Technology

Cosma / Communication / Knowledge / Form / Innovation / Technology & Engineering
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technology : (1) the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area : engineering (2) a capability given by the practical application of knowledge (3) a manner of accomplishing a task especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge (4) the specialized aspects of a particular field of endeavor — Merriam-Webster See also OneLook

Thesaurus

Roget’s II (Thesaurus.com), Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, Visuwords

Encyclopedia

Technology is the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a preexisting solution to a problem, achieve a goal or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, modifications, arrangements and procedures. Technologies significantly affect human as well as other animal species’ ability to control and adapt to their natural environments. The term can either be applied generally or to specific areas: examples include construction technology, medical technology, and information technology. — Wikipedia

Technology (Encyclopædia Britannica)

Search

Technological World (Wolfram Alpha)
Science & Technology (Wolfram Alpha)

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Adventures

Explore related posts on Cosma …

Exoplanet Junket - This week NASA released a new project that they’ve dubbed the Exoplanet Travel Bureau. The core of the project consists of a set of interactive 360° images that show “imagined” surfaces of five exoplanets (TRAPPIST-1e, Kepler-16b, Kepler-186f, PSO J318.5-22 and HD 40307 g). Here are three articles about the experience. This Brilliant Interactive From NASA … Continue reading Exoplanet Junket
Gone Beaching! - It’s high summer here in North America, and it’s also the time for “official” national holidays, so a lot of people are hanging up their proverbial gone fishing signs. However, I tend to be more the type to hang up a gone beaching sign. Since I live in the Boston area, and I’m also a … Continue reading Gone Beaching!
Great Views of Earth - April 22nd is Earth Day! In honor of that, here are some great ways to see the honoree. First, you can get a nice view from this neat 360° Video from Seeker. It essentially shows you what it would feel like if you could just fly straight up and see the Earth from space. Seeker … Continue reading Great Views of Earth
Hike, Wander & Walk-in the Web! - Welcome to Web Worlds@Cosma! The pages of Cosma have links to many thousands of the best resources on the Web. Immersive 3D and 360° experiences are among the most valuable types of resources, and so there are links to thousands of them distributed across the hundreds of pages on the Web site. The Web Worlds@Cosma … Continue reading Hike, Wander & Walk-in the Web!
Moon’scapes - There’s no denying that it’s been a rough week for many Earthlings. On the other hand, it’s been a great week for anyone who spends their time more preoccupied with the Moon than with more earthly concerns. That’s because there’s a treasure trove of news about our lunar realm. For example, NASA’s Goddard Media Studios … Continue reading Moon’scapes
Perspectives on Earth - Last week NASA released this fascinating video entitled Our Living Planet based upon 20 years of data from satellites that observe all plant life at the surface of the land and ocean. NASA Goddard (YouTube Channel) Goddard Space Flight Center (Official Website) You can find out more about the video from this article. The Changing … Continue reading Perspectives on Earth
Smart Crows - Note This content is not very elaborate as well as a bit dated, but it is important for historical purposes. It was the first adventure (a.k.a. Post) on this iteration of the Cosma website way back in September 15, 2016. Sometimes news just catches your eye. Here’s a video got me today — enjoy! Nature … Continue reading Smart Crows
Space Cadet Academy - Confession — I’m a major space cadet! I mean this in an older, positive sense of the word, which is that I’m a “space enthusiast.” That’s why I really get into updating the pages on Cosma having to do with space. Things got a little out of hand this time, though. I began just like … Continue reading Space Cadet Academy
Touch the Sun - Remember how Icarus wanted to touch the Sun, but met his demise instead? Well, scientists at NASA wanted to touch the Sun too, but unlike Icarus, they succeeded! Better yet, they are beginning to share what they learned by doing it! Before we get into all of that, let’s go back and start at the … Continue reading Touch the Sun
TRAPPIST-1 - You’ve probably heard that NASA has found a trove of “Earth-like” planets circling the TRAPPIST-1 system roughly 40 light years away, but just in case you haven’t, here’s a short video from NASA/JPL about the discovery. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (YouTube Channel) NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Official Website) Most entertainingly, here’s a 360° YouTube video … Continue reading TRAPPIST-1
Umbraphiles - umbraphile : One who loves eclipses, often travelling to see them. You’ve probably heard about the April 8th solar eclipse (Wikipedia), and if you live near the path of totality, then you’ve probably also seen news stories like this one. Party in the Path of Totality at These Solar Eclipse Getaways Across New England (Kristi … Continue reading Umbraphiles

