Comments on: Science vs. Technology

By: kirsten

kirsten — Mon, 20 Sep 2004 16:20:09 +0000

Great blog! I agree that much of the time technologists feel like scientist “wannabes.” I think because science has had such a long past and refinement of its principles and procedures that they can be “oversure” of themselves and somehow the rest of the world feels like their own opinions or knowledge is somehow less than that of scientists. Being married to one and working with a bunch of them, and being more of a technologist myself, I can see through the scientific methods enough to realize that they aren’t any more sure of the world than the rest of us are. Or at least they shouldn’t be. I wonder when technologists will be able to accept ourselves for who we are and not compare ourselves to other disciplines! Power to the people!

By: Charles Graham

Charles Graham — Mon, 27 Sep 2004 16:08:43 +0000

Great thoughts . . . thanks for getting the quote from Friedman too.

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 01:17:46 +0000

I think this is true. People need to know the difference between technology and science,(technologists and scientists.) They study COMPLETELY different things and people refuse to believe that and good quote, “Technologists are wanna-be scientists.” Brilliance.

By: Michael Moorrees

Michael Moorrees — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 04:19:08 +0000

Back in school, I was taught that science (formerly referred to as natural philosophy) was the pursuit of knowledge of the natural (anything not man made, not just organic) world. Technology on the other hand is simply tool making. Tool making being any man made object from an utilitarian object, like a hammer, to a frivolous toy, like an ipod. Prehistoric blacksmiths practiced technology, with little reliance on science. Its just that science has been in the ‘tool makers’ (technologist) tool box in the last few centuries, since its fruits (scientific principles) has made his (or her) job easier. Its a tool, just like a word processor is a typist’s tool, but does that make the typist a computer programmer? We know it does not, but tell that to the man on the streets.