Portal:Technology

The Technology Portal

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...)

Recognized articles -

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

Image 1
K-61 is a 83.358-mile-long (134.152 km) north–south state highway in central Kansas. K-61's southern terminus is at U.S. Route 54 (US-54) and US-400 on the east side of Pratt. The northern terminus is at Interstate 135 (I-135) and US-81 south of McPherson. The highway travels mostly through rural areas; however, it does pass through South Hutchinson and Hutchinson, where it intersects K-14, K-96, and US-50. K-61 is signed as a north–south but runs in southwest to northeast direction.

K-61 was established as a state highway by 1928. Throughout the 1940s and into 1950, the highway's alignment was straightened between Pratt and Hutchinson. In 1957, K-17 was truncated to end in Hutchinson. At this time K-61 was extended over K-17's former alignment to US-81 by McPherson. By the end of 1959, K-61's alignment had been straightened from Hutchinson to McPherson. Throughout the 1960s, the alignment was changed within the city of Hutchinson. By 1969, I-35W (modern I-135) had been built and K-61 extended to it. From 2009 to 2012, a new four-lane alignment was built between Hutchinson and McPherson. (Full article...)
Image 2

The Sigma 8–16mm lens is an enthusiast-level, ultra wide-angle rectilinear zoom lens made by Sigma Corporation specifically for use with APS-C small format digital SLRs. It is the first ultrawide rectilinear (non-fisheye lens) zoom lens with a minimum focal length of 8 mm, designed specifically for APS-C size image sensors. The lens was introduced at the February 2010 Photo Marketing Association International Convention and Trade Show. At its release it was the widest viewing angle focal length available commercially for APS-C cameras. It is part of Sigma's DC (Digital Camera) line of lenses, meaning it was designed to have an image circle tailored to work with APS-C format cameras. The lens has a constant length regardless of optical zoom and focus with inner lens tube elements responding to these parameters. The lens has hypersonic zoom autofocus.

The lens is sold in versions that fit the bayonet mounts of Nikon, Canon, Sigma, Sony/Minolta and Pentax APS-C cameras. The lens has been discontinued by Sigma Corporation in 2020. (Full article...)
Image 3

One of the 600 tonne barges used on the Navigation

The Aire and Calder Navigation is the canalised section of the Rivers Aire and Calder in West Yorkshire, England. The first improvements to the rivers above Knottingley were completed in 1704 when the Aire was made navigable to Leeds and the Calder to Wakefield, by the construction of 16 locks. Lock sizes were increased several times, as was the depth of water, to enable larger boats to use the system. The Aire below Haddlesey was bypassed by the opening of the Selby Canal in 1778. A canal from Knottingley to the new docks and new town at Goole provided a much shorter route to the River Ouse from 1826. The New Junction Canal was constructed in 1905, to link the system to the River Don Navigation, by then part of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation.

Steam tugs were introduced in 1831. In the 1860s, compartment boats were introduced, later called Tom Puddings, from which coal was unloaded into ships by large hydraulic hoists. This system enabled the canal to carry at its peak more than 1.5 million tons of coal per year, and was not abandoned until 1986. To handle trains of compartments, many of the locks were lengthened to 450 feet (140 m). (Full article...)
Image 4

The Clydesdale Motor Truck Company was a motor company that existed from 1917 to 1939 with headquarters in Clyde, Ohio. Initially, they made military trucks for World War I. Military contracts continued to be a large part of their business after the war, but they also sold into many other markets: general haulage, farming, and specialized vehicles such as fire trucks. They survived the Wall Street crash of 1929 and the Great Depression, but increasingly struggling, they were wound up in 1939. (Full article...)
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Smartsheet is a software as a service (SaaS) offering for collaboration and work management, developed and marketed by Smartsheet Inc. It is used to assign tasks, track project progress, manage calendars, share documents, and manage other work, using a tabular user interface. (Full article...)
Image 6

Fenway Center construction over Lansdowne station in July 2019

Lansdowne station (formerly Yawkey station) is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the Framingham/Worcester Line. Lansdowne is located next to the Massachusetts Turnpike in the Fenway–Kenmore neighborhood near Kenmore Square, below grade between Beacon Street and Brookline Avenue.

