We may be struggling our way through a recession, but if you step back and take the long view of our world, we're better off than we've ever been. The fact is, as chronicled in Matt Ridley's recent book, The Rational Optimist, humans are living longer, happier, richer lives than ever before, and for that we have technology to thank.

Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner believes investors would do well to recognize this era-defining phenomenon and seek to cash in on it through technology stocks. Whether we're deploying our Apple iPhones to make restaurant reservations through OpenTable (Nasdaq: OPEN) -- a tech darling that recently enjoyed a sweet IPO -- or emerging from a successful stay in the hospital thanks to a robotic-assisted medical tool manufactured by Intuitive Surgical (Nasdaq: ISRG), we utilize technology every day in ways both big and small. The world's dependence on technology is only increasing, and with it our portfolios' growth potential. Do you have the right tech stocks in your portfolio? Check out David's comments on the stocks mentioned above, as well as other companies that could help you profit as the world around us gets smarter, healthier, and richer.

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