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Inspiration²

BuzzFeed Multiplayer (YouTube Channel)

24 Of The Most Mesmerizing Machines (Andrew Ilnyckyj, BuzzFeed)

Crazy Engineering (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, YouTube Playlist)

Interesting Engineering (YouTube Channel)

Talks about Technology (TED: Ideas Worth Spreading)
Talks about Engineering (TED: Ideas Worth Spreading)

Technology Quotes (BrainyQuote)

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Foundation

Philosophy

Philosophy of Engineering (PhilPapers)
Philosophy of Engineering (American Society for Engineering Education)
Philosophy of Engineering (Wikipedia)

Process

Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline encompasses a broad range of more specialized fields of engineering, each with a more specific emphasis on particular areas of applied mathematics, applied science, and types of application. — Wikipedia

Engineering (Wolfram Alpha)

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Innovation

Technology

TopTenz (Simon Whistler, YouTube Channel)
10 Technologies That Might Save the World Ian Fortey, TopTenz)

Nuclear fusion (Wikipedia)
Seabin Project (Official Site)
The Ocean Cleanup (Wikipedia)
Organisms breaking down plastic (Wikipedia)
Nanotechnology (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Cultured meat (Wikipedia)
Carbon capture (Wikipedia)
Passive house (Wikipedia)
Graphine (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Mycelium (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Artificial intelligence (Cosma)

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship, then, is behavior rather than personality trait. And its foundation lies in concept and theory rather than in intuition. — Peter F. Drucker, Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Practice and Principles

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation (American Society for Engineering Education)

Technology Campaigns (Kickstarter)

Product

Engineering Items (Etsy)
Engineering Gifts (Zazzle)

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Preservation

History

The human species’ use of technology began with the conversion of natural resources into simple tools. The prehistorical discovery of the ability to control fire increased the available sources of food and the invention of the wheel helped humans in traveling in and controlling their environment. Recent technological developments, including the printing press, the telephone, and the Internet, have lessened physical barriers to communication and allowed humans to interact freely on a global scale. However, not all technology has been used for peaceful purposes; the development of weapons of ever-increasing destructive power has progressed throughout history, from clubs to nuclear weapons. — Wikipedia

Roman Engineering (Crash Course, History of Science, YouTube Video)

Marvels of Engineering (The History Guy, YouTube Playlist)

Technology (Dictionary of the History of Ideas)

Society for the History of Technology (SHOT)
Engineering and Technology History Wiki (ETHW)
History of Technology News & Articles (IEEE Spectrum)
Engineering (World History Encyclopedia)

Museum

Engineering Online Exhibitions (Smithsonian)

Amazing Machine (The Franklin Institute)

The Tech Interactive (San Jose, CA)
The Tech Interactive (Wikipedia)

Museum of Obsolete Objects (YouTube Channel)

Museum Of Obsolete Technology (YouTube Channel)
Museum Of Obsolete Technology (Official Website)

Museum of Obsolete Media (Official Website)

Library

General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen Library

DDC: 600 Technology (Library Thing)
Subject: Technology (Library Thing)

DDC: 620 Engineering (Library Thing)
Subject: Engineering (Library Thing)

Subject: Technology (Open Library)
Subject: Engineering (Open Library)

LCC: T Technology (UPenn Online Books)
LCC: TA Engineering (UPenn Online Books)

LCC: T Technology (Library of Congress)
Subject: Technology (Library of Congress)

LCC: TA Engineering (Library of Congress)
Subject: Engineering (Library of Congress)

Subject: Technology (WorldCat)
Subject: Engineering (WorldCat)

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Participation

Education

Technological literacy is the ability to use, manage, understand, and assess technology. — Wikipedia

