The Science and Technology of WWII
Analysis of the Technological side of WWII
Introduction
The advances made during this time were monumental.
Before the war, radar had barely been invented but by the end radar had developed and played a very important role.Radar technology uses radio waves to track objects from a distance, allowing people to see incoming surprise attacks.Radar engineering would lead to the invention of the television, a ship or aircraft could also use radar to triangulate their position.Meteorologists could also use this new technology to track storms.The medical field also saw many different improvements in medical technology.Penicillin was an important medicine that was not created during the war, but it was the first time it was mass produced.It was a life saving medicine that would eventually lead to the invention of antibiotics, medicine that prevents sicknesses from becoming life threatening.The science of blood transfusions played a vital role in the war and was perfected during this time.Aviation medicine, which allows people to fly safely at high altitudes, was a huge invention.This lead to the inventions of crash helmets and safety belts.The science of nutrition expanded as scientists identified which vitamins and minerals were essential to a healthy body, and in what amounts.Proper food preparation, storage and preservation became a top priority for the military.In order to provide the soldiers with the proper amount of nutrition and energy scientists created the D-ration.The D-ration was a high calorie emergency ration that came in the form of a chocolate bar.A three-portion package of these bars would provide a soldier with 1,800 calories.
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-worldwar/6002
http://www.militaryfactory.com/worldwar2/weapons.asp
Advances in Radar Technology
Advances in the Medical Field
Mass production of Penicillin
Technology had a Huge Impact on the Victors of the War
Tanks were important for both breaking through enemy lines and supporting the advance of ally soldiers.Tanks developed much more rapidly during World War II than they had ever before, becoming bigger, faster and better armored.During World War I the UK had been the leader in cutting edge technology, but by World War II ethey were no match for the Blitzkrieging panzers of Germany.It was during this time that anti-tank began to properly develop, both handheld and aircraft-mounted.One of the biggest threats to tanks then, and now, was the tank-buster aircraft or Jabos.(Jagdbombers)These were aircrafts whose main mission was to seek out tanks and destroy them from the air.
http://www.afhso.af.mil/topics/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=15231
http://www.tanks.net/tank-history/tank-development-world-war-two.html
http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/ww2-us-military-bomber-aircraft.asp
The scientists of World War Two made breakthroughs that would change the world forever.
Albert Einstein was arguably one of the twentieth centuries most influential people, both as a scientist and public figure.He was a mathematician but is better known for his work in the field of theoretical physics.He was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14th 1879.He was born into a Jewish family which would cause conflict between him and the Nazi party.His theory of relativity was even referred to as “Jewish Physics” by the Nazis.He eventually decided to leave his homeland, never to return.He chose to move to New Jersey where he would settle at the Institute for Advanced Studies at Princeton University.It was during these next few years that Einstein and fellow scientist Leo Szilard urged Franklin D. Roosevelt to fund the development of an atomic bomb.If not for Albert Einstein the atomic bomb may have never been developed.Marie Curie was another influential scientist who worked with her husband to discover polonium and radium.Their work was unfortunately cut short when her husband, Pierre, died in 1906.After her husband's death she continued to work in the field of radioactivity and became the first person to win 2 Nobel Prizes.Marie Curie's work led to the use of x-rays in medicine and laid the foundation for the new discipline of atomic physics.Max Planck completely revolutionized physics, his work is so important that it’s considered the pivotal point where “classical physics” ended.It all started with his discovery of energy, which appears to be emitted in wave lenghts.He discovered that it is actually discharged in small packets.(quanta)This new theory of energy, called quantum theory, played an important role in many of the most important discoveries of the 20th century.
http://history1900s.about.com/od/people/tp/10scientists.htm
https://www.aip.org/history/curie/war1.htm
http://www.physicsoftheuniverse.com/scientists_einstein.html