Technology from 1970-Today

The technological advances from our beginning to today have been exponential. The beginnings of our technology have brought ideas and new innovations to make our society greater than it ever has been. Through out the decades of our existence, we have created technology that seems to have been straight out of a futuristic novel. From the invention of wheel to the the invention of the Hydrogen bomb, we have developed ways to not only destroy but create. Our ability to bring our ideas in our imagination to life is incredible, since technology in my opinion paves way to a universal culture. Technology innovates the way we as a people function and sometimes communicate with one another. The technology from 1970 to today are inventions which really impacted the way we see the future.

In the 1970’s America is falling into a recession and experienced change, but for technology it was considered a golden era. During the 1970’s, an arise of video games came about. The invention of video games and arcades caused children and teenagers to start developing a cultural change in America; associating teenage boys and video games to obsessions of wanting to live the virtual life they do in the game. For instance, when I was a young child growing up in the 1990’s, I would be addicted to my Gameboy because I would want to play Pokemon for 10 hours straight. So video games were very innovative in all children and teens lives. In today’s terms, video games have gotten to the point where it is a must have even if it is an application game. The beginnings of the video game era started with simplistic game such as: Pong, Tetras, and Space Invaders all created the new upcoming business we know today. While Pong may not have been the first video game, it was certainly the first commercially successful one and ushered the video game industry into existence. (venturebeat.com) Teenagers were the main target for these new technology advances, and they bought (literally) into it. The need to become the kid who held the number one spot on space invaders or pacman was prominent in almost every neighborhood. The arise of video games gave children and teens a chance to “live” a completely different life, it gives them a way to “get lost” in a different planet or place.

During the beginning and mid 1970’s, space exploration was expanded by the American government. Since the Cold War was still occurring, When this was taking place, the Space Race with Soviet Russian and United States was happening and the US sent man to the moon in 1969 which was also broad casted to all television networks. During this time period, space stations were established and America called theirs “Skylab.” (buzzle.com) As well as the Skylab being established, Saturn rockets were launched three times. So with the successful launching of rockets means, we are able to successfully launch a rocket and send it to space. I believe it is such a feat to be able to send man to a whole different planet and hopefully different solar system. Throughout this time period a lot of engineers were used to create this ability and with the ideas of sending man not only into another planet, some scientists predict we will be able to send man to different dimensions possibly. Space exploration was a technological advancement that greatly changed the way we live. For instance, if we didn’t have the ability to launch rockets into space, we couldn’t launch satellites and then we wouldn’t be able to have things like: GPS, internet, and weather predicting.

In the 1980’s, technological advances reached a whole new level. During this time period, new machinery came about and re-innovated the inventions from the previous decade. According to David Henkin and Rebecca McLennan’s Becoming America, the single manufacturing industry that experienced steady growth in the 1980s was a relatively new one. This new industry was the creation of personal computers. Inventions like the Apple Macintosh was completely new and innovative, since computers at the time were the size of a room and now they have been shrunk to where it fits on a desk. This new industry would forever change the way people use technology, since today almost everyone has a computer/laptop, smart phone, or some sort of device which can be used as a computer can. Meanwhile people like Bill Gates and Paul Allen made the first operating system. (Henkin, McLennan pg. 863) Throughout the 1980’s, the most inspirational advancements were mainly computers and new video games, since these two had the most impact on our society than anything else from the time period. 

Throughout the 1990’s, this decade is known as the Information Age. (pg. 893) During the 1990’s, the amount of pollution created by the cars in the major cities caused the Clean Air Act to be passed; which forced car companies to make more fuel efficient cars. These cars are known as “hybrid” cars which are a a mix of gas and electrical powered cars. Only this past decade, electrical cars have been popularized by companies like: Nissan, Toyota, and General Motors. (brighthub.com) One invention that revolutionized the world was the webcam, which was created in 1991. This little invention was one that made it possible for people on different ends of the country or world to be able to see each other “face to face.” Today many people rely on a web camera whether it be on their phone, lap top, ipod, table, etc. Try to imagine today’s world without being able to send “selfies” that would be a horrible disaster for all teens today.

