Knowledge and Technology Systems

Have you ever thought of the confluence of knowledge and technology that are needed to actually be useful? The electric light bulb was an impressive invention, but without generators, motors to power the generators, distribution lines, and all the related controls, insulators, etc. the light bulb itself would not be much use. Moreover, electrical systems became more and more valuable with the addition of added electrical technologies.

Think about surgery. In the early days, people often died of infection acquired during surgery or the pain and shock that accompanied surgery. The inventions of sterile techniques and anesthesia were required to make surgery a viable option. Then of course, one had to understand enough about diseases to know what kind of surgical intervention would be required, involving knowledge of pathology and anatomy. One had to then invent all the instruments for conducting surgery, and things like sterilizers, lighting, monitors, etc. Think how important medical imaging is in diagnosing problems to be addressed via surgery, and how much progress has been made in medical imaging since the discovery of x-rays. No wonder it took so long to reach modern surgery and no wonder the development of surgical techniques continues.