history of technology: Quick Facts

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International Space Station

Leonardo da Vinci: Ornithopter

Wernher von Braun after surrendering to U.S. forces

A step-by-step illustration shows hands shaping a flint stone into a Paleolithic hand axe: starting with a large rock, striking it with a stone hammer, sharpening the edge with a wooden or antler hammer, trimming flakes with a pointed stick, and displaying the finished hand axe from front and side views.

Neolithic cutlery and foodstuffs

Aerial view of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, showing the circular arrangement of large standing stones on green grass with visitors walking along a nearby path.

The Great Ziggurat of Ur in Iraq, a massive ancient brick structure with broad staircases and terraced levels, stands alone in a barren landscape.

Study how a series of gears in a waterwheel translates a stream's energy to a millstone

Know about engineering and how it solves practical problems like building airplanes, skyscrapers, and bridges

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Technological Ingenuity