In the 2000’s to today, our society has developed great feats not only in engineering and technology, but feats which have affected our lives to the point where we take them for granted. Web sites like: Google, Amazon, and eBay survived a “dot-com crash” in March 2000. (pg. 895) These major sites are sites none of the people from my generation take for granted because now when we want to know something, we google it on our phones and not have to go to a library or know my memory when an event happened and occurred. Other advances in this time period were flash drives, these little boxes of memory hold what is known as Gigabytes in such a small space. This allowed us to evolve from floppy disks to flash drives and we were able to put documents and other important items into one and not worry about it being gone forever unless you lose the flash drive. Other impressive advances are, the creations of the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, WiFi hotspots, smartphones, and hybrid cars. These new advances in technology are only a few and many more are to come since we are an ever evolving species. Change is inevitable, and we should embrace it to continue creating new technology for the sake of mankind.   

Technology from 1940-1969

Have you ever wondered when and where technology really flourished? What about which civilization really pushed technological advances? During World War II, Nazi Germany was the most technologically advanced country; from their advances in aircraft, tanks, weaponry, etc. The United States on the other hand was not as technologically savvy, but did know how to mass produce anything during war time. Out of all the countries in the fight, the least advanced was Russia. The Russians did have more people than any of the other countries put together. Technology during WWII peaked with new inventions as did the Cold War Era when nuclear weaponry was being to become popularized with the United States in an arms race against Russia. War time tends to bring people into a state of mind where whoever has the best technology to destroy the other then victory in inevitable.

During World War II, technology from the Nazis became so advanced, it was scary to even imagine they had some of the technology we have today. For instance, the Nazis had invented a new jet airplane called the Messerschmitt me 262. The ME 262 was believed to be the jet aircraft that would dominate to retain Germany superiority from the United States’s  and possibly even lead in the Cross Atlantic Raid Hitler vision after he would annihilate Britain. The Messerschmitt was one of the many projects the Nazis tried to produce an efficient jet aircraft. The me 262 production was laid back about six months after the Allied Powers bombarded Berlin towards the end of the war. Could it be possible the Nazis would have won the war if the Allies hadn’t bombed Germany? I believe the Allied Powers would not know how to defend against a Luftwaffe attack if production had started and the ME 262 was operational.

Another WWII technological advancement from the Nazis was the German Tiger Tank and the Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus (“mouse”) tank. These two German Tanks were from Hitler’s imagination put into reality. Hitler wanted bigger tanks, heavier armored, and bigger guns attached. The United States M6 gave Germany complications and they wanted to match the United States. Thus how the mouse tank was invented.The mouse tank however was declared inefficient due to its lack of ability to go through water because of the electrical diesel powered engine. The Tiger Tanks were Germany’s highly produced tanks that were effective and widely used throughout the entire war. The mouse weighed in at about 180 tons while the Tiger weighed in at 57 tons so about one third that of the mouse. The United States highly produced and manufactured tank was the Sherman tanks or the M4 which faced off with the Tigers.

During the 1950’s, technology was the main growing and the way American society functioned continued to evolve as time passed on. In 1950, a man named Frank McNamara created the first credit card. His initial intention of the card was to be able to have money available even if you do not have the cash on you or you do not have enough to cover a cost of some sort. A year later, in 1951 the television became popularized internationally by all people. The television gave entertainment and gave new ways to reach customers to buy their products. These are just two of the many important inventions we as American citizens use today which have revolutionized the way we spend time. Television has given us a way to know what is happening in other parts of the world. The credit card is another in which we can use money when we do not have it on our person and can use it at any given time. Culturally our society would be completely different today if we didn’t have credit cards or television and that is only scratching the surface of the inventions made in the early 1950’s

In the mid 1950’s, technology grew even more to limits people didn’t think we imaginable. New inventions were made that seemed to be out of a science fiction movie. In 1957, Russia successfully beat the United States in sending an artificial satellite into space. This lead to the US to become determined to send man to the moon and thus the space race started. One year after sputnik was launched by the Russians, the United States created the first Integrated Circuit which had transistors, resistors, and capacitors in one small “gem.” The following year after this invention was created, the microchip was invented as well. Because almost all of our modern day technology uses chip technology, the microchip continues to be the most influential and revolutionary invention made. 

During the 1960’s however a change was happening to the United States. In this decade, dramatic social change was happening with civil rights, flower children, and the rise of rock n roll. Also another change was in the technology world. During this time Russia and America were fighting for dominance in the world; both were looking to successfully send man to the moon and so far the Russians had a head start. In 1961, the Russians had sent the first man to the moon but 8 years later, America did the same. With the Apollo 11 mission. On the Apollo mission, the United States had successfully sent a man to the moon and had news coverage on television sets almost every American citizen had in their living rooms. Other notable inventions from the world of technology were the invention of the first handheld calculator from Texas Instruments and the building of the Astrodome. Can you imagine a world without handheld calculators?? Math would be the worst thing to do!

