Science and technology have been at the forefront of historical events since the beginning of time, but does this necessarily entail the fact that history repeats itself with respect to technology? One could say that, yes, where technology blossoms, our history books grow thicker and often with similar material. For instance, the Wright Brothers with their breakthrough in aircraft engineering could be said to be an earlier iteration of the space race. In this example, the Wright Brothers were on the the verge of a scientific breakthrough, but for many years they were plagued with the impending doom of failure akin to their predecessors. Not only that, but as they got closer and closer to the finished product, their failures grew ever more abundant. Only until December 17, 1903, did their labors finally bear fruit with the invention of the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft. …show more content…
That would be a day marked in our history books forever, as it would lead to future innovations and become a crucial part of our lives even now.
The space race was an event very closely related to the Wright Brothers’ endeavor as the competition of innovating aeroespacial technology was at an all-time peak. The Russians and Americans were neck in neck participating in a race that would define a nation's history forever. The competition was fierce and the buildup was exhilarating, the failures of nations past would be riding on the shoulder of these two Giants. When the dust finally settled, a new era was born from the United states’ triumph. The space exploration era would define the rest of the 20th and even leaking into the 21st as well. With these two monumental pioneering movements, each defining their own epoch with ingenuity and hard work, one can truly say that history does indeed repeat itself at times and in remarkable
ways. Technology is often thought of as a beautiful art made with the sole intention of improving the human or terrestrial situation. Although this is the case in the majority of situations, there are certainly times where technology will do just the opposite of its intended purpose. In the example of nuclear technology, it is often thought of as a double-edged sword. On one end, nuclear technology has been used in some of the most terrifying atrocities that man has ever committed. During World War 2, as Germany had already surrendered and the war was coming to a close, Japan was still kicking in its death throes. Even after the allied forces had invaded Japan in many places, they still refused to surrender. The United States, having recently finished developing a superweapon that could level an entire city, was faced with a decision entailing dire consequences: either drop the nuclear bomb on Japan or risk losing more and more soldiers’ lives. Eisenhower made a choice that would raise ethical issues for years to come. On August 6th, 1945 the first atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and three days later, another on Nagasaki. In total about 120,000 thousand civilians were killed. Japan, however, finally surrendered ushering in an era of peace that will hopefully last for centuries to come. Although this shows the rather ugly side of nuclear technology there also a silver lining. The engineering of nuclear power plants have greatly benefitted the human condition. The energy they produce is rather efficient and there are few risks involved in the production of this energy. The recent surfacing of disasters such as Chernobyl or Fukushima have marred the view of nuclear technology, but in reality these accidents were caused by ignorance and the relative novelty of this scientific breakthrough. Currently there are 444 nuclear power plants generating electricity all over the world and with 63 more under construction in 15 countries, nuclear power is truly the future of our existence. With the polarity of nuclear technology both serving and destroying lives, it is not clear whether or not we can say that history repeats itself. The only thing that is certain is what we choose to do in the future. Hopefully we can learn from mistakes and expand on our successes.
Benson, Tom. "Overview of the Wright Brothers' Invention Process." Re-Living the Wright Way -- NASA, 12 June 2014, wright.nasa.gov/overview.htm. Accessed 22 Nov. 2016.
The Soviet’s were responsible for putting man on the moon, rovers on Mars, and launching the Hubble Space Telescope. Indeed, it was the United States’ foes that drove the U.S. to accomplish perhaps the greatest feats of the twentieth century. Following the defeat of Germany and Japan in World War II, tensions between former allies, the United States and the Soviet Union, began to grow. In the following decades, the two superpowers would duke it out in competitions and tremendous shows of nationalism. They formed unmatchable rivalries in politics, economics, sciences, and sports. These rivalries would become clear when two countries competed in the space race, a competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union concerning achievements in the field of space exploration. The Soviet’s took the early lead as they put the first satellite, Sputnik 1, into space. The launch of Sputnik 1 established a sense of fear into the American Public, resulting in the creation of NASA in the late 1950’s which opened the door for space exploration today and for future generations.
