Written By- Tanmay Agarwal
India has always been the land of science and technology. Our Vedas had laid significant importance to science, especially the Atharvaveda, also known as the Veda of 'magical formulas'. Our ancient sages already knew that the Earth is round and not flat long before scientists did, which is why they coined the term, Bhoogol, which means that the Earth is circular. It is a classic example of our superiority over the West.
The Industrial Revolution just took over the world by storm. The First Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century with the invention of steam power. In the 19th century, electricity ignited the Second Industrial Revolution. The Third Industrial Revolution began in the 2000s with the discovery of computers, and now we are into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0 or the World of Automation.
Today, Science and Technology have reached great heights. The modern era is dominated by giants such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and many more, which have changed our lifestyle to a level that was beyond our imagination just a couple of years ago. Today, we can do whatever we want with just a single click, from ordering food from Zomato, paying our bills using Google Pay, shopping for items from Amazon, etc. These technologies proved to be a boom for humanity when combined with geological science. Today, we can predict the changing environment around us with much ease. Farming has become easier with the help of technology, as farmers can get ready ahead of time when the climate changes. Today, technology is helping us overcome a monster that has always been with us through decades i.e., global warming. In today's time, every country is trying its best to reduce carbon emissions and achieve its target of net zero-emission, thus protecting the flora and fauna of our motherland. But as we know, this world works on the concept of duality, so with advantages come certain disadvantages.
Firstly, we are prone to cyber-attacks. With the advancement of technology, this attack is continuously evolving. During the early days of computer evolution, only internal viruses posed a threat to us, but the network and communication technologies have exposed us to threats from hackers disguised as our so-called "well-wishers' few minutes can empty your bank account if you don't take enough precautions.
Secondly, new developments can have unintended consequences. Many business leaders are speaking today about how artificial intelligence can replace humans and reduce their employment opportunities. It is always important to remember that we use technology to improve people's lives, not to degrade them. I will end this article by quoting Jacque Fresco- "The intelligent use of science and technology are the tools with which to achieve new direction".