From its newly crisp handling to its expansive interior, it offers technological refinement, comfort and safety.

What, besides a few technological refinements, separates us from the world of Spielberg's "Minority Report," in which future criminals are pre-emptively arrested for crimes foreseen by psychic "precogs"?

And further technological refinements will be needed to add to the reach of the current generation of deep-water rigs.

LEAD: Prehistoric bronze objects - powerful images of great technological refinement made in ancient Sardinia - are compelling relics of the little-known nuraghic culture.

By 1600, the Italic Cursiva began to be replaced by a technological refinement, the Italic Chancery Circumflessa, which in turn fathered the Rhonde and later English Roundhand.

The time factor was between six and eight weeks, depending on the "technological refinements called for in the sophisticated engineering process."

What's interesting to me is the way Beethoven's compositions transcend the instruments of their time, forcing the piano builders to develop ever greater sonority and technological refinement.

To date, Stirling systems have seen limited commercial use; however, use is expected to increase along with market demand for energy conservation, and adoption will likely be accelerated by technological refinements.

The technological and esthetic refinements do not come without a price.

Often, the revolutionary aspect lay not in the act of invention itself, but in its technological refinement and application to political and economic power.