▁" p ract ice , ▁the ▁way ▁we ▁do ▁things ▁around ▁here ." ▁The ▁term ▁is ▁often ▁used ▁to ▁imply ▁a ▁specific ▁field ▁of ▁technology , ▁or ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁high ▁technology ▁or ▁just ▁consumer ▁electron ics , ▁rather ▁than ▁technology ▁as ▁a ▁whole . ▁Bernard ▁St ieg ler , ▁in ▁Techn ics ▁and ▁Time , ▁ 1 , ▁defines ▁technology ▁in ▁two ▁ways : ▁as ▁" the ▁purs uit ▁of ▁life ▁by ▁means ▁other ▁than ▁life ," ▁and ▁as ▁" organ ized ▁in organ ic ▁matter ." ▁ ▁Technology ▁can ▁be ▁most ▁broad ly ▁defined ▁as ▁the ▁entities , ▁both ▁material ▁and ▁imm aterial , ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁application ▁of ▁mental ▁and ▁physical ▁effort ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁achieve ▁some ▁value . ▁In ▁this ▁usage , ▁technology ▁refers ▁to ▁tools ▁and ▁machines ▁that ▁may ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁solve ▁real - world ▁problems . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁far - re aching ▁term ▁that ▁may ▁include ▁simple ▁tools , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁crow bar ▁or ▁wooden ▁sp oon , ▁or ▁more ▁complex ▁machines , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁space ▁station ▁or ▁particle ▁acceler ator . ▁Tools ▁and ▁machines ▁need ▁not ▁be ▁material ; ▁virtual ▁technology , ▁such ▁as ▁computer ▁software ▁and ▁business ▁methods , ▁fall ▁under ▁this ▁definition ▁of ▁technology . ▁W . ▁Brian ▁Arthur ▁defines ▁technology ▁in ▁a ▁similarly ▁broad ▁way ▁as ▁" a ▁means ▁to ▁ful fill ▁a ▁human ▁purpose ." ▁ ▁The ▁word ▁" techn ology " ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁techniques . ▁In ▁this ▁context ,