the other.

Why are we studying the technology?

We are studying technology, and its evolution to understand how it shall turn out in the future. By studying the current pain points, we can try our best to figure out what shall be the right future.

The biggest pain points in the current form of digital technology revolve around the overwhelming user responsibility of engaging with a system, and interaction bandwidth bottleneck.

I have a question for you: Imagine the time to travel from place a to b was 3 hours via a cart. Now, when motorcycles/cars were initially introduced, this time was reduced to 45 minutes. A person needs to go every day from A->B and then back to A, each day, and every day. Imagine, if you tell him the idea of a car, and make it happen.

How would they feel? What types of questions can we anticipate them to pose?

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