The study of technological innovation is a dynamic and ever-changing field. Many engineers and technologists earn a living by conducting research: they make observations, carry out experiments, appl

The study of technological innovation is a dynamic and ever-changing field.  Many engineers and technologists earn a living by conducting research:  they make observations, carry out experiments, apply scientific phenomena, and use it to solve new or existing technological problems. As a result of continuous improvement, research, and design, engineers and technologists are developing solutions to new and existing problems at an increasing rate. These developments have created technological solutions, however they have also, in some fashion, created a technological problem.

Technological innovation created by engineers and technologists, is said to be developed in order to solve a problem or create value. That  is,  as a product or process,  it  simply describes  or  characterizes  the technological solution; it is  neither  good  nor  bad,  moral  nor  immoral.    Yet, the results of technological innovation often have an impact on our daily lives, even if the original goal was to improve lives.   The technological innovation, while creating value, may create deleterious effects on the environment or cause unknown or unforeseen harm.  

An important aspect of technological innovation is our potential as humans to affect the conditions on our planet.  The rapid increase in human population is causing immense stress on the environment and the existence of other species. These interactions, both positive and negative, need to be considered before, during, and after the technological innovation process. Evaluation, continuous improvement, and review, provides data from which engineers and technologists can draw conclusions, identify problems, and develop additional solutions.

As a result of this course, you should be able to identify potential impacts of technological innovation, as well as critically and analytically analyze prior technological developments.

In this exercise, you will read through news articles about technological innovations within the past 2 years, and identify the core concepts and purpose of the technology. That is, you should identify the problem, which the technological innovation is meant to address or solve.

Directions:

Find an article describing a technology that has been developed within the prior 2 years. Write a brief (no more than one page) overview of the technology, and what problem it was designed to address.