Features of Contemporary Technology 1.

Polymorphism
Contemporary technology has many forms such as design of a particular technic by an independent inventor, quantitative analysis to determine the parameters of an experiment, computer integrated manufacturing Contemporary science has many forms such as theories, controlled experiments, data collection, obsevarion, mathematical anlysis, predictions

2. Products of technology
Complexity: Many contemporary technics are composed of hundreds and thousands of parts which are themselves technical systems. Automobiles, computers, spacecrafts, ships, planes contain thousands of parts which are complex in nature, operation and require high level of integration, coordination and costs and constraints.

3. System Embeddedness
Many technics are embedded in complex socio-technical support system on which they depend for their manufacture, use and maintainance Many technics can not be operated without external support system, such as electrically powered machines, nuclear power plants Modern technics are more complex than traditional technics. For example, using a car requires a complex network of roads, fuel supply, parts distribution, maintainance, service registration, insurance, toll, driving license. Dependence on support system makes modern technics more vulnerable to occasional support system failure such as sabotage, computer virus, strikes, accidents

4. Production specialization and Incomprehensibility

Ealrier technics designers, makers, users and maintainers were often the same individuals or groups of people. Modern technics have a specialized character. There is more intensive division of labour. An individual is an expert only on one category or subcategory of technics such as design or production or repair.

Most technics are incomprehensible to the vast majority of users, such as microelectronics, airplanes. They are like black boxes to most users.

5. Formalized technical procedures

It refers to technic related intellectual products They are embodied in computer programs and devised for a variety of purposes such as design, production, operation and maintainance of contemporary technics and technical systems, quality control, inventory. Formalised technical procedures have become necessary due to complexity, cost, potential hazard and computer dependence of modern technology

6. Socio-technical Systems Analysis

Systems analysis or systems engineering is an important technological activity It is the quantitative examination of a particular system to determine how it behaves or would behave under certain conditions or assumptions Examples are system analysis of factories, electrical power networks, delivery of health care systems

Features of Contemporary Science 1. Abstract and Abstruse nature

Scientific phenomena are remote from every day experience ( nuclei, atoms, electrons) Some of these phenomena are counterintuitive (relativity of space and time) Many of these concepts are unintelligible to common man (black holes)

These concepts depend on mathematical ideas, methods and scientific theories which are highly sophisticated

2. Theory Dependence
Much of Twentieth Century scientific knowledge is implicitly or explcitly theory dependent It is based on the refinement of the earlier theories It involves very complex and siphisticated concepts, intelligible to only highly specialised and trained scholars

3. Growth of Scientific Knowledge

Number of scientific journals published every year has grown exponentially, doubling every 15 years according to some estimates Number of research publications in international and regional journals has increased many folds since first publications in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London in 1665

Settings of Contemporary science and technology

Pre 20th Century scientific and technical activities took place in home attics, basements, garages, shops, and in some universities in the middle ages. In 20th Century, it is taking place in expanding and an extensive network of firmly established formal organisations. ( NASA, CERN, AT & T Bell Labs)

Laboraory is the locus of contemporary science

Technology activites are taking place in design office, shopfloors, production, operation and maintainance facilities.

Science and Technology activities are highly machine and instrument intensive in nature.

Resources
Two kinds of resources are required for technology: input and transformative Input resources enable and facilitate science and technology practices and are of various kinds. The most important are materials, natural phenomena and money Earlier the materials consisted largely of raw materials that had undegone only simple preparatory processes such as bones, stones, clay alloys. They were obtained locally or from neighbouring people.

Resources
Contemporary science and technology inputs are large and diverse There are many designer materials developed with specific properties Processes used in developing special materials are based on advanced scientific knowledge and sophisticated instruments Many input materials are obtained in global markets, in the process increasing their vulnerability to political changes in the source country

Resources
New technics such as microsopes, computers, imaging machines have widened the domain of natural phenomena inputs for science and technology development. Large amounts of money are required to invest or buy equipments and other infrasrtuctural support system. Governments provide funding for the science research while technology research and development activities are supported by private corporations.

Other important issues

Number and density of science and technology manpower has increaded all over the world Most of the research and development activites are carried out through collaborative projects and teams Scientists and technologists are also expected to develop management skills due to increase in the scale of activities Science and technology are becoming international in character, which has been facilitated by modern telcommunication and transportation revolution across the globe.