Correct Option
The correct option is (b) 2 only.
Explanation
Technological development is a cumulative process where core discoveries and inventions act as catalysts for further advancements. This principle illustrates how human interaction with nature evolves through technology, transforming natural elements into valuable resources and creating new modes of living.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Incorrect. The discovery of fire occurred during the Paleolithic age, but it was primarily used for cooking, warmth, lighting, and protection from wild animals. Industrial smelting requires advanced metallurgical knowledge and higher temperatures, which were developed much later during the Chalcolithic (Copper) and Bronze Ages, not the Paleolithic age.
- Statement 2 is Correct. The invention of the wheel is a foundational technological breakthrough that directly led to the development of carts and chariots, revolutionizing mobility. It serves as the basis for most subsequent modes of road transport and mechanical movement.
- Statement 3 is Incorrect. Technology does not render natural elements as "non-resources"; rather, it transforms them into resources. Fast-flowing water was a neutral element until the technology to generate hydroelectricity was developed, turning it into a significant energy resource.
Key Takeaway: Technology acts as a bridge that converts neutral environmental endowments into economic resources (e.g., water into electricity) and evolves primitive tools into complex systems (e.g., the wheel into modern transport).