Research and related developments are often tri-furcated into science, engineering, and technology, but the boundaries among them are often unclear. Some may find it difficult to pinpoint the differences among these three, especially the latter two. Convergence of opinions on their definitions is hard. In general, we can say that science is about the discovery of the world around us, engineering is the creation of what did not exist before, and technology is the practical implementation of what is known and understood. Scientists take a bite out of something and leave it at that. Engineers chew it thoroughly. And technologists digest it. An example would help. Laser is a great invention (or a discovery with some stretch of imagination) rooted in serious physics. At the time it was first built, the laser was thought to be a solution looking for a problem. It required more than two decades of engineering to perfect the laser technique and to explore its numerous applications. What kind of a laser is suitable for what application? How does one get the required intensity and wavelength? How does one make the laser instrument small and portable? Such problems needed to be solved. After all this engineering, the laser technology slowly trickled in and created a torrent of applications, from a laser pointer to laser manufacturing. The science behind lasers was celebrated with a few Nobel Prizes. Today, the laser technology is used and enjoyed by all. The engineering efforts remain hidden as details in between. Creativity abounds in all three, but it is easily evident only in science and technology. A recent example underscores this point.
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