by Big science and technology changed how wars are fought. The evolution of science and technology during the 20th century changed how wars affected society as a whole. When governments realized the potential science and technology had to change the outcome of wars they began pumping resources and money into supporting scientists. As a result, more types of weapons and tools were created. There was a need for an increase in the workforce to help make the weapons.
Factories needed people to build tanks, planes, bombs, and other things to aid the war effort, and with men away at war, women were needed to join the workforce. The need for women to enter the workforce had a lasting effect on women’s rights. While women entering the workforce was a positive aspect of science and technology aiding war, there were also downsides.
The scientific and technological discoveries made by physicists and other scientists led to an increase in the capability of destruction, not just of land but of people. The advancement of warfare led to wars being fought at home not just on the battlefields. The creation of chemical warfare, atomic bombs, missiles, and other things created the circumstances for civilian casualties to be the new norm during wars. Bringing the war front to the homefront affected society greatly. In England, for example, citizens were terrorized by German bombing nightly and were forced to spend many nights in their tube stations. Wars being fought at the homefront meant the destruction of entire cities, which had long-lasting economic and social-emotional effects. The effect of the advancement of big science and technology should not be underestimated or taken lightly.
While it is astonishing what scientists have been able to discover once they got access to government funding and resources, it begs the question at what cost? Just like our discussion of Frankenstein, we have to look at the morality behind the choices scientists make. Frankenstein, compared to scientists who were working on the Manhattan project, for example, did have different outside pressures as Victor Frankenstein was not getting paid by the government to do his research. These outside pressures aside, I think scientists should still be held accountable for their actions. Scientists knew how destructive their work with uranium could be and, yet they continued and created the atomic bomb. There is still a societal wide debate about the morality of the U.S. dropping the atomic bombs on Japan. This debate is not only because the effects of the bomb are still being felt today, but also because of all the other political conflicts atomic and H-bombs have started since then.
Big science and technology arguably changed the outcomes of both World Wars as well as the Cold War. What’s more, is that the creation of big science and technology has also changed society forever and will continue to change in the future. Today we could look at the implications of rushing to make a COVID vaccine. Governments are throwing money at labs in the hopes of getting a vaccine as fast as possible. While a COVID vaccine is no doubt something all of society could benefit from, we must be careful that the process is still ethical. Science and technology can help make society better but, it can also just as easily hurt society.