The station, originally named after former Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey, opened as an infill station in 1988, for limited service to baseball games at Fenway Park. Regular commuter service began in 2001 for riders headed to Boston University, Kenmore Square, and the Longwood Medical and Academic Area. Inbound and outbound trains formerly shared a single two-car platform on the inbound track, requiring passengers to embark or debark from the front two cars of outbound trains or the rear two cars of inbound trains. (Full article...)
Image 7

West 23rd Street from the High Line
(2014)

23rd Street is a broad thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Manhattan, one of the major two-way, east-west streets in the borough's grid. As with Manhattan's other "crosstown" streets, it is divided into its east and west sections at Fifth Avenue. The street runs from Avenue C and FDR Drive in the east to Eleventh Avenue in the west.

23rd Street was created under the Commissioners' Plan of 1811. The street hosts several famous hotels, including the Fifth Avenue Hotel and Hotel Chelsea, as well as many theaters. Several skyscrapers are located on 23rd Street, including the Flatiron Building, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, and One Madison. (Full article...)

Selected picture

Image 1
Mazda RX-8
Photo credit: Fir0002
The Mazda RX-8 sports car is a front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive four-seat coupé manufactured by Mazda Motor Corporation. It is the successor to the RX-7 and, like its predecessors in the RX range, it is powered by a rotary engine. The RX-8 began North American sales in the 2004 model year.
Image 2
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.
Image 3
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.
Image 4
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.
Image 5
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.
Image 6
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.
Image 7
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.
Image 8
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.
Image 9
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.
Image 10
Laptop computer
Credit: Mike McGregor
The OLPC XO-1 is an inexpensive subnotebook laptop computer intended to be distributed to children in developing countries.
Image 11
George Washington Carver
Photo: Arthur Rothstein; Restoration: Lise Broer
A portrait of George Washington Carver, American scientist, botanist, educator and inventor, from 1942. Much of Carver's fame is based on his research into and promotion of alternative crops to cotton, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes. In addition to his work on agricultural extension education for purposes of advocacy of sustainable agriculture and appreciation of plants and nature, Carver's important accomplishments also included improvement of racial relations, mentoring children, poetry, painting, and religion. One of his most important roles was in undermining, through the fame of his achievements and many talents, the widespread stereotype of the time that the black race was intellectually inferior to the white race.
Image 12
Flat-four engine
Photograph: ULPower Aero Engines
The ULPower UL260i, a flat-four engine produced by ULPower Aero Engines of Belgium. Flat-four engines are flat engines with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase; they can be used in cars, motorcycles, or aircraft. This type of engine tends to be well-balanced and have efficient cooling, but is expensive to manufacture and considerably wider than other engines.
Image 13
Mark IV tank
Photograph: Peter Trimming
The Mark IV tank was introduced by the British in May 1917 to fight in World War I. The "female" version, as pictured here, was armed with five machine guns. Production of the Mark IV ceased at the end of the War in 1918. A small number served briefly with other combatants afterwards.

This Mark IV tank, on display in Ashford, Kent, was presented to the town after the end of World War I. The engine was removed to install an electricity substation inside it, though this substation was subsequently removed; the tank's interior is now empty.
Image 14
Commodore 64
Photo: Evan Amos
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced in 1982 by Commodore International. Its low retail price and easy availability led to the system becoming the market leader for three years. It remains the best-selling single personal computer model of all time.
Image 15
N700 Series Shinkansen
Photograph credit: Dllu

