The Nature of Technology Kap 3 Flashcards
Phenomena (10 cards)
Give two everyday technologies Arthur cites and name the key phenomena each one exploits.
Oil refining exploits the phenomenon that different fractions of vaporized crude oil condense at different temperatures (fractional distillation).
A hammer relies on the phenomenon of momentum transfer: a moving mass imparts force to a stationary nail upon impact.
Arthur describes exoplanet detection by Marcy and Butler. List the four core phenomena their technique combines.
1. A planet’s gravity causes its host star to “wobble.”
2. Starlight can be split into a spectrum of discrete frequency lines.
3. Those spectral lines shift via the Doppler effect when the star moves toward or away from us.
4. Passing starlight through an iodine‑gas cell imprints fixed absorption lines that act as a ruler to detect minute spectral shifts.
Summarize Arthur’s statement, “A technology is a programming of phenomena to our purposes.
Technologies capture multiple phenomena, encapsulate them in modules, and orchestrate their interactions—much like subroutines in software—so they operate together in real time to fulfill a human goal. The deeper essence of any device or method is therefore an organized “program” of natural effects working in concert.
Why do some means‑to‑an‑end (e.g., money or contracts) not feel like “technologies,” and how does Arthur classify them?
They are built on behavioral or organizational phenomena rather than physical ones, so we rarely perceive them as technologies. Arthur calls the entire category—physical and non‑physical alike—purposed systems, noting that conventional technologies are just the physical subset whose signatures are tangible effects.
Explain Arthur’s analogy between phenomena and biological genes.
Just as organisms build diverse forms by “programming” a finite gene set, technological systems build diverse devices by programming a finite set of phenomena. New phenomena add new “technological genes,” but most innovation comes from recombining existing ones into fresh configurations.
Describe the general process Arthur outlines for uncovering and capturing a new phenomenon for technological use.
Scientists first notice anomalous traces—unexpected results, instrumental readings, or theoretical gaps—hinting at an unknown effect. Using existing instruments and knowledge (often based on earlier phenomena), they isolate, reproduce, and understand the effect. Only then can technologists harness it, designing modules and support systems that coax it to operate reliably within narrow conditions.
What is Arthur’s critique of the claim that “technology is applied science”?
He argues that many classic technologies (e.g., powered flight) preceded relevant scientific theory; moreover, technologists draw on both scientific insight and accumulated practical know‑how. Conversely, science itself depends on technological instruments and experimental methods, making the relationship symbiotic rather than hierarchical.
How do science and technology co‑evolve, according to Arthur?
New technologies (instruments and methods) allow scientists to observe deeper phenomena, which generate fresh knowledge. That knowledge, in turn, reveals still more phenomena that technologists can harness. Each domain bootstraps the other forward in an ongoing loop of discovery and invention.
Why does Arthur claim that “knowledge and technology cumulate together,” and why is this especially true today?
Modern phenomena operate at scales beyond everyday intuition (quantum, genetic, relativistic), so only systematic, codified theory lets engineers design reliable devices. As each newly captured phenomenon spawns instruments and insights, it feeds back into further scientific understanding, making detailed knowledge and technological capability inseparable and mutually reinforcing.
What does Arthur mean by a phenomenon and how does it differ from a principle in the context of technology?
A phenomenon is a natural effect or observable law that exists independently of humans—for example, the Doppler shift in light or the low‑friction rolling of wheels. A principle is the human idea of using one or more phenomena to achieve a purpose, such as employing the Doppler effect to build radar. Thus, a principle is a conceptual plan for exploitation, while a phenomenon is the raw effect being exploited.
