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1. TerminologyThis article is about technology in the sense of German Technologie, knowledge about the subject area of technics, especially academic knowledge about the functional principles of technical artifacts and systems. This differs from the regular English meaning of  technology, which can mean not only academic reflection on technics but also the material objects involved. This broader sense is also present in the term  technology transfer, which refers to the diffusion of both technical artifacts and technical knowledge. The systematization of technical know…

1. OverviewWater (German Wasser, French  eau) is a chemical compound of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O). In nature it can appear in all three states; usually, though, when we speak of water we are talking about the liquid state. So far, water in liquid form has been found in our solar system only on Earth, of which it covers a generous 70%. Water plays an outstanding role in human culture; the availability of water for general use and of drinking water (Water supply) is existential and an expression of our dependence on the natural world [5. 15–28] (on mineral water, see 4. below). It is th…

1. Concept Fire insurance is a category of physical damage insurance. It covers damage to immovable and movable property by fire, although the first fire insurance in the 17th century was confined to insuring immovables. Two fundamental forms of fire insurance are distinguished, one organized according to cooperative or mutual principles, the other according to commercial principles. Fire insurance schemes proliferated across Europe during the 18th century as part of a comprehensive insurance syst…