UNIT 9. USING TECHNOLOGY (NATURAL SCIENCE)

UNIT 9

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES

-          Transport: there have been a lot of improvements and advances in transport. Maybe, the best one has been the installation of the International Space  Station.

-          Medicine:  advances in medicine has saved a lot of lifes. Antibiotics, vaccinations, organ transplants are the main improvements.

-          Communication:  it has improved a lot since the invention of the telephone. Nowadays, we have smartphones with wi-fi and we can connect to internet everywhere.

-          Construction:  there have been huge biuldings and projects .  Nowadays there are improved materials and computers are also used in architecture.

-          3D printer: it is a robot that reproduce three-dimensional objects.

-          Wearable  technology: Samrtwatches are similar to smart phones, that a have a lot applications. There are also smart glasses and smart clothes.

-          Flexible phones: screens for tablets or computers of the future could be printed on a flexible material. This material is very durable, so phones could be resistant to water.

COMPUTERS AND COMMUNICATION

A computer needs two elements to work: hardware and software.

Hardware isa ll the physic parts which make up a computer. Computers have two types of hardware:

-          Internal hardware: it includes the central processing unit  (CPU) and the hard disk drive.

-          External hardware: there are different types of external hardware that are connected to computers using cables:

·         A monitor or screen

·         A keyboard

·         A mouse or a touchpad

·         Speakers: le tus listen to music

·         A printer: transfer information from computers to paper.

·         A scanner: that transfers information from paper to computers.

·         A multifunction printer: a combination of printer, scanner and and photocopier.

·         Memory sticks: let us download and store information from the computer.

·          A router: connects the computer to networks such as internet.

Software refers to all the programs which a computer uses to function:

·         Operating systems

·         Programs

·         Applications

·         Malware (software designed to harm other computers and includes viruses. Computers should have an antivirus program and a firewall.

THE INTERNET

Internet is a huge network of information that allows computers to send information. Data travels through cables, routers and servers.

We Access intertnet using the web. We can search information with browsers like internet explorer, google chrome or mozilla firefox.

·         How to search for information

We can use search engine like google and lot of results will appear. You can use more specific terms or these marks (“       “) to find a specific phrase.

·         Blogs and wikis: anyone can create their own web page. Blogs are like journals and the author decides about what to write. Wikis are similar to blogs but they have more than one contributor.

·         Social media: such as Facebook, Twitter. They let you connect with pthers and share ideas, photos, music…

·         Online gaming: let you create avatars which interact with other avatars.