Third Law: Technology comes in packages, big and small.
The first will be the one I have been talking about: that technologies, all technologies, are combinations. This simply means that individual technologies are constructed or put together—combined—from components or assemblies or subsystems at hand. The second will be that each component of technology is itself in miniature a technology. This sounds
... See moreW. Brian Arthur • The Nature of Technology
All physical technology follows a similar trend: over time, its size goes from big to medium, from medium to small, and from small to invisible
Brian Norgard • The Pomp Podcast on Apple Podcasts
A technology embodies a sequence of operations; we can call this its “software.” And these operations require physical equipment to execute them; we can call this the technology’s “hardware.” If we emphasize the “software” we see a process or method. If we emphasize the “hardware,” we see a physical device. Technologies consist of both, but emphasi
... See moreW. Brian Arthur • The Nature of Technology
Technologies consisted of parts—assemblies and subassemblies—that were themselves technologies. So technologies had a recursive structure. And every technology, I realized, was based upon a phenomenon, some effect it exploited, and usually several. Therefore, collectively technology advanced by capturing phenomena and putting them to use. I also be
... See moreW. Brian Arthur • The Nature of Technology
A technology, I said, is a means to fulfill a purpose: a device, or method, or process. A technology does something. It executes a purpose.