I think science has an underlying philosophy at it's base to govern the thinking patterns that triggers the creativity in science/scientists. And it most cultures(if not all), the religion plays a broader part because religion governs the way of thinking of all cultures. There was a good argument put forward last century which is becoming widely accepted nowadays, and that is monotheistic judeo-christian culture is behind the modern science since middle ages, regardless of the two starting to separate and going own ways since that time. In other words, the separation of nature from human existence was founded in judeo-christian culture and passed onto science. Not sure how all the above are directly related to the OP question, but in a nutshell, technology is a result(effect), and the science is the cause, and philosophy and religion hides behind science as a cause.

The point of consciousness is to keep us with the illusion of "self", so we can function 'normally' with everyday acts of survival. For example, self preservation would be a difficult thing without consciousness for animals like us. More primitive lifeforms like bacteria reacts according to what's written into the genetic code in terms of their self preservation. I am thinking, animals like humans and similar animals with sophisticated central nervous system would need a very strong illusion, hence the consciousness.

Freewill is a complex subject I would imagine. In biological sense, freewill looks like a sure illusion, then we get into the quantum stuff, the debate gets bizarre. One thing is certain for me though. We need the feeling of having freewill, regardless of whether it is a complete illusion or not.

I haven't read all the posts of this thread from the beginning. I am a new member.
Here is my rendition on this topic. It is a very short one, therefore there may be flaws in it.
"Technology is (the) a physical manifestation of (the) science".