Not often do we talk about the benefits of war. Indeed the positive effects are often and rightly completely overshadowed by huge casualty figures. The total death toll of WWII alone is estimated at 72 million people. Despite this however great things do come of war. I am not referring to regime upheavals of economic benefits but material goods! All of the following technological advancements that emerged from the dust of battlefields are household names if not household items.
Radar - WWII
Scientists had been experimenting with this technology having noticed communications interrupted by objects. However it was not until the Battle of Britain, that the “Battle of the Beams” truly began. Huge espionage campaigns began as each side tried to discover the others technology. Despite Germany's superior technology Britain with Watson-Watt transformed the technology into a working network that could identify enemy planes approaching fighters to intercept. The radar battle still rages today with the development of Stealth bombers, which avoid detection due to a radar absorbent surface and by bouncing radar beams off at angles.
Peacetime Radar Uses:
- Co-ordinate everything from airports to cruise liners
- Predict weather by locating precipitation
- Track migration patterns of animals
- NASA use radar to ensure no birds are caught underneath a shuttle launch!
- Catch speeding motorists
Microwave Oven - Cold War
The microwave oven was a discovered by accident by war hero and scientist Percy Spencer. Spencer noticed that the peanut and chocolate bar in his pocket melted when he stood close to a magnetron, (part of a radar set). Spencer experimented placing popcorn kernels and raw eggs in front of the device and observed them exploding. Spencer manufactured the first microwave oven, weighing in at an impressive 750 pounds and over five feet tall. Soon the microwave oven caught on and now can be found in almost every kitchen!
Superglue - WWII
Superglue was discovered by Harry Coover during WWII. Coover was trying to find a material to produce plastic gun sites with. Superglue proved completely unsuited to the task, as it stuck to everything it came into contact with. Now 90% of family homes possess a tube of Cyanoacrylates.
Uses:
- Sealing wounds
- Protecting skin of climbers fingers
- Forensic science
- Wood finish
Penicillin - WWII
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin shortly after WWI. Fleming had been dismayed that the only way to treat wounded and infected man was by using caustic chemicals, which also damaged the man, not just the bacteria. For years after its discovery Penicillin was priceless and was not available in a large enough quantity to cure a man. However in the build up to D-day, huge efforts by the allies insured that large enough quantities became available. This was 1943, twelve years after its discovery!
These inventions are pushed by hugely increased finance for research and the intense competition from the "enemy"; this forces scientific collaboration within each side during wars. What benefits will we see emerging from current war zones such as Afghanistan and Iraq?
Best wishes.
Sincerely,
-Liane Schmidt.