Engineers and Educators Collaborate to Reach Solutions for Technological Literacy Enhancements (Arthur Winston)
Technological Literacy Counts Workshop Summary (IEEE)
Technological literacy counts: outcomes of a workshop to enhance technological literacy of K-12 students (IEEE)

Technically Speaking: Why All Americans Need to Know More About Technology (National Academy of Engineering & National Science Foundation)
Technological and Engineering Literacy (American Society for Engineering Education)

Engineering is Elementary (Boston Museum of Science)
Engineering is Elementary (YouTube Channel)
National Center for Technological Literacy (Museum of Science, Boston)

TryEngineering (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

Applied Math and Science Education Repository (AMSERL)

Engineering (The Franklin Institute)
Technology Quizzes (Encyclopædia Britannica)

The Engineering Process (Crash Course Kids, YouTube Playlist)

MERLOT Engineering Community Portal
MERLOT: Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
OER Commons: Open Educational Resources

Recent News from Science Daily …

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Superconductivity breakthrough could unlock...
on June 17, 2026 at 8:24 am
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Scientists built a battery-free device that turns...
on June 11, 2026 at 1:44 pm
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Scientists discover a hidden quantum world inside...
on June 5, 2026 at 9:07 am
Scientists have uncovered unexpected quantum complexity inside cobalt, a metal long thought to be fully understood. Advanced measurements revealed a dense network of topological electronic states that remain robust at room temperature. These states enable extremely fast electron behavior and can be switched or controlled using magnetism. The discovery could open new paths toward next-generation computing and spin-based devices.

NASA’s Cold Atom Lab is creating one of the...
on June 23, 2026 at 4:45 am
NASA’s upgraded Cold Atom Lab is turning the International Space Station into a frontier for quantum research, creating ultra-cold matter that behaves in astonishing ways. The experiments could unlock new discoveries about the universe while paving the way for powerful future technologies in space and on Earth.
This strange material can become strong or fall...
on June 15, 2026 at 11:54 am
Scientists have found that staple-shaped particles can tangle together to create a material that is both strong and flexible. Unlike conventional materials, these particles can be locked into a sturdy structure or rapidly unraveled using vibrations. The unusual behavior could open the door to recyclable buildings, reconfigurable structures, and even futuristic robotic technologies.
Oxford physicists just made Schrödinger’s cat...
on June 15, 2026 at 7:29 am
Oxford physicists have created an entirely new type of Schrödinger’s cat-like quantum state using components that are themselves highly quantum in nature. The advance could open new possibilities for more resilient quantum computers and deeper insights into the strange rules that govern the quantum universe.
Scientists built a battery-free device that turns...
on June 11, 2026 at 1:44 pm
Scientists have developed an artificial photosynthesis system that essentially regulates itself, eliminating the need for batteries used in many current designs. The key innovation is an electrolyzer that automatically adapts to changing sunlight by altering its electrical properties as it heats up. This keeps solar fuel production more stable while reducing cost and complexity.
Scientists discover a strange property in rice...
on June 11, 2026 at 12:29 pm
Scientists discovered that rice behaves in a highly unusual way: it weakens under rapid compression but stays stronger when pressure is applied slowly. Using this effect, they engineered a new material that reacts differently to gentle movements and sudden impacts. The material can adapt its stiffness automatically, opening the door to safer soft robots and protective equipment that responds instantly to collisions.

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Here are links to pages about closely related subjects.

Knowledge Form

Innovation Mathematics
Science Research, Discovery
Technology Invention, Intellectual Property
Commerce Entrepreneurship, Product

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Notes

1. The resources on this page are are organized by a classification scheme developed exclusively for Cosma.

2. The content on this page was partially inspired by serving as Project Manager for the Engineering Career System as well as designer and instructor of a special experimental section of ENGR 195C: Engineering Career Development for Engineering Research and Information Systems in Freshman Engineering at Purdue University. That content came in handy and was expanded upon while redesigning and teaching the course Introduction to Educational Robotics while serving as a core faculty member in the graduate Technology in Education program at Lesley University.