When Will It Be Fixed? (Augarde). Many man-made creations from the wheel to the iphone can be considered

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1 Erwin 1 Stephen Erwin Dr. Patterson CSC 385 May 1, 2015 When Will It Be Fixed? Technology can be described as applying scientific knowledge for practical purposes (Augarde). Many man-made creations from the wheel to the iphone can be considered technology. By definition, technology is a problem solver. Applying scientific knowledge in the form of tools for a practical purpose implies that there is a problem that makes the application practical, and a solution that gives the technology its purpose. Some have boldly made a claim that technology can solve all problems. I do not subscribe to the idea that technology will solve all problems because I do not believe all problems are solvable. In light of this belief that some problems will never be solved, I will submit an alternate argument that all problems we do solve will be solved with the use of technology. To rephrase that argument, there are no problems that we will ever solve that will be done without the use of applying scientific knowledge toward the practical purpose of solving that problem. Let s begin by going back to possibly one of the most influential inventions in all of history, the wheel. Ancient humans invented the wheel sometime around 3500 BC (Bono). Verification of this fact is unavailable due to the great length of time since now and then. Nevertheless, the oldest wheel found to date is over 5,500 years old! In the 5,500 years of the wheels existence, it has solved many problems. Beginning with chariots drawn by horses and proceeding to wagons, bicycles, trains, automobiles, and even the water wheel, the knowledge of a circle on an axis that spins has been applied to hundreds if not thousands of practical purposes

2 Erwin 2 over the 5500 years of its existence. There is no doubt that the wheel revolutionized transportation, especially considering most of us roll around on two or four of them on a regular basis. Despite the revolution in transportation the wheel brought about, it still had its limitations in the area of travel. In order to get off the planet, technology much more advanced than the wheel would be necessary. Travel into outer space is a fascinating thought. On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first man to leave the Earth and go into orbit (Nelson). Eight years later, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong hopped out of a spacecraft and landed on the moon. Computers played a major part in the space travel accomplished by Gagarin and Armstrong. Technological advancements in computers allowed humans to apply scientific knowledge to solve a huge problem of being confined to our single planet. No sane person would argue that it would be possible to go into orbit, much less step foot on the moon without the help of sophisticated technology. Assuming that it took very sophisticated technology to leave earth would be a correct assumption. Despite the first mechanical computer being invented in 1822, much more recently than the wheel, they advanced quickly enough to accomplish such a large feat in less than 200 years (Nelson)! Today, the computing capabilities that were necessary to get humans off the planet can be found in the palm of our hand inside of a smart phone. What makes this leap in computing so important, and how is the wheel relevant? The answer lies in the problems we solve with each, and when we solve them. Neil Armstrong carried his luggage home after he returned from the moon. That last statement may seem a bit obvious, but let s explore this idea. Armstrong, or someone who assisted him, literally carried his luggage in his hand upon returning from the moon. Why? Even though we had minds brilliant enough to design, create, and use machines like computers and spacecraft, in nearly 5500 years, no person had thought to attach wheels to the bottom of their

3 Erwin 3 luggage. In 1970, Bernard Sadow had a eureka moment when he was carrying two heavy suitcases through an airport and saw a man pushing a heavy machine on a wheeled cart (Reinventing the Suitcase By Adding The Wheel). Sadow came up with the idea to put wheels on the bottom of his suitcase and filed for a patent which was awarded to him in Most people would agree that heavy suitcases existed well before Problems were surly created when more than one large suitcase had to be carried by one person. Such a large number of people carry suitcases or heavy bags in general today, it seems ridiculous that there ever existed luggage without wheels. Nonetheless, it took 5500 years for the application of the wheel to be used for the very practical purpose of lightening the load of travelers. After seeing how a piece of technology so old can still solve such an evident problem today, we should begin to rephrase our question from can technology solve this problem? to when will technology solve this problem? Computers have gone from being refrigerator sized and larger in 1822 to landing men on the moon and then fitting in that man s pocket in less than 200 years. Imagine if computers are given 5300 more years to evolve and people come along and have a eureka moment like Sadow. In a single moment of sudden understanding, could a man not discover a computer algorithm that can crack human DNA and solve all foreseeable diseases and viruses? Could another man not have a similar moment and suddenly realize how an old material can be used in a new way that eliminates all wastes and need for landfills or recycling? Those men and those applications can certainly exist, we just have not discovered them yet. Now, lets address the issue of unsolvable problems. In each instance mentioned before, there had to be a physical cause to the problem being solved. With the luggage, the problem was the weight of the suitcase, with travel, the problem was a strong gravitational pull to overcome.

4 Erwin 4 Unsolvable problems are those that do not contain a physical medium. Problems such as hate, racism, bullying, etc., are all problems that will never be completely solved due to their nature. These problems do not exist physically, rather they exist within humans themselves. Removing all of these ideas and characteristics from every human alive is the only way to solve these problems. Fortunately for us as humans, we are not easily altered as a race. This is unfortunate, however, when these problems are faced. Apart from the problems that are ingrained in humans themselves, every other problem we face that comes across a physical medium can and will be solved by technology. When is the only question we need to ask.

5 Erwin 5 Works Cited Augarde, A. J. "Technology." The Oxford Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford UP, Print. De, Bono E. Eureka! an Illustrated History of Inventions from the Wheel to the Computer: A London Sunday Times Encyclopedia. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Print. Nelson, Craig. Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon. New York: Viking, Print. "Reinventing the Suitcase By Adding The Wheel." New York Times 5 Oct. 2010: B6. Print.

Space Exploration. Summary. Contents. Rob Waring. Level 3-1. Before Reading Think Ahead During Reading Comprehension... 5

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