The N700 Series Shinkansen is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train with tilting capability developed jointly by JR Central and JR West. It has been used on the Tokaido and San'yō Shinkansen lines since 2007. This photograph shows the train travelling at approximately 300 km/h through Himeji Station, and was captured with a line scan camera using strip photography.
Image 16
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.
Image 17
Jet engine
Diagram: Jeff Dahl
A diagram of a typical turbojet engine. Air is compressed as it enters the engine, and is mixed with fuel that burns in the combustion section. Released through the exhaust, the resulting hot gases provide forward thrust and turn the turbines that drive the fan blades of the compressor.
Image 18
Thermoplastic-sheathed cable
Photograph credit: Petar Milošević
A thermoplastic-sheathed cable consists of a toughened outer thermoplastic sheath of polyvinyl chloride, covering one or more individual annealed copper conductors. Each of the current-carrying conductors in the "core" is insulated by an individual thermoplastic sheath, coloured to indicate the purpose of the conductor concerned. The protective earth conductor may also be covered with insulation, although, in some countries, this conductor may be left as bare copper. The type of thermoplastic, the dimensions of the conductors and the colour of their individual insulation are specified by the regulatory bodies in the various countries concerned.
Image 19
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.
Image 20
MS Majesty of the Seas
Photo credit: UpstateNYer
MS Majesty of the Seas is a Sovereign class cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International, a cruise line based in Miami, Florida. Her sister ship MS Sovereign of the Seas was the largest cruise ship in the world at the time of its completion in 1988.

Main topics

General images -

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

Image 1Top 30 AI patent applicants in 2016 (from Emerging technologies)
Image 2Alessandro Volta with the first electrical battery. Volta is recognized as an influential inventor. (from Invention)
Image 3Thomas Edison with his second phonograph, photographed by Levin Corbin Handy in Washington, April 1878 (from History of technology)
Image 4'BUILD YOUR OWN TELEVISION RECEIVER.' Science and Invention magazine cover, November 1928 (from Invention)
Image 5Design for a flying machine (c.1488) by da Vinci (from History of technology)
Image 6A water-powered mine hoist used for raising ore, ca. 1556 (from History of technology)
Image 7Dome of Florence Cathedral (from History of technology)
Image 8The 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 9Pont du Gard in France, a Roman aqueduct (from History of technology)
Image 10The compartmented water wheel, here its overshot version (from History of technology)
Image 11Solid-state air batteries
Li-Air composition (from Emerging technologies)
Image 12The preserved Rocket (from History of technology)
Image 13A late Bronze Age sword or dagger blade (from History of technology)
Image 14An axehead made of iron, dating from the Swedish Iron Age (from History of technology)
Image 153D printer (from Emerging technologies)
Image 16A 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 17NASA Fuel cell stack
Direct-methanol cell (from Emerging technologies)
Image 18Clock from Salisbury Cathedral, ca. 1386 (from History of technology)
Image 19Agriculture preceded writing in the history of technology. (from History of technology)
Image 20Newcomen steam engine for pumping mines (from History of technology)
Image 21Eric M. C. Tigerstedt (1887–1925) was known as a pioneer of sound-on-film technology. Tigerstedt in 1915. (from Invention)
Image 22Self-replicating 3D printer (from Emerging technologies)
Image 23Walls at Sacsayhuaman (from History of technology)
Image 24Edison electric light bulbs 1879–80 (from History of technology)
Image 25Ford assembly line, 1913. The magneto assembly line was the first. (from History of technology)
Image 26Johannes Gutenberg's printing press was voted the most important invention of the second millennium. (from Invention)
Image 27A variety of stone tools (from History of technology)

Did you know (auto-generated) -

... 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 Carmel Naughton, having been told that girls were "stupid and couldn't do maths", sponsored a STEM scholarship fund?
... that the Japanese manga series Mink featured futuristic technology even though its creator was unfamiliar with computers?
... that Flathead Lake Biological Station can detect invasive aquatic species in real-time using eDNA technology?
... that the Illinois Institute of Technology created Chicago's smallest park by deeding a 54-square-foot (5 m²) granite slab to the city?
... that OPTi Inc. won a patent suit against Apple for unauthorized use of "predictive snooping" technology?
... that astrophysicist Alan C. Cummings has led more than 1,700 weekly birdwatching walks at Caltech since 1986?
... that vehicles in Star Trucker still look like American semi-trucks from the 1970s, despite having technology such as warp drivers and maglocks?

News

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August 6, 2025 – 2025 Ghanaian Air Force Z-9 helicopter crash: A Ghana Air Force Z-9 helicopter crashes near Obuasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana, killing eight people, including defence minister Edward Omane Boamah, environment and science minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, and regional minister Samuel Sarpong. (BBC News)
June 30, 2025 – 2025 United States trade war with Canada and Mexico: National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett announces that the United States will restart trade talks with Canada after they cancel their digital services tax on American technology firms. (CBC)

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