As the dawn of the scientific method ushered a new age of thinking, so did the world of applied science.  Ingenious ideas spawned by many important pioneers in the late 19^th to early 20^th century helped bring the industrial revolution to its fruition.  As mass manufacturing became a possibility, the idea of making things that would improve their daily life became a reality.  Many of the early technological feats were based on structural and mechanical systems.  The automobile, the subway, hydraulic excavators, the hydroelectric dam, and the steam engine are just three of the many important mechanical technology achievements.  Of course, electricity had been around for quite some time, but devices were limited in their complexity because scientists and engineers had not yet learned to harness its true potential.

Early developments in electronics were centered on the vacuum tube.  Invented in 1904, this was an analog component that could amplify electronic signals.  By hooking them up properly, it was possible to build devices that could operate in a variety of functions.  The vacuum tube allowed for the invention of radios, televisions, and the first computers.  Unfortunately, vacuum tubes were unreliable, excessively large, required frequent replacements, and did not provide enough control for complex calculations.

It wasn’t until 1947 that things really took off.  That’s when Bell Laboratories invented the transistor.  The transistor could do all the things the vacuum tube could do, but better.  They were smaller, did not require frequent replacements, cheaper, required less power, and heated up slower.  The first commercial devices to use transistors were a hearing aid by Raytheon and the ubiquitous transistor radio of the 1950s.

Almost ten years later, the integrated circuit would fully realize the dawn of the electronic age.  Invented at roughly the same time by Jack Kilby (Texas Instruments, 1958) and Robert Noyce (Fairchild Semiconductor, 1961), the integrated circuit placed many transistors (and other key electronic components like resistors and capacitors) onto one chip.  It allowed for the miniaturization of electronics on an unprecedented scale.  Today, over a million electronic components can be placed onto a chip that’s only one square centimeter.  The microprocessor is the pinnacle of the integrated circuit.  It’s the brain behind computers, microwaves, cell phones, and a plethora of other digital electronic devices.

So where does that leave us?  The development of electronics is quickly approaching the physical limit of our capabilities.  Soon, miniaturization will no longer be possible unless new technologies are created.  New technologies centered on nanotechnology and photonics offer new hope to our dimming prospects.  As these two bold new fields of science evolve, we may once more witness a new technological revolution. 

Many scientists and engineers today liken our current knowledge of nanotechnology and photonics to the early days of the transistor.  In that case, it may only be a matter of years before unimaginable new devices find their way into our unsuspecting hands.  One thing’s for sure: technology will always be with us.  In the right hands, technology can be a positive force in the world.  Unfortunately, it’s also a major player in world conflict.  Many technological applications are driven by military demands.  Everything from nuclear missiles to proposed space-based lasers have a serious impact on our world.

In the end, technology is neither good nor bad.  It’s all in how we decide to use it.  Whether it’s all geared towards designing the next generation of video game console, or the latest in self-guided unmanned aerial vehicles loaded with modern weaponry, it’s a human invention that will deliver human consequences.