Portal:Technology

The Technology Portal

P:TECHP:TECH

Technology is the application of conceptual knowledge to achieve practical goals, especially in a reproducible way. The word technology can also mean the products resulting from such efforts, including both tangible tools such as utensils or machines, and intangible ones such as software. Technology plays a critical role in science, engineering, and everyday life.

Technological advancements have led to significant changes in society. The earliest known technology is the stone tool, used during prehistory, followed by the control of fire—which in turn contributed to the growth of the human brain and the development of language during the Ice Age, according to the cooking hypothesis. The invention of the wheel in the Bronze Age allowed greater travel and the creation of more complex machines. More recent technological inventions, including the printing press, telephone, and the Internet, have lowered barriers to communication and ushered in the knowledge economy. (Full article...)

Outline of technology

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Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.

Image 1

6O-SAY, the aircraft involved in the accident, seen in 1977

On 20 July 1981, Somali Airlines Flight 40, a Fokker F27-600 Friendship operating a daily scheduled domestic passenger flight from Mogadishu International Airport to Hargeisa Airport, Somalia, crashed near the town of Balad a few minutes after takeoff killing all 44 passengers and 6 crew members on board. With 50 fatalities, it remains the deadliest aviation accident in Somalia.

The flight had initially returned to Mogadishu for repairs due to an unspecified malfunction before departing again and subsequently crashing. A mass funeral attended by Somali President Siad Barre was held. Two days after the accident, Barre ordered the creation of a commission of inquiry. (Full article...)
Image 2
State Route 142 (SR 142) is a state highway in southern Washington. It is located entirely within Klickitat County and runs east–west for 35 miles (56 km) from Lyle to Goldendale. The highway terminates at SR 14 in Lyle and U.S. Route 97 (US 97) in Goldendale.

The highway follows the Klickitat River and an abandoned railroad grade that was built in 1903 and converted into a recreational trail in the 1990s. The county government built a road through the Klickitat River Canyon in 1934 and transferred it to state control in the 1960s, when it was designated as Secondary State Highway 8E (SSH 8E). The highway was initially renumbered to SR 122, but instead became SR 142 in 1967. (Full article...)
Image 3
Western end of Interstate 780 at the interchange with Interstate 80 in Vallejo

Interstate 780 (I-780) is an east–west auxiliary Interstate Highway in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It runs from the intersection of Curtola Parkway and Lemon Street in Vallejo east to I-680 just north of the Benicia–Martinez Bridge in Benicia. It closely parallels the Carquinez Strait for its entire route. Originally, this segment was part of I-680 before that Interstate was extended and rerouted to Fairfield. The city-maintained Curtola Parkway continues west to State Route 29 (SR 29) in Vallejo. (Full article...)
Image 4

TriMet buses lining the southeast side with the transit center's main structure in the background

Beaverton Transit Center is a multimodal transport hub in Beaverton, Oregon, United States, served by bus, commuter rail, and light rail. The TriMet transit center is the 15th station eastbound on the MAX Blue Line, the 11th station eastbound on the MAX Red Line, the northern terminus of WES Commuter Rail, and a hub for bus routes mostly serving the westside communities of the Portland metropolitan area. The transit center is situated on Southwest Lombard Avenue, just north of Southwest Canyon Road in central Beaverton. It recorded 9,709 average weekday boardings for all modes in fall 2018, making it TriMet's busiest transit center.

The first Beaverton Transit Center, which was one of two transit centers built in Beaverton as part of TriMet's Westside Transit Plan, opened near Beaverton–Hillsdale Highway and Lombard Avenue in 1979. The second and current facility, relocated farther north from the previous site, opened on September 4, 1988, for bus service. The Westside MAX project, which extended light rail from downtown Portland to Beaverton and Hillsboro, added light rail platforms in 1998. Initially served only by the Blue Line, Red Line service from Portland International Airport was extended to the transit center in 2003. WES began serving Beaverton Transit Center in 2009. (Full article...)
Image 5

2019 Lexus LS 500 AWD (VXFA55, US)

The Lexus LS (Japanese: レクサス・LS, Hepburn: Rekusasu LS) is a series of full-size luxury sedans that have served as the flagship model of Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota, since 1989. For the first four generations, all LS models featured V8 engines and were predominantly rear-wheel-drive. In the fourth generation, Lexus offered all-wheel-drive, hybrid, and long-wheelbase variants. The fifth generation changed to using a V6 engine with no V8 option, and only one length was offered.

