A “theory of evolution” for technology | mndaily.com - Serving the University of Minnesota Community Since 1900

It is time for the academic community to come to the aid of an old and ailing friend — the “science” of technological knowledge. In other words, rather than relying on individual fields of study to come up with new bits of “technology” (a misused term I will explain below), we must study technological advancement as a process itself, across disciplines. The time is right; recent advances in the management of technology have laid the necessary groundwork to do so.

W. Brian Arthur, in his book, “The Nature of Technology,” points to a deep and disturbing dichotomy. At the level of individual specialties, our technological knowledge is excellent.