The 1960’s were full of questions, and one of the biggest questions the world was pondering about was regarding the Space Race: was the USA going to beat their communist enemy, the Soviet Union? The Space Race was a series of events that helped to symbolize and determine in the worlds’ eyes which form of government was better, communism (Soviets) or democracy (United States)? In the beginning of the race, the Soviets had the lead, and it was not looking good for America. Then the United States picked up the pace and spent well over eight billion dollars funding the space studies. This period of time made many scientists and astronauts heroes in the eyes of Americans. The Space Race was a combination of determination, intelligence, space projects, and American pride, all used to reach our exploration goals and surpass the Soviets.
At the end of WWII in 1945, the USA and the Soviet Union emerged as the world’s superpowers. This was a time of great tension, rivalry and distrust between the United States and the Soviet Union. It was a time of political, diplomatic, military and economic rivalry where both nations wanted to emerge as the world’s new superpower. Hence, the Cold War would be of profound significance in the development of the space race as the space race was a key element in the rivalry of political, economic and social dominance.
The Space Race is remarkably similar to that of the arms race because of the parallel between the creation of the atomic bomb and the goal of reaching the moon. The United States’ bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki effectively established its place as the technologically superior nation; however, major milestones in space achieved early by the Soviets damaged America’s reputation. In 1957, Soviet scientists shocked the world by successfully launching the Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, beyond the Kármán Line (the boundary of space). This amazing breakthrough “rattled American self-confidence. It cast doubts on America’s vaunted scientific superiority and raised some sobering military questions.” This blow to national pride along with the fear that the Soviets could potentially launch ICBMs from space led to “Rocket fever”. The sudden wave of nationalism and the desire to build a space program worthier to that of the Soviet Union led to the...
Wilbur and Orville Wright spent their lives building and working with mechanical devices. They began with little toys as children and then grew up and began working with bicycles. These works lead them towards their work with airplanes. The Wright Brothers tried for many years to build a successful flying machine and succeeded. The Wright Brothers laid the foundation for aviation when they made history by being the first to create a successful flying machine.
Wilbur and Orville Wright were pioneers, skilled craftsman, and engineers not only in aviation but in many other trades as well. “They loved to tinker and experiment with mechanical things and it characterized the Wrights through out their lives. Each of the brothers had a deeply ingrained inquisitive streak that was nurtured in a home that was encouraged.” (Moolman, 1980, p. 107) They had a good family upbringing, but moved frequently. The Wright brothers paved the way for aviation to take off with their thoughts, ideas, and inventions.
What would the world be like without flight? Today we take aircraft for granted but for centuries man could only dream of flight. It was not until the late nineteenth century that human flight started to become a reality. During this time people started to see flight as a possibility, and enthusiastic inventors began working on and experimenting with many different types of flying machines. Although there were many determined people trying to develop an airplane, the Wrights were the first because of their good methods of testing, and their focus on understanding and developing lift and control.
The Wright brothers were engineers and pioneers of aviation. Wilbur Wright was born April 16, 1867, near Millville, Indiana. He was the middle child in a family of five children. His father, Milton Wright, was a bishop in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. His mother was Susan Catherine Koerner. When Wilbur was a child, his playmate was his younger brother, Orville Wright, born in 1871. The Wright brothers achieved the first powered, and controlled airplane flight. They surpassed their own milestone two years later when they built and flew the first fully practical plane.
A lot of important events of the past happened in Mexico. In 1810 Mexico was ruled by the Spanish viceroy, which was organized into the Spanish colony of New Spain. In 1812 Mexico is politically unstable. In 1846 Mexico loses one third of its territory to the United States during the Mexican War. In 1861 Benito Juarez becomes the president of Mexico. In 1877 Porfrio Diaz rules Mexico. In 1911 Diaz flees the country and Madero is elected president. In 1914 General Uenustians Carranja becomes the president of Mexico. In 1934 President Lazaro Cardinas nationalizes the industry of Mexico. In 1985 there was an earthquake in Mexico City and it kills 20,000 people. Last, in 1988 Carlos Salinas de Goortari is elected president of Mexico.
