Technology refers to tools, devices and machines that are used for a wide range of purposes. It can include everything from the simplest gadgets to complex computer systems and robotic machinery.

The development of technological innovations is a major force in the economy, as well as in many other areas of human endeavor. Often, these innovations are the result of scientific research.

But technology does not always follow directly from science; it can also draw on knowledge that is not scientifically based. It is an interdisciplinary process, combining scientific, engineering and linguistic, historical and other forms of knowledge to achieve some practical end or outcome that is useful for human welfare.

As a tool, it can be both utilitarian and destructive; it can promote progress, improve comfort and quality of life, and enhance medical treatment. However, it can also cause environmental pollution and harm individuals or groups.

Technological innovation is a highly social process, requiring people with specialized skills and sophisticated training to build and maintain the tools that it creates. Moreover, new technologies require extensive infrastructure to support them, including the materials, tools and energy sources that must be supplied to build and operate them.

In addition, a technology must also be designed to avoid or minimize the risk of failure. It is the risk of undesirable outcomes that determines how much and what kind of cost is involved in developing, implementing, using and maintaining a particular technological design.

A system of control is a set of coordinated human and mechanical or electronic elements that perform some function, such as monitoring and taking over when an element malfunctions. Its complexity and rapidity of operation make it necessary for a large number of different controls to be arranged in order to produce a desired result.

This system of control can be as simple as a knob that switches a light on or off, to a complex network of computer systems, and everything in between. Each of these controls, however, is controlled by people who have a deep understanding of the purpose and nature of its control process and the context within which it operates.

Technology is a critical part of our social structures, which shapes the way we live and interact with each other, as well as the natural world. In order for technology to be useful, it must have the capacity to support our culture’s values and goals.

The use of technology is a core element of our cultural system, and the way that it shapes us and our societies is both important and evolving. It has been used to shape our physical environment, increase food supplies, and lessen barriers of communication.

Our lives are now more connected than ever before. Our homes are equipped with televisions, computers, phones and other technologies that allow us to connect with people from all over the world. This technology is also changing the way we work and learn.

While the development of new technologies has greatly increased prosperity and improved quality of life, technology can also disrupt our existing social hierarchies. It can cause pollution and lead to a decrease in moral standards. Ultimately, the choice of what and how to develop new technology is a matter of public policy.