The making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function.
Questions tagged [technology]
176 questions
11
votes
4 answers
Are GMO crops to blame for farmer suicides in India?
Anyone who follows the genetically modified organism (GMO) debate has probably heard the claim that GMO crops, and specifically the inability to save seed and other associated production costs, have lead Indian farmers deep into debt, and a large…
Flimzy
- 15,520
- 14
- 63
- 132
11
votes
2 answers
Is the Lindy effect well supported by evidence?
The Lindy effect is the observation that, contrary to the pattern with perishable things like people, the longevity so far is a good predictor of the future longevity. In other words, technologies that have already survived a long time can be…
matt_black
- 56,186
- 16
- 175
- 373
10
votes
1 answer
Does progress in algorithms beat progress in hardware?
A 2010 report to the U.S. President and Congress about past and future advances in information technology notes that:
While improvements in hardware accounted for an approximate 1,000 fold
increase in calculation speed over a 15-year time-span,…
Amelio Vazquez-Reina
- 884
- 7
- 15
10
votes
2 answers
Do 4K displays use more power, because it is hard for the backlight to shine through those super tiny pixels?
I was watching Linus reviewing the 2020 MacBook Air and he said about the competing laptops that 4K was pointless on a 13" laptop and that it just hurts the battery life, because it's harder for the backlight to shine through those super tiny…
Erik B
- 369
- 1
- 7
10
votes
2 answers
Could 5G make weather satellites less effective?
I've seen a few articles pop up in sources stating that 5G signals will run too close to the 23.8 MHz signal that weather satellites need in order to accurately produce weather forecasts.
National Geographic
One of the crucial bands, says William…
NegativeFriction
- 294
- 1
- 7
10
votes
1 answer
Was this Harry-Potter themed text written solely by a computer program?
A YouTube video caught my eye with the title, "A Robot Wrote A Chapter To A Harry Potter Book, And It's Absolutely Insane." The video claims that a software algorithm created by Botnik Studios was trained on the text of the Harry Potter series, and…
DLosc
- 403
- 2
- 9
10
votes
1 answer
Do active-noise cancelling headphones produce ear fatigue?
lstnsound writes in Why noise-cancellation isn't all its cracked up to be:
Neat, right? Well....not exactly. Unfortunately, this technology comes with its fair share of flaws. The opposing sound waves generated by active noise cancellation…
Christian
- 33,271
- 15
- 112
- 266
10
votes
2 answers
Was text messaging originally developed for deaf people?
I just heard this claim in this TED talk by Elise Roy (at about the 5:24 mark in the transcript):
Text messaging: that was originally designed for people who are Deaf.
Is it true?
hgkk
- 101
- 1
- 3
10
votes
1 answer
Did ancient Peru use electroplating?
Wikipedia states that ancient Peruvian metalsmiths applied gold with electroplating, citing a 1979 article in The Journal of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. I'm not familiar enough with this journal or academia to assess whether the claim…
user3150
10
votes
2 answers
Did MIT develop software that can recover sounds from video of vibrating objects?
MIT claim to have invented a technology that, by using special video cameras, can detect vibrations and recover the sounds being played that cause those vibrations:
YouTube video: The Visual Microphone: Passive Recovery of Sound from Video Reddit…
DLeh
- 219
- 1
- 7
10
votes
1 answer
Does the increase of automation lead to unemployment?
According to this Huffington Post opinion piece, it's possible that in the future the ongoing process of automation will lead to less job opportunities.
It quotes economist Paul Krugman arguing one way:
information technology would end up reducing,…
user8333
10
votes
1 answer
Did clergymen contribute more to science than scientists in the 19th century?
Taleb provides yet more fodder for skeptical enquiry. In the middle of Chapter 16 of Antifragile ("A lesson in disorder") where he is arguing that science isn't the source of practical applications of technology but the product of it, he argues:…
matt_black
- 56,186
- 16
- 175
- 373
10
votes
1 answer
Are Apple products sold at a premium price?
I have often heard people talk about to an Apple tax in reference to Apple products (especially their Mac products). This is one of many references to Apple having overly high prices compared with competitors, and is particularly popular on-line.…
enderland
- 389
- 3
- 13
9
votes
1 answer
Are wall-mounted urinals more sanitary than floor mounted units?
Men's urinals can either be mounted on a wall, or can extend all the way to the floor.
According to this page, floor mounted urinals are less desirable because:
Floor Mount
These units are tall (36" - 40") and have the bowl and drain on the…
Affable Geek
- 1,453
- 1
- 11
- 24
9
votes
1 answer
Are nano diamond batteries a breakthrough in battery technology?
Recently, for some reason, this story first published in January 2020 was again trending on social media (this appeared on my YouTube feed)But for a more quotable version, this version from The Independent) appeared in January:
NUCLEAR WASTE…
matt_black
- 56,186
- 16
- 175
- 373