As the first model developed by Lexus, the LS 400 debuted in January 1989 with the second generation debuting in November 1994. The LS 430 debuted in January 2000 and the LS 460/LS 460 L series in 2006. A domestic-market version of the LS 400 and LS 430, badged as the Toyota Celsior (Japanese: トヨタ・セルシオ, Hepburn: Toyota Serushio), was sold in Japan until the Lexus marque was introduced there in 2006. In 2006 (for the 2007 model year), the fourth generation LS 460 debuted the first production eight-speed automatic transmission and an automatic parking system. In 2007, V8 hybrid powertrains were introduced on the LS 600h/LS 600h L sedans. (Full article...)
Image 6

Upper platform level of Katong Park station

Katong Park MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the Thomson–East Coast Line (TEL). Situated along Meyer Road and adjacent to Katong Park, the station serves Dunman High School and Singapore Swimming School alongside nearby residential developments. The station is operated by SMRT Trains.

The station was first announced in 2014 and was constructed as part of TEL Phase 4. Constructed in a narrow site, the tunnels had to be stacked with the launch site situated away from the station. The station commenced operations on 23 June 2024. Featuring large skylights that naturally illuminate the upper concourse, Katong Park station has a depth of 26.8 metres (88 ft). An Art-in-Transit artwork Time After Time by Sit Weng San and Tania De Rozario is displayed at this station. (Full article...)
Image 7

A National Airlines DC-6B
(sister ship to accident aircraft)

National Airlines Flight 2511 was a United States domestic passenger flight from New York City to Miami, Florida. On January 6, 1960, the Douglas DC-6 serving the flight exploded in midair. The National Airlines aircraft was carrying 5 crew members and 29 passengers, all of whom perished. The Civil Aeronautics Board investigation concluded that the plane was brought down by a bomb made of dynamite. No criminal charges were ever filed, nor was the blame for the bombing ever determined, though a suicide bombing is suspected. The investigation remains open.

One of the victims was retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Edward Orrick McDonnell, a Medal of Honor recipient and veteran of both World Wars. (Full article...)

More recognized articles

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Image 1
Rail transport
Photograph: David Gubler
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. The oldest, man-hauled railways date to the 6th century B.C.; the method grew more popular after the introduction of steam locomotives in the 19th century. Here we can see four BNSF GE C44-9W diesel locomotives hauling a mixed freight train along the Columbia River in the US.
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Image 2
Tugboat
Image credit: Al2/Lycaon/Jeff Dahl
A diagram showing the parts of a tugboat, a boat used to maneuver large ships in harbours, over the open sea, or through rivers and canals. They also tow barges, disabled ships, and oil rigs. Equipped with powerful engines producing thousands of horsepower, extensive rigging equipment, and a fender of tires for protection, tugboats can push or tow large vessels with high precision and speed.
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Image 3
Semi-submersible
Photo: Agência Brasil
The semi-submersible oil platform P-51, operated by Brazilian energy company Petrobras, being positioned by tugboats. Semisubs sit on pontoons located under the ocean surface, with the operating deck atop columns, above the sea level. In this manner, they are relatively protected from wave action.
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Image 4
Escalator
Credit: Stig Nygaard
An escalator is a moving staircase for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.
'"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000028-QINU`"'
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Image 5
Building implosion
Photo credit: Heptagon
A multiple exposure composite image of the implosion of a chimney at the former brewery "Henninger" in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. This controlled demolition technique involves strategically placing explosive material and timing its detonation so that a structure collapses on itself in a matter of seconds, minimizing the physical damage to its immediate surroundings.
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Image 6
Curiosity (rover)
Photograph: NASA
A self-portrait by the Mars rover Curiosity on October 31, 2012. The mosaic is stitched from a set of 55 images taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager at "Rocknest," the spot in Gale crater where the mission's first scoop sampling took place. Self-portraits such as this help NASA document the state of the rover and track changes, such as dust accumulation and wheel wear.
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Image 7
Windmill
Photo credit: Michael Reeve
Pitstone Windmill, believed to be the oldest windmill in the British Isles

