The increase in technological abundance can help nations across the globe improve many areas of human life that include communication, agriculture, manufacturing, military capabilities, and much more. Each figure under this category illustrates the magnitude of technological change, whether it contributes to more technology or even less of it. Some of these technologies can be capable of innovation that could sustain the lives of almost everyone in the world. However, these innovations can be costly to produce and distribute. The efficiency of technology should correspond with consumers’ financial ability to pay for these goods and services if any progress is expected to be made.

Each figure on the website measures a specific aspect of technology. The explosion of genome editing seems to be increasing every year, suggesting that farmers are experiencing an increase in crop production and concentrated animal feeding operations sites due to the abundance of species that can grow under controlled conditions due to the influence of technology. The cost of genome sequencing seems to be decreasing every year and will eventually lead to the discovery of genetic makeup that will help scientists uncover diseases and conditions in which humans may be predisposed before birth. Bandwidth, computing, and storage cost performance are all on a decreasing path as time progresses, meaning that they will always be improving for the price that goes into their development, thus making it more efficient to access technology and to save data on a record. Not only are consumers benefiting from the age of technology, but companies have been able to create their own internet startups at a lower cost through the years, thus calling for more competition between companies and better products for consumers. Smartphones have eliminated the need for traditional technology such as cameras, mp3 players, portable navigation systems, and camcorders, all of which have been combined into a light and portable device that can be used at a swift speed. Finally, the migration patterns of the human population to cities from farms due to urbanization have been facilitated by employment opportunities and a country’s ability to produce markets that rely on the exchange of currency in order to supply food.

However, what do all of these innovations have in common other than the fact that they are getting better at what they do? These technologies are not available to everyone and are subject to the laws of a country. This can be seen with the “one child, one laptop” initiative that did not succeed in spreading the efficiency of technology largely because they did not account for the social context of the country, such as the policies on education and whether women could have access to it in Ethiopia as some families forced young girls to marry at a young age and discouraged them from receiving a formal education. Moreover, even developed countries such as China have limited access to technology even if they are capable of producing it because of political regimes that aim to censor media content. This relates to Sen’s theory of development because these technologies are not directly impacting many populations, but rather restating the prospects of it and not its application. According to Dan’s lecture, this can be improved through data collection that looks at fundamental challenges that countries face, which include tracking routes for aid and borders.