Trailblazers of Technology

Trailblazers of Technology book cover — CONTENTS Technology rules the world 4 Creating a current 6 Capturing an image 8 Sending a message 10 Lighting our homes 12 Talking on the line 14 Airwave broadcasting 16 Motion pictures 18 Turning on the TV 20 Sending safe signals 22 The World Wide Web 24 Cell phone revolution 26 Finding our way 28 Glossary 30 Answers 31 Index 32

Trailblazers of Technology — page 1 — TECHNOLOGY RULES THE WORLD All kinds of technologies have been created to help people do work The first technologies were simple tools made by hand by one or two people Modern technologies often require thousands of people to make them Some are designed with and run by computers to perform tasks that would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago 4 Simple machines The earliest technologies were in the form of six tools we call simple machines These machines make work easier by changing the size or direction of a force such as a push or a pull They help a person do the same work with less effort 1 Wedge 2 Wheel and axle 3 Pulley Lever 4 6 Screw 5 Ramp

Trailblazers of Technology — page 2 — Ancient technology Many of the earliest technologies were developed to help farmers The Archimedes screw was invented 3,000 years ago by the Greek engineer Archimedes The screw raises water from a stream up the bank into fields to help crops grow As the screw is turned water is scooped up at the bottom and pushed up along the screw’s spiral through a tube to the field Farmers still use Archimedes screws today Digital revolution Modern technologies are driven by computers which are constantly being improved Computers do not only control machines they can also design them Human and machine Robotic arms and legs were designed for people who have lost limbs through illness or accidents A developing technology for robotic limbs allows them to be attached to nerves that lead to the brain The wearer can then control the limb with their thoughts Archimedes screw The present and the future Computer technology has created a new generation of machines that can learn from experience Self-driving cars have only recently been introduced on public roads With each journey self-driving cars learn from each new situation they face They can update their systems to show the best course of action to take if the same situation happens again In the future this technology could save many lives by reducing accidents 5 Google’s Waymo driverless car finds its way using a system called Lidarl It bounces laser beams off nearby objects to tell how close the car is to them Read on to discover the technological challenges inventors have overcome The answers to each project’s questions are found on page 31

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