CHAPTER 29
IN THIS CHAPTER
Summary: The period since 1900 was one of rapid technological developments. From new medical discoveries to more sophisticated military technology to improvements in transportation, technology dominated the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Labor-saving devices in the household increased leisure time, and new forms of mass entertainment filled that leisure time. The space race increased cold war tensions as the development of nuclear weapons raised new uncertainties.
Key Terms
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)*
Helsinki Accords*
Hubble Space Telescope
International Space Station*
service industries*
Sputnik
World War Firsts
World War I was the first conflict in which several new types of technology were used for the first time. Airplanes were used in combat. Dirigibles, tanks, more sophisticated weaponry, and poison gas also made their debut during the First World War. Radio technology was used during World War I for communication purposes. After the war, radio was extended to commercial and private use. In 1920, the first commercial radio broadcast was aired in Philadelphia. By 1930, millions of U.S. citizens owned radios, which they used to listen to news, sportscasts, and serials (soap operas). Government control of the airwaves in Europe made radio ownership less common on that continent.
World War II and the dropping of the atomic bomb ushered in a new scientific age. The Second World War also added jet engines, tape recordings, and radar to its list of firsts.
Postwar Period
Technology assisted Europe in its recovery from the world wars. New equipment and improved seeds increased agricultural yields, while modern industrial equipment increased production of textiles and metal goods, including automobiles and appliances.
In the 1950s, scientific technology led British and U.S. scientists to discover the composition of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) . Scientific farming based on genetics led to further improvements in seeds and pesticides. Genetic research produced the first incident of animal cloning (a cloned sheep) in Scotland in 1997.
Medical treatments and sanitation improved. New drugs, such as penicillin (discovered in 1928), as well as immunizations against diphtheria and poliomyelitis lowered the death rate. X-rays, ultrasound, and imaging assisted medical diagnoses. Indoor plumbing improved sanitation.
In 1949, the Soviet Union developed its own atomic bomb. From that time until the 1980s, both the United States (1952) and the Soviet Union (1953) built hydrogen bombs and developed ever more sophisticated weapons of war and defense. In 1972, as a result of the nuclear arms race, European countries convened a conference on security issues in Helsinki, Finland. In 1975, the Helsinki Accords called for contacts between nations on both sides of the Iron Curtain and also addressed the issue of human rights.
Space Age
The twentieth century saw the exploration of new horizons in space. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik , the first satellite, and in 1961 sent the first manned flight into space. The United States soon followed in the space race, succeeding in landing astronauts on the moon in 1969. In the 1970s, the United States and the Soviet Union cooperated in docking spacecraft and later cooperated in work on the International Space Station . Cooperation between the United States and European nations led to the development in 1990 of the Hubble Space Telescope , which is capable of observing objects in remote areas of the universe. U.S. orbiter landings on Mars have provided opportunities for investigation of potential landing sites on the Red Planet.
Entertainment Technology
The film industry created new opportunities for entertainment, especially after the addition of sound in the late 1920s. By the early 1950s, television had begun to enter many homes in the West. In the 1970s, the entertainment industry born in Hollywood was surpassed by Bollywood, the name given to the film industry based in Mumbai, India. Since the 1970s, India has ranked as the world’s largest film producer.
Technology in the Information Age
As the world’s societies entered the twenty-first century, more and more of the world’s citizens were linked by computer technology, cellular phones, video games, and electronic readers. Robots, first used in Japan and adopted in Europe for use in mines and the automobile industry, increased industrial productivity. More people in the postindustrial world worked in service industries because of increased mechanization of agriculture and industry.
Rapid Review
World Wars I and II saw a number of technological firsts, from improved transportation and communications to more elaborate weaponry. The atomic bomb ushered in a nuclear age that was among the focal points of the cold war era. Technology created new leisure time activities, improved sanitation, and helped in the discoveries of new breakthroughs in medical science. The use of technology to transmit information characterizes the twenty-first century.
Review Questions
1 . Postindustrial economies are characterized by a large number of people involved in
(A) manufacturing
(B) mining
(C) agriculture
(D) service industries
2 . Which of the following was NOT used first during World War I?
(A) Tanks
(B) Airplanes
(C) Radar
(D) Dirigibles
3 . The Helsinki Accords
(A) were a reaction against the insecurities of the nuclear age
(B) were a nuclear disarmament plan
(C) increased cold war rivalries
(D) called for a reduction in manned space flights
4 . Technology in the twentieth century accomplished all of the following EXCEPT
(A) unmanned space flights
(B) genetic engineering
(C) use of robotics
(D) invention of railroads
5 . Twentieth-century inventions and accomplishments
(A) did nothing to improve household chores
(B) popularized radio, especially in Europe
(C) saw continued U.S.-Soviet competition throughout the twentieth century
(D) were sometimes detrimental to the quality of life
Answers and Explanations
1 . D Postindustrial economies, in which agriculture, mining, and industry are highly productive, feature relatively large numbers of employment opportunities in service industries.
2 . C Radar was first used in World War II. The other answer choices were initially used in World War I.
3 . A The Helsinki Accords called for communication between Communist and non-Communist nations, making (C) an incorrect response. They did not address nuclear disarmament (B) or space flights (D).
4 . D Railroads were a nineteenth-century invention, whereas the remaining response choices were developed in the twentieth century.
5 . D Twentieth-century developments included nuclear weaponry. They also included household appliances (A). At the end of the twentieth century, the United States and the Soviet Union cooperated in space dockings and an international space station (C). Radio was more popular in the United States than in Europe (B).