THE TECH STREAM
This section explains seven areas of modern technology in plain language: what each one is, where it came from, how it works, where it is used, and what its limits and risks are. Each topic is a separate page, so you can read them in any order.
If you are new to the subject, start with Emerging Technologies, which introduces the ideas the other pages build on. The final page, Technology Comparisons and Reflection, works best once you have read some of the others.
Start here
What makes a technology “emerging”, how earlier technologies changed society, and why some arrive as sudden revolutions while others grow through gradual improvement. This page gives you the vocabulary used across the rest of the section.
Read about emerging technologies →Connected devices
How sensors, devices, networks and online services work together, from wearables and smart homes to industrial monitoring, and the security and privacy questions they raise.
Read about the Internet of Things →Connectivity
What 5G changes about speed, latency and capacity, how it relates to connected devices, where its limits lie, and what “beyond 5G” means.
Read about 5G and beyond →Unmanned aircraft
The history of unmanned aircraft, the terms used to describe them, the main types and applications, and the safety, privacy and regulatory questions they raise.
Read about drone technology →Machines that act
What counts as a robot, the main types, how sensors, actuators and control software fit together, and how robotics relates to artificial intelligence and automation.
Read about robotics →Blending digital and physical
How augmented, virtual and mixed reality differ, what the umbrella term “XR” covers, where these technologies are used, and what limits them.
Read about AR, VR and mixed reality →Bring it together
Compare the other topics side by side: their purposes, enabling technologies, benefits and risks, and work through questions for critical reflection.
Read the comparison and reflection →These technologies are often used together, which is why they are covered side by side. Some of the main relationships are:
Some existing stories give useful background for the topics above:
This page introduces the topics and does not itself report statistics or technical measurements. The topic pages list their references, so you can check the sources behind their statements. See the Editorial Policy & Corrections for how the site handles sources.