From "The Star of Civilization" theory (my hypothesis), we may be able to categorize technologies and policies systematically and symmetrically.
We can classify either into four (or six) categories by their affection routes in economic & social activities.
The main body of civilizational activities is economic & social activities performed by all the people.
Science & technology enrich economic & social activities.
Policies & laws maintain the soundness of economic & social activities.
Either has four (or six) routes through which they act on economic & social activities.
1. Direct route
It works directly on economic & social activities.
A. Epoch-making technologies
Agriculture, power engines, computer systems, etc.
B. Economic & social policies
Industrial policies, fiscal policies, social security (social insurance or public assistance), etc.
2. Indirect route
It secures the necessary conditions, material resources for technologies, and human resources for policies.
A. Realization technologies
Metallurgy, electrical or software engineering, etc.
B. Human resource policies
Health, education, etc.
3. Self-help route
Technologies or policies help themselves through it.
It is because economic & social activities include technologies or policies in a broad sense.
A. Research & development technologies
AI-enriched simulation, observation/testing facility, the organization for R & D, etc.
B. Administrative management policies
Finance, organization, human resource development, facility, etc.
4. Mutual aid route
Technologies and policies help each other through it.
A. Social technologies
B. Technological policies
We can further divide this route into three categories.
4-1 Cooperation route
Technologies and policies help the other's direct route through it.
They act together in broad economic & social activities.
A. Organization and account technologies
Financial statements, welfare organizations, etc. for helping economic & social policies
B. Social technology policies
Organizations or rules for environmental protection, crime/ disaster prevention, etc. for the sound spread of epoch-making technologies
4-2 Partial help route
The route technologies and policies help their indirect route each other.
They offer the support we can't fully supply in economic & social activities.
A. Public education & health technologies
The technologies for public education and health
B. Infrastructure policies
The management of public infrastructures
4-3 Custom-made route
Technologies and policies help the other's self-help route through it.
They support each other according to the other's publicness or confidentiality.
A. Operations research
The technology to support the planning and implementation of policies
B. Research & development policies
The policies to orient and promote the use of research & development technologies
There seems to be a trend in the epoch-making technologies and national policies, according to their technical difficulty degree or social changes.
It is the shift from the production of wealth to the distribution of wealth, then the uplift of ourselves who produce and distribute.
From the agricultural to the industrial age, policies for wealth security & distribution were vital, infrastructure, military, industrial, and welfare.
In the information to AI age, policies for the improvement & utilization of human abilities also become crucial, health, education, and administrative management (global governance or democratization).
I hope we can achieve environmental, economic, social (including human), and political sustainability with next-gen technologies and humane policies.
If we can achieve sustainability on the planet, we will be able to take the next step, full-scale space development.