A windmill is an engine powered by wind energy. In Europe, windmills have been used since the Middle Ages. They were developed from the 12th century, apparently from technology gained by crusaders who came into contact with windmills in the Middle East. Persian sources indicate windmill use as early as the 7th century BC. In the United States, the development of water-pumping windmills was a major factor in allowing the farming of vast areas of North America.
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Image 8
Wheel
Credit: fir0002
A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axial bearing. The wheel is one of the main components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines.
'"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000026-QINU`"'
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Image 9
Overhead power line
Credit: Simon Koopmann
An overhead power line is a structure used in electric power transmission and distribution to transmit electrical energy along large distances. It consists of one or more conductors suspended by towers or utility poles.
'"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000024-QINU`"'
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Image 10
David Faiman
Photograph: David Shankbone
David Faiman is an Israeli engineer and physicist recognized for his expertise on solar power. He is the director of the Ben-Gurion National Solar Energy Center and Chairman of the Department of Solar Energy & Environmental Physics at Ben-Gurion University's Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research in Sde Boker.
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Image 11
Laptop computer
Credit: Mike McGregor
The OLPC XO-1 is an inexpensive subnotebook laptop computer intended to be distributed to children in developing countries.
'"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000020-QINU`"'
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Image 12
Bucket-wheel excavators
Photograph: Raimond Spekking
Bucket-wheel excavators (BWEs) are heavy equipment used in surface mining. The primary function of a BWE is to act as a continuous digging machine in large-scale open pit mining operations. These BWEs were photographed at the Garzweiler surface mine in Germany.
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Image 13
Nice tramway
Photograph: Myrabella
The Nice tramway crossing Place Garibaldi, Nice, where it lowers its pantograph and is powered by batteries. This 8.7-kilometre (5.4 mi), single-line tramway is operated by Veolia Transdev. It opened on 24 November 2007, replacing bus lines 1, 2, 5 and 18.
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Image 14
AgustaWestland AW109
Photo: Ikiwaner
An Agusta A109 rescue helicopter leaves Mount Pilatus, near Lucerne, Switzerland, after recovering a patient. Later renamed AgustaWestland AW109, the A109 is a helicopter manufactured by Agusta (now AgustaWestland) of Italy. It is a light-weight, twin-engine, eight-seat multi-purpose craft.
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Image 15
Telephone
Credit: Berthold Werner
A telephone, or phone, is a telecommunications device that converts sound, typically the human voice, into electronic signals suitable for transmission via cables or other transmission media over long distances through satellite.
'"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000022-QINU`"'
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Image 16
Wiesen Viaduct
Photograph: David Gubler
The Wiesen Viaduct is a single-track railway viaduct (concrete blocks with dimension stone coverage) which spans the Landwasser southwest of the hamlet of Wiesen, Switzerland. Designed by Henning Friedrich, then the chief engineer of the Rhaetian Railway, it was built between 1906 and 1909 by the contractor G. Marasi (Westermann & Cie, Zürich) under the supervision of P. Salaz and Hans Studer (RhB). The Rhaetian Railway still owns and uses the viaduct today for regular service with 29 passenger trains per day. An important element of the Davos–Filisur railway, the viaduct is 88.9 metres (292 ft) high, 210 metres (690 ft) long, and has a main span of 55 metres (180 ft). In 1926, the viaduct was the inspiration for Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's painting Brücke bei Wiesen.
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Image 17
Australia Telescope Compact Array
Photograph credit: John Masterson, CSIRO; restored by Bammesk
The Australia Telescope Compact Array is a radio telescope operated by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) at the Paul Wild Observatory, 25 km (16 mi) west of the town of Narrabri in New South Wales, Australia. The telescope is an array of six identical dishes each 22 metres (72 ft) in diameter, which commonly operate in aperture synthesis mode to produce images from radio waves. Five of the dishes can be moved along a 3-kilometre (2 mi) railway track; the sixth is situated three kilometres west of the end of the main track. Each dish weighs about 270 tonnes (270 long tons; 300 short tons).

This photograph, showing five of the Australia Telescope Compact Array's dishes, was taken around 1984, in the late phase of the construction process. It is a long-exposure photograph taken in darkness in the late evening; during the exposure, the photographer, John Masterson, walked around the dishes firing off over 130 flashes using a hand-held flash gun.
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Image 18
Semi-trailer truck
Diagram: H Padleckas and Ju gatsu mikka
A diagram showing a side and underside view of an 18-wheeler semi-trailer truck with an enclosed cargo space. The underside view shows the arrangement of the wheels, and in blue, the axles, drive shaft, and differentials.

