TOK Unit 2 Knowledge and Technology 1 Let's first try to define what technology is and come up with 10 examples of technology. TASK 1: Define technology TASK 2: List 10 examples of technology Technolog y Scope How do we define technology, and what is its goal? The ancient Greeks defined it as “the science or study of craft,” formed from two Greek root words: (1) Techne - meaning “skill” or “art” & (2) Logos – study The modern meaning of technology is “the application and study of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, such as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science.” The GOAL of technology is to improve the lives of humans. Within this goal is an inbuilt bias that we often put ourselves before all other life forms on the planet. How do these definitions match yours? Is there more to the standard definition that needs to be added? Discuss. Some examples of technology used today: • Cochlear hearing aid implants. • The agitator in a washing machine. • A robotic arm used to conduct bomb disarmament and disposal. • The brakes on a bicycle (old tech – the original designs date back to the 1800’s) • Video conference calls. • Chat bots which take the initial diagnosis of a patient. • Algorithms applied in determining the grade of a student (recent IB mishap). Consider what the PURPOSE of these technologies are, and how they improve the lives of humans: Are they time savers? Do they improve safety? Anything else? "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C. Clarke TASK 3: Think about this famous quote for a moment and determine if you agree or disagree with it and explain your stance. Write at least one paragraph. Support your viewpoint with a real-life situation (RLS). TASK 4: https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/norse-rituals? Read the following article and write a short reflection on how it relates to the quote. Guiding questions (you can ignore, if not needed): Does this support your initial thoughts? Did you think of it differently? "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."Arthur C. Clarke Task 5: British mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing posed the question: “Can a computer talk like a human?” to test for artificial intelligence. Watch the video and be able to explain: (1) how the Turing Test was conducted (2) what implicit biases are contained within the test. Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wLqsRLvV-c Task 6: Watch the following video. How comfortable do you feel with AI? Do you think that it could present a threat to humans at any point of time? Can an artificial machine really think, or does it just compute? Video 2: Google’s Alpha Go: https://youtu.be/8dMFJpEGNLQ Knowledge Questions – Methods and Tools Is artificial intelligence restricted to information or can it also allow machines to acquire knowledge? What is the difference between computational thinking, algorithmic thinking and critical thinking? Scope What is the difference between data, information and knowledge? In what sense, if any, can a machine be said to know something? Last but not least: How is technology changing our relationship with knowledge?
