Enabling technology

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/enabling-technology

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the core characteristic?Drives radical change in capabilities, leading to derivative innovations
2. What is the economic impact?Often classified as General Purpose Technologies (GPTs) affecting the entire economy
3. Why are enabling technologies like the internet or electricity so special?They give new power or ways to connect that let lots of other gadgets and ideas grow. Because of them, we can make phones, computers, and even robots that help us every day.
4. Can you give some examples of old enabling technologies?Sure! Fire helped us cook and stay warm. The printing press let books be shared widely. The steam engine helped factories and trains.

General Purpose Technology (GPT): A technology with the potential to affect the entire economy and spawn many innovations.
Derivative Technologies: New innovations that build upon or are enabled by an earlier foundational technology.
Paradigm Shift: A fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions.