NationStates Jolt Archive

Well, I posted this question in my earlier thread about future space exploration, but everyone ignored it (:mad: Heathens!) So hopefully it warrants its own thread for discussion and debate.

What do you think? Did the World Wars, Civil Wars, Conflicts, etc etc, benefit the world technology-wise? (And remember, technology = more then latest weaponry ;)) Or did it prevent us from achieving our true scientific potential?

I believe that wars fuel more wars, in other words wars advance technology only in the field of military that are ultimately non-beneficial in civil life.

What do you all reckon?

Cheers,
The Greek City States of Supville

The major wars of the 20th century were definitely catalysts for technological innovation. Most of the initial research was in weapons design, true, but there were many non-military spinoffs that had a definite impact. Electronic computers, for example, were developed in WWII for use in calculating trajectories for ballistic missiles and artillery shells. The Internet was designed during the Cold War as a computer network that would be capable of surviving a nuclear attack. Jet engines were developed during WWII as well. It's likely we would have eventually invented all of these things anyway, but without the wars, would governments have been willing to pour millions of dollars into developing these things? Probably not, which would have slowed their development considerably.

Of course, it's possible to have technological innovation without war. The "space race" was seen by some as a kind of proxy war between the US and USSR, but I see it as a nice substitute - we got all of the technological benefit of having a war, without having the actual war. :D

Tech wise? Yes. Moral wise? no.


War is a good for two things: Buisness, and Science. Buisness is redirected to manufacturing arms and other equipment for troops, stimulating the economy big time, and scientists are forced to create new and more powerful killing machines or things to prevent their soldiers from being killed.


Hope that answers your question.

The space race was an extention of the Cold War. I suspect that if WW2 had ended with frendship between the US & USSR, we'd currently be debating about whether we should start launching satellites. The moon and beyond wouldn't even be on the table.

Of course, it's possible to have technological innovation without war. The "space race" was seen by some as a kind of proxy war between the US and USSR, but I see it as a nice substitute - we got all of the technological benefit of having a war, without having the actual war. :D


Not true. Korean War and the Vietnam War. Rockets were being designed to fire at Russia at any given moment anyway, so the space race was actually good for designing new missles which could go farther and faster than previous rockets, making ICBMs more effective.

The Korean War and Vietnam War stimulated the need for this, since, especially in the Vietnam War, there was serious consideration of nuking Hanoi....

I think wars do advance technology; many of the inventions of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries were the direct product of war and the emergence of professional militaries as a component of the national government. The Internet, the computer, the jet engine, dynamite, metal ships, radar, and a host of other vital inventions are all the products of war and military research.

This probably has to do with the fact that basic research is generally best done by the public sector; during wartime, the heightened tensions and concerns about national security make it much easier to research and introduce technologies in to the market and thus reduces the amount of time that it takes for a new technology to penetrate the market.

I think wars do advance technology; many of the inventions of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries were the direct product of war and the emergence of professional militaries as a component of the national government. The Internet, the computer, the jet engine, dynamite, metal ships, radar, and a host of other vital inventions are all the products of war and military research.

This probably has to do with the fact that basic research is generally best done by the public sector; during wartime, the heightened tensions and concerns about national security make it much easier to research and introduce technologies in to the market and thus reduces the amount of time that it takes for a new technology to penetrate the market.


Almost all inventions are made for the military first, then converted to civillian use. The Computer, as an example, was designed to plot artillery strikes with greater efficiency.

Almost all inventions are made for the military first, then converted to civillian use. The Computer, as an example, was designed to plot artillery strikes with greater efficiency.
Actually so was the microwave. Funny story actually, So I think I'll tell it.
The microwave emittor was originaly develloped by by an american company during to the cold war. All their research was government funded and went towards military innovations. They came up with all kinds of junk that now has other uses, lasers included. Anyway, one guy figured out this microwave effect and everyone was amazed, until they figure out how big one would have to be to use it on a city. Making a device that has to be bigger than the target is less than effective, so they scrapped the idea. And low and behold a japanese company picked it up for a very modest sum. They proceded to patent microwave ovens and sell them back to the US and everywhere else.

Don't you love history.

Can't help noticing the holy terra location, 40k player?

Almost all inventions are made for the military first, then converted to civillian use. The Computer, as an example, was designed to plot artillery strikes with greater efficiency.

Correct. The Internet was originally designed to safely store and transfer information between data centers in the event of a nuclear attack, and the radio was first used by the Japanese for naval combat in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. The radio was not invented for military purposes per se but it's first real use was in wartime.

Actually so was the microwave. Funny story actually, So I think I'll tell it.
The microwave emittor was originaly develloped by by an american company during to the cold war. All their research was government funded and went towards military innovations. They came up with all kinds of junk that now has other uses, lasers included. Anyway, one guy figured out this microwave effect and everyone was amazed, until they figure out how big one would have to be to use it on a city. Making a device that has to be bigger than the target is less than effective, so they scrapped the idea. And low and behold a japanese company picked it up for a very modest sum. They proceded to patent microwave ovens and sell them back to the US and everywhere else.

Don't you love history.
I've heard a variation on this, possibly an urban legend. The story goes that technicians working on the Distant Early Warning Line radar stations in northern Canada in the 1960s discovered that they could warm themselves up if they stood in front of the radar dishes. Now, northern Canada being a cold place, they did this frequently during the winter. One guy did it a bit too frequently; an autopsy showed that he literally cooked his intestines.

I've heard different story too. In this one they discovered the cooking properties when a bird flew in front of the device and was fried.