9 3 7 , ▁the ▁American ▁soci ologist ▁Read ▁B ain ▁wrote ▁that ▁" techn ology ▁includes ▁all ▁tools , ▁machines , ▁ut ens ils , ▁weapons , ▁instruments , ▁housing , ▁cl othing , ▁communic ating ▁and ▁transport ing ▁devices ▁and ▁the ▁skills ▁by ▁which ▁we ▁produce ▁and ▁use ▁them ." ▁B ain ' s ▁definition ▁remains ▁common ▁among ▁sch ol ars ▁today , ▁especially ▁social ▁scient ists . ▁ ▁Scient ists ▁and ▁engine ers ▁usually ▁prefer ▁to ▁define ▁technology ▁as ▁applied ▁science , ▁rather ▁than ▁as ▁the ▁things ▁that ▁people ▁make ▁and ▁use . ▁More ▁recently , ▁sch ol ars ▁have ▁borrow ed ▁from ▁European ▁philosoph ers ▁of ▁" te chni que " ▁to ▁extend ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁technology ▁to ▁various ▁forms ▁of ▁instrument al ▁reason , ▁as ▁in ▁Fou ca ult ' s ▁work ▁on ▁techn ologies ▁of ▁the ▁self ▁( te chni ques ▁de ▁so i ). ▁ ▁D iction aries ▁and ▁sch ol ars ▁have ▁offered ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁definitions . ▁The ▁Mer ri am - Web ster ▁Lear ner ' s ▁Dictionary ▁offers ▁a ▁definition ▁of ▁the ▁term : ▁" the ▁use ▁of ▁science ▁in ▁industry , ▁engineering , ▁etc ., ▁to ▁invent ▁useful ▁things ▁or ▁to ▁solve ▁problems " ▁and ▁" a ▁machine , ▁piece ▁of ▁equipment , ▁method , ▁etc ., ▁that ▁is ▁created ▁by ▁technology ." ▁Urs ula ▁Franklin , ▁in ▁her ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁" Real ▁World ▁of ▁Technology " ▁lecture , ▁gave ▁another ▁definition ▁of ▁the ▁concept ; ▁it ▁is