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World War Two was a time of huge advancements in technology and science. Technology played an important role in the war and the advancements during World War Two still greatly affect us today. World War Two affected technology by creating a good environment for innovation, leading to the technologies created during the war, and leading to the advancements that led to technology that we have today.
World War Two created an extremely good environment for advancements and innovation in the U.S.
and other countries. In an article by Technology Review, several scientists, engineers, and historians discussed some of the things that created such an environment. TR opened the argument with this question: “An incredible number of innovative technologies were either developed or brought to fruition during World War II. What was the magic ingredient?”(Technology Review).
There were several different arguments and they all held merit and can be combined to create a broader argument. One person argued that money and funding from the government allowed engineers, scientists, and inventors to take larger leaps due to the ability to take larger risks.
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MoneyWise.com author Doug Whiteman states “America's final bill for the fighting in the Pacific and Europe was massive. In today's dollars, World War II cost $4.1 trillion, according to data from the Congressional Research Service. That's about equal to the value of either of today's two largest companies — Apple or Amazon — four times over” (Moneywise). This shows just how much money the U.S. government spent on the war, and a good portion of that was funding research and development.
Another thing that contributed to this environment was national commitment.
Morrison said “Let me mention, as someone who was recruited to work on the Manhattan Project at that time, that I wasn't recruited by being offered more money or better conditions or a happier place to work. No, I was recruited because they said, 'We need you, this is the most important thing,' and I could understand that need” (Technology Review). There was simply a drive to support their country in the middle of a crisis. Men sacrificed everything to support their country.
Also, there was the factor of survival. People were united into a larger group by a strive to survive. They worked to develop new technologies for the benefit of the greater good.
There was a clear enemy which helped shove aside petty differences by getting people to focus on the bigger picture. It can be difficult in our world today to find the motivation to work together, but when there is a clear and present danger it becomes easier to unite. Also it can help people who have little motivation in general to find a purpose to apply themselves and their knowledge.
There were many important technologies that were created during the war. These advancements were in several different areas such as medical, chemical, nutrition, and military.
One technology that was created during World War 2 was a result of the Manhattan Project: the atomic bomb. This is considered one of the most influential inventions to date due to its massive impact on warfare. The Hoover Institution explains some of the impacts of the first atomic bombs in this quote: “On August 6, 1945, the world changed forever when the first atomic bomb hit Hiroshima, Japan, killing thousands of people instantly. Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, decisively ending Japan’s involvement in World War II. Thousands of people died from radiation poisoning within a year. Since that earth-shattering day, the world has grappled with a controversial technology that not only poses strategic risks in its ability to wipe out humanity but also provides a potential solution to problems of sustainable energy” (Hoover Institution). This helps outline some of the impacts atomic warfare has had.
Ever since the arms race began during World War Two between America and Russia, governments have been forced to do everything in their power to prevent nuclear weapons being used again due to the unique challenges created by these weapons. In a report created by the Hoover Institution, after summing up everything the world has done to contain this power they state, “Despite these considerable efforts, nuclear dangers remain all too real.” It also points out a benefit to the discovery of nuclear energy that most people do not consider when they come across this controversial topic. Nuclear energy has the potential to become a huge sustainable energy source that would greatly benefit our world. There are already over 50 countries using nuclear energy today and over 10 percent of the electricity in the world is created in nuclear power plants (Nuclear Power Today).
The science of nutrition was very much improved during World War Two. The main reason for this was the need for improved soldiers’ rations. The US government put scientists to work to study better ways to get calories and nutrition to soldiers in far-off countries in mass-producible ways. “Proper food preparation, storage and handling, and preservation became a top priority for the military” (Mindell). One fascinating result of these studies “D” ration, a durable, semi-tasteless, 4-ounce chocolate bar that gave 1800 calories to a soldier in need. This new emergency ratio allowed soldiers to have a high-energy food source in the event of an emergency that didn’t take up too much space. These many advancements in nutrition have affected how the food we eat today is created, packaged, and shipped and help scientists know what our body needs and how to get it in there.
There were many new materials and ways of using materials created during World War Two. The main reason for this was the shortage of materials. The US became a wartime economy and businesses and supplies were devoted to the effort. This left the people in the US with shortages on many things they had lived their whole life with such as rubber, gasoline, paper, coffee, and the things that were created using these materials (Mindell). Some of the new materials that were used were plastic wrap, cardboard drink containers, acrylic sheets, and plywood. “The look and feel of 1950s America – a “modern” world of molded plywood furniture, fiberglass, plastics, and polyester – had its roots in the materials innovations of World War II” (Mindell).
Radar was another big military advancement during World War Two. It created a warm environment that virtually ended all surprise attacks by allowing people to remotely see things very far away. Since World War Two ended it has improved to ranges of thousands of miles which makes the battlefields of today much much larger. During the war it was used for many things such as tracking aircraft, allowing aircraft to track targets, and tracking storms, which allowed planning military operations much easier. Proximity fuses were also invented and allowed bombs to be left to detonate remotely when the target was near (Mindell). For example, an anti-aircraft missile could be shot toward a plane and be off target but still, explode when near it and take down the plane.
There were huge advancements in the medical field, such as penicillin. Although penicillin was invented before the war started, the war led to the first time of it ever being mass-produced. This allowed millions of people to be able to use this resource
And MUCH MUCH MORE. World War Two had more effect on technology than any other war. There were many advancements in technology that have greatly affected our lives today. There were also huge advancements in the area of computers, and computers are very important to us today. Some uses of Radar today For example the computers used on ships and planes led to the interactive computing we have today.
The radar we have today is much more powerful than the tech used during World War Two, but World War Two is where it all started.
In conclusion, World War Two affected technology by creating a good environment for innovation, leading to the technologies created during the war, and leading to the advancements that led to technology that we have today.
Technology in WWll. (2021, Dec 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/technology-in-wwll-essay
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