The space race was the product of the Cold War. It was an effort to prove technological superiority but on the other hand, it was also feared on both sides that weapons of mass destruction will be placed in orbit. In 1957, the Soviet Union sent the 184 pound Sputnik 1 satellite into Earth’s orbit. It was the first artificial satellite and the first manmade object to be placed into Earth’s orbit. Following that, they also sent the first animal into space, Laika the dog. In 1958, the United Sates also launched their first satellite into orbit, dubbed Explorer 1. The Soviet space program advanced once again in 1959. The Soviet Union launched Luna 2, which was the first space probe to hit the moon. In April 1961, the Soviet Union had the ultimate success, sending the first human into space. The name of the Russian cosmonaut was Yuri Gagarin, who made a 108 minute suborbital flight in a Vostok 1 spacecraft. One month after that, Alan Shepard became the American in space aboard the Freedom 7 spacecraft. Continuing from there, each nation step...
It is within man’s blood and nature to explore, and space is our next New World. Man’s first achievement in space travel was the launch of the Sputnik on October 4, 1957. For the next decades, space travel was roaring like a rocket, fueled by man’s desire to explore, man’s desire for knowledge, and man’s desire to beat his enemies. However, these impulses have died out as the well of government funding has been diverted to wars and debts, and the interest of the American people has been diverted to wars and debts. Amidst all these issues it is debated as to whether or not space travel is worth the money and the attention of scientists, particularly since humanity faces so many issues on earth currently. However, because of the past inventions, current services, and future benefits, space travel is indeed worth the money and attention of governments and people. It is within our hands to control man’s advancement, and space travel is the next venue to do so.
There are many inventions of the future that people either know or hope will happen and some inventions that people have never thought that would happen in this or the next lifetime. For instance, one piece of future technology that I believe may come to pass is the invention of flying cars. Since the time of being young and watching the Jetsons, many people have been waiting to see the first flying car. While bringing up the idea of a flying car to a lot of people would seem absurd or downright impossible to some, I actually believe that it is very much so possible to create given how far technology has come in the past few decades. I think that it is a very logical conclusion to assume that at some point in the future engineers, car makers, and others will start to pursue other alternatives to avoiding traffic jams and other problems on the road, and instead begin to examine the possibilities of taking to the air as an alternative solution. There is much talk about it over the internet and many people would like to try flying cars. While it would greatly improve traffic for those that prefer staying on the ground, it may prove dangerous in the beginning because of accidents in the air with other cars, planes, trees, and buildings. Some would say though, that the convenience would outweigh the risks because there would not be traffic jams, or detours because of road work. These cars would need something like a GPS system and an anti-wrecking system so people would not run into each other or other objects (How Flying Cars Will Work).
In the late 19th century, transportation took enormous time and effort, and it was often dangerous. With this being said, it was time for someone to shine. The creative minds in world began to come out, and, finally, the world met a breakthrough. In Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, an alarming invention would change the way humans transport forever. In 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright had succeeded in a lifelong adventure of creating a flying machine.
In the past 100 years, we have made much advancement in all areas of society. The way people live has changed drastically just in the past century. Technology in particular has advanced more in these last 100 years then all previous time combined. For example, because of the research done by many innovative and dedicated individuals such as the Wright Brothers who were the first to sustain flight in a powered airplane, we are able to fly all over the world in a matter of hours in jet propelled pressurized aircraft. One hundred years ago, the thought of man flying in a machine was insane. The Wright Brothers helped to realize the dream of manned flight. Many years later, after the idea of manned flight becoming a reality, space exploration was the next step. In 1969, many people did not believe what happened. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. They posted an American flag, explored, collected space rocks and came back home. Many Americans did not believe that the technology existed to go that far. Today, several missions a year are launched using manned space shuttles that can be flown back to earth like gliders and reused on future space missions.