Science and Technology from the 1900s-1950s

In venturing to interpret the events of the 20th century, it will be convenient to separate the
years before 1945 from those that followed. The years 1900 to 1945 were dominated by
the two World Wars, while those since 1945 were preoccupied by the need to avoid another
major war. The dividing point is one of outstanding social and technological significance:
the detonation of the first atomic bomb in Alamogordo, N.M., in July 1945.
("History of technology - The 20th century", 2019)

The two world wars drove most of the technological advancements and political change in the 20 th
century. It has been said that World War I was a chemists’ war due to the immense importance of high
explosives and poisonous gas. The wars hastened the development of technology by “extending the
institutional apparatus for the encouragement of innovation” ("History of technology - The 20th century",
2019) by both the government and private industries. The wars motivated the transformation from restricted,
small-scale research by few isolated scientists to large research teams sponsored by governments and
corporations developing and applying new techniques.

From the 1900s to the 1950s, there were numerous scientific discoveries relevant to Science,
Technology, and Society up to this day. The first breakthrough made in the 1900s was discovered by the
German physicist, Max Planck. Planck founded the law of black body radiation which served as a basis for
the discovery of the quantum theory. In 1905, Albert Einstein elucidated Brownian motion and photoelectric
effect with his special theory of relativity. In the following year, Walther Nernst explained the Third Law of
Thermodynamics which explains the entropy of a system at zero absolute temperature. In 1911, Ernest
Rutherford created the planetary model of the atom. In 1912, Niels Bohr succeeded this breakthrough with
his Model of the Atom while Alfred Wegener discovered the famous Continental Drift Theory. In 1915, the
general theory of relativity was founded, however, there has been great debate on who truly found the
theory — Albert Einstein or David Hilbert.

After a quarter of the 1900s, scientists started studying about quantum mechanics more amidst
other discoveries. In 1925, Wolfgang Pauli discovered the quantum Pauli Exclusion Principle which states
that no two identical fermions may occupy the same quantum state. This was followed by Erwin
Schrödinger’s equation which is used to find the allowed energy levels of quantum mechanical systems in
the next year. In 1926, Arthur Eddington shared his thought on how stars acquire their endless energy —
nuclear fusion. In 1927, Werner Heisenberg further studied the quantum mechanics by discovering the
Uncertainty Principle which explains that it is impossible to know the exact position and momentum of a
particle at the same exact time. In the same year, Georges Lamaître shared his Theory of the Big Bang. In
1928, further elucidation of the quantum theory was made by Paul Dirac with his Dirac equation. In addition
to this, Alexander Fleming invented penicillin in the same year. In the following year, two discoveries were
made respectively by Edwin Hubble and Lars Onsager. Edwin Hubble discovered his law of the expanding
universe while Lars Onsager discovered the Fourth Law of Thermodynamics. In 1930, Pluto was discovered
followed by James Chadwick’s discovery of the neutron in the next two years. Lastly, in 1953, Crick and
Watson discovered the helical structure of DNA, which further supported molecular biology.

Scientific discoveries were accompanied by technological advancements. Most of the technological

advancements and inventions during the first half of the 20 th century were for military purposes as two world
wars sparked. And as the wars ended, these inventions were repurposed for the mass. And some were just
driven by curiosity and discovery, and were later reimagined for military gains.
 In 1902, Orville and Wilbur Wright made a glider that flew 188 meters – a record for the time. They
gained knowledge about the control of gliders in flight and value of differently-shaped wings. In December
17th, 1903, they made the first successful manned controlled powered flight with Flyer 1.

The first truly synthetic plastic, Bakelite, was invented by Leo Baekeland in 1905. Bakelite was water
and solvent resistant; could be used as an electrical insulator; was rock hard but could be cut by a knife
and was used in 78 rpm records and telephones. New plastics were invented such as neoprene in 1932,
polythene in 1933, Perspex in 1934, and nylon in 1938, one of the most famous wholly synthetic fibres. The
year after it was created, nylon went into toothbrush bristles and nylon stockings. Nylon was also used by
the military in World War Two for gearing wheels in vehicles and parachute cords.

In 1906, Lee De Frost made a significant improvement from a diode that became known as triode. Its
ability to amplify a signal gave way to the introduction of live-voice broadcasting in Europe and America.

In 1925, John Logie Baird gave the first public display of a working television. People saw slightly
blurred but recognizable images of letters. By 1927, Baird demonstrated color television and a video-
recording system called “Phonovision”. A year after, he made the first transatlantic television transmission.
In 1936, the BBC started the world’s first regular high-definition service.

The invention of radios, television, and even cinema paved way for mass communication. Major leaders
such as Roosevelt and Churchill used these to get messages across to the American and English people.
These messages include everything from political statements and mobilizations for war to news about
sports and current events. Hitler used mass communication for the purpose of propaganda and the spread
of the Nazi regime. Ideas portrayed in the cinema were thought to be the norm by many and later, the
cinema changed the modern world. By broadcasting socialist views and ideals, soviet leaders used cinema
for their advantage.

In 1930, Sir Frank Whittle’s patented his “turboject engine”. This jet engine transformed travel and has
crossing the Atlantic at speed. In August 24th, 1939 – just days before World War II started, the first jet
fighter Heinkel He 178 flew. In 1944, jet fighter Gloster Meteor entered service with the Royal Air Force.