The numbered parts are:

'"`UNIQ--templatestyles-0000001E-QINU`"'

#tractor unit
#semi-trailer (detachable)
#engine compartment
#cabin
#sleeper (not present in all trucks)
#air dam
#fuel tanks
#fifth-wheel coupling
#enclosed cargo space
#landing gear (legs for when semi-trailer is detached)
#tandem axles

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Image 19
Let L-410 Turbolet
Photo: Łukasz Golowanow
The Let L-410 Turbolet is a twin-engined short-range transport aircraft, manufactured by the Czech aircraft manufacturer LET, mostly used for passenger transport. The L-410 first flew in 1969, and with more than 1100 produced, is the most popular 19-seat plane in history.
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Image 20
Thorntonbank Wind Farm
Photo credit: Hans Hillewaert
Wind turbines belonging to the Thorntonbank Wind Farm located in the North Sea, 28 km (17 mi) off the coast of Belgium. Electricity generation started in early 2009, with an initial capacity of 30 MW, and that number is expected to rise to 300 MW by 2015. A 37 km (23 mi) 150 kV undersea cable connects the wind farm to the shore.
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Main topics

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The following are images from various technology-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 13D printer (from Emerging technologies)
Image 2A late Bronze Age sword or dagger blade (from History of technology)
Image 3Eric M. C. Tigerstedt (1887–1925) was known as a pioneer of sound-on-film technology. Tigerstedt in 1915. (from Invention)
Image 4The wheel, invented sometime before the 4th millennium BC, is one of the most ubiquitous and important technologies. This detail of the "Standard of Ur", c. 2500 BCE., displays a Sumerian chariot. (from History of technology)
Image 5Clock from Salisbury Cathedral, ca. 1386 (from History of technology)
Image 6Agriculture preceded writing in the history of technology. (from History of technology)
Image 7A water-powered mine hoist used for raising ore, ca. 1556 (from History of technology)
Image 8Thomas Edison with his second phonograph, photographed by Levin Corbin Handy in Washington, April 1878 (from History of technology)
Image 9A variety of stone tools (from History of technology)
Image 10Design for a flying machine (c.1488) by da Vinci (from History of technology)
Image 11Johannes Gutenberg's printing press was voted the most important invention of the second millennium. (from Invention)
Image 12Edison electric light bulbs 1879–80 (from History of technology)
Image 13Dome of Florence Cathedral (from History of technology)
Image 14A rare 1884 photo showing the experimental recording of voice patterns by a photographic process at the Alexander Graham Bell Laboratory in Washington, D.C. Many of their experimental designs panned out in failure. (from Invention)
Image 15Solid-state air batteries
Li-Air composition (from Emerging technologies)
Image 16The preserved Rocket (from History of technology)
Image 17NASA Fuel cell stack
Direct-methanol cell (from Emerging technologies)
Image 18'BUILD YOUR OWN TELEVISION RECEIVER.' Science and Invention magazine cover, November 1928 (from Invention)
Image 19Newcomen steam engine for pumping mines (from History of technology)
Image 20Top 30 AI patent applicants in 2016 (from Emerging technologies)
Image 21Ford assembly line, 1913. The magneto assembly line was the first. (from History of technology)
Image 22Pont du Gard in France, a Roman aqueduct (from History of technology)
Image 23The compartmented water wheel, here its overshot version (from History of technology)
Image 24Walls at Sacsayhuaman (from History of technology)
Image 25Alessandro Volta with the first electrical battery. Volta is recognized as an influential inventor. (from Invention)
Image 26An axehead made of iron, dating from the Swedish Iron Age (from History of technology)
Image 27Self-replicating 3D printer (from Emerging technologies)

Did you know (auto-generated) - load new batch

... that Flathead Lake Biological Station can detect invasive aquatic species in real-time using eDNA technology?
... that astrophysicist Alan C. Cummings has led more than 1,700 weekly birdwatching walks at Caltech since 1986?
... that Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer is being shot on a custom-built studio spanning 45,000 square feet (4,200 m²), utilizing the virtual production technology?
... that the Japanese manga series Mink featured futuristic technology even though its creator was unfamiliar with computers?
... that Aileen Davies sang roles on the first two D'Oyly Carte Opera Company recordings using the new electrical-recording technology?
... that the Illinois Institute of Technology Academic Campus has been ranked as both one of the US's most significant architectural works and its least beautiful college campus?
... that several science fiction critics praised "Rock Diver", the first short story by American writer Harry Harrison, for its compelling take on technology for passing through matter?
... that Criccieth Castle combined the "latest advances in military technology" with the "haphazard Welsh castle building style"?

News

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November 17, 2025 – Gaza war: Germany expects to lift its restrictions on military equipment exports to Israel from November 24, which were banned in August due to the siege of Gaza City. (AP)
October 28, 2025 – AI boom, Workplace impact of artificial intelligence: Multinational technology and e-commerce company Amazon announces it will lay off 14,000 corporate positions as it invests more in building AI and cloud computing infrastructure. (DW) (CNBC)