In 1930, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology built machine that could solve differential
equations that came up in electrical engineering – but it was so big that it filled a whole room. In 1938, a
German mathematician, Konrad Zuse, invented Z1, a machine that had a binary-based operating method,
a processor unit and memory. For this reason some historians see Z1 as being the first computer. In 1943,
Howard Aitkins and his team at Harvard University, completed Mark 1 that could perform basic
mathematical functions. It also attracted the attention of International Business Machines (IBM). This
invention occurred during a very important era for computer development: World War Two. Some historians
believe that the first true computer was Ferranti Mark 1, developed by a team at Manchester University lead
by Dr. Freddie Williams. Their invention was commercially produced. America also produced its first
commercial computer in 1951 called UNIVAC; its first important use was to predict the outcome of the US
Presidential election race in 1952.

In 1935, Robert Watson-Watt was asked by the Air Ministry to investigate the possibility of a “death-
ray” using radio waves. While Watson-Watt was working, he discovered that radio transmitters could create
an echo from an airplane that was over 200 miles away. This invention by Watson-Watt was vital to the
Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain in 1940.
 All principles of generating electricity had been worked out in the 19 th century but the 20th century
witnessed the colossal expansion of electrical and power generation and distribution. The small direct-
current generators were abandoned in favour of alternating-current systems.

Until 1945, electricity and internal-combustion engine were the dominant sources of power for industry
and transport. In 1934, Enrico Fermi discovered the “fission” reaction 4 years before German scientists did.
Atomic fission had the ability to unleash vast amounts of energy if not controlled and Fermi was able to
unlock atomic energy in a controlled way. Many scientists knew that Nazi Germany had an unhealthy
interest in atomic power. Albert Einstein – a scientist who had fled Nazi Germany to live in America –
persuaded President Roosevelt to set up the “Manhattan Project”. On July 16th, 1945 in New Mexico, Robert
Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb exploded near the research base in Los Alamos. Three weeks later, the
“Enola Gay” took off heading to Hiroshima.

A Progressive era to the New era emerged from 1900-1929 after the depression in the 1890s.
People aimed to reorganize the chaos of the 19th century; compared to the other eras, this era was writing
on a clean slate for the Americans. “The modern business corporation, modern politics, the modern
presidency, a modern vision of the international order, and modern consumer capitalism were all born in
these years” ("The Progressive Era to the New Era, 1900-1929 | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American
History", 2019). Inventions of lifestyle development aroused; fuel, innovation, agriculture, engineering,
transportation, communication, and military technology were discovered interrelated.

There were many changes in politics due to the advancement of science and technology. It can be
credited that the 20th century is the “American century” because she was able to utilize her available
resources for progress and industrialization. The US took advantage of the lack of resources of other
countries.

In 1914, World War I broke out when a Serbian nationalist assassinated the heir to the throne of Austria.
It was the Entente Powers (British, the French and Russian Empires, Italy, and Japan) versus the Central
Powers (Germans, Austrians, Hungarians, Bulgarians and Turks. In 1917, two revolutions completely
changed Russia. First, the February Russian Revolution toppled the Russian monarchy and established a
Provisional Government. Then in October, a second Russian Revolution placed the Bolsheviks as the
leaders of Russia, resulting in the creation of the world's first communist country.

In Czechoslovakia, however, Karel Čapek, author and playwright, invented the word robot that completely
altered our perceptions on technology. Čapek’s Rossum’s Universal Robots has robots (from robota
meaning “work”) that are present as replacements of human labor for they are designed to be better workers
and be emotionless to avoid feelings that would impede work (Kurka, 2019). In 1918, Czechoslovakia was
building on their Republic. Maybe that was why Čapek’s robots aren’t simply metals but makes the people
reevaluate humanity’s nature, use, structure, attitude, and social issues.

The 20s is usually called “The Roaring 20s” and it was a time of a booming stock market, speakeasies,
short skirts, and jazz. In 1920, women gained the right to vote. There were also a number of cultural firsts
such as the first talking film. In 1929, the Wall Street Crash (also known as the Great Crash and the Stock
Market Crash) happened. This was the most devastating crash in history of the United States and lasted
until 1947. The Great Crash signaled the beginning of the 10-year Great Depression. It hit the world hard
in 1930s.

In the 1930s, the Nazis took advantage of the Great Depression and came to power and established
their first concentration camp. In 1939, they invaded Poland and sparked World War II. In the 1940s, the
Nazis established death camps during the Holocaust. Due to the seemingly unstoppable war, Roosevelt
and Churchill came up with “The Manhattan Project” that developed the world’s first nuclear weapons like
the atomic bomb. The project was an action made by the Brits and Americans due to fear from the Nazis.
They said it would “be the weapon that would end World War II.” In 1945, the nuclear bomb was tested
successfully welcoming the Atomic Age. V-E day (Victory in Europe) was celebrated on May 8, 1945 when
the allies won the war; but war with Japan still ongoing. President Truman declared the bomb to be
detonated in Japan as a response because of their neutrality from the “Postdam Declaration.” The
declaration’s purpose was to negotiate a peaceful surrender; but Japan did not immediately surrender
having the America drop two bombs: August 6, 1945 on Hiroshima; August 9, 1945 on Nagasaki. Japan
then only surrenders under the Postdam Conference on August 15, 1945 which is celebrated as V-J Day
(Victory in Japan).

The 40s also witnessed the beginning of apartheid in South Africa where different races were
separated and the black people were greatly discriminated and stripped of their rights. In the 1950s, the
Cold War continues and the Space Race between the United Stated and the Soviet Union began. The
Vietnam War sparked and was fought between the North Vietnam (supported by communist allies) and the
government of the South Vietnam (supported by the U.S. and other anti-communist nations). This decade
also saw the end of segregation in the U.S.

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