Towards the end of the 1960’s, technology was becoming “detailed out.” With the massive amounts of televisions in the US, the higher the demand became. With this coming about, television was then converted from black and white to in color. Possibly the most important invention of the 1960’s, better than color tv and man on the moon, was the invention of the first video game. The Brown Box forever changed the way people entertain themselves on a rainy day or when they are bored. About the most important invention it really isn’t the most important out of all the inventions but it did have an effect on our society today.   

Technology from 1914-1939

Technology in 1914 was influenced to grow rapidly, due to the conflict we experienced as a collective whole in the First World War. Not only was the war a prime reason for the advancement in technology, but the society we knew was changing rapidly after the industrial revolution. The war forced change from traditional warfare to what the phrase we use today “Modern Warfare.” During WWI we have advances in military weaponry and we also have developed new technology for those outside the war, with the invention of the affordable automobile, radio, and air conditioning. Technology in the 20^th century was rapid and new ideas were sparked out of the war to try to modernize every aspect of the world.

In 1914, the world was in conflict with WWI occurring and the Allied forces needed new methods to advance in the stagnant war. The German armies were equipped with new technology (around since 1880s) such as the machine gun, and mustard gas, and barbed wire.  During the war, trench warfare was the main strategy for advancing and avoiding casualties; even with the use of tanks in the war casualties were very high. Technology in the fighting was necessary for the attempt at victory and the Allied powers knew that. Imagine how World War One would have ended if the technological advances were not available. Other countries in the war such as Russian lacked the firepower and technology. They did have the power of numbers.  Other machinery such as the flamethrower and aircraft carriers were involved and were not used to the best of use. These types of technological advances were quite important to the impact of the war and the cause of millions of deaths.

Can you imagine the United States of America not being as technologically advanced? I think the use of new technology in the war was helpful, because as we know the rise of WWII will spark more advances but we will know how to use our technology and use that to help our victory. In 1916, the development of aircraft traffic control to help pilots receive information from each other and be able to execute certain tasks easier and more efficiently. (mentalfloss.com) Another advancement in 1919, was the portable x ray. What many people don’t know about the inventor was he was an African American inventor who also invented refrigeration units, air conditioning units, and the self-starting lawnmower. (mentalfloss.com) During the time of some racial integration, we have more inventors of color.

During the 1920’s our inventions technologically are a little more advanced with women now getting involved in some advances. WHAT?? Yes women had a part in some advances in sanitary with the new invention of the disposable sanitary napkins.The modern sanitary napkin as we know it was made possible by the introduction of new cellulose bandage material during the First World War. This lead to Kimberly-Clark creating the first commercial company for sanitary napkins called Kotex. This gave women a chance to have some firepower to prove that women are just as intelligent as men are.

Other inventions we use in our everyday lives at home are band aids (kisses are better), frozen food, self winding watches,and the electric shaver. Most of these technology advancements are for civilians and we as an industrialized society need to have higher standards of our social roles and expectations. In America during the Roaring Twenties, the society changed from the adaptation of going to an industrialized society to understanding and “detailing out” our new lifestyle. In the 1920’s, the was a new method of reaching customers in America and that was through radio broadcasting. The radio forever changed our lifestyle as Americans, without it there would not have been anything to tell us what was happening in the world besides newspapers; also the radio helped us elect a future president and change politics in our nation. By 1925, 2.75 million radio receivers were in operation and approximately 10 percent of all homes had a radio. (Henkin and McLennan pg. 635) Radio had a huge impact on people’s lives here in America and today we take inventions like this for granted.

During the mid-1920’s, there were inventions we as Americans enjoyed for leisure. One such invention was the first technicolor cartoons, such as Walt Disney’s animated characters. Another invention we enjoyed was one we needed to buy separately for our vehicles in the 20’s but today comes free. The car radio was another invention we as Americans looked at and said we need this to go with our brand new Ford model and would spend the extra money for it no matter how ridiculous, at the time going into debt was fine. These were two of the new inventions we as Americans enjoyed for our spare time since we were becoming more acquainted with our new modern society.

In the 1930’s, other scientific inventions sprouted to help not only the military, but civilians in the future. Inventions such as the jet engine helped the military use planes to gain intelligence whether it’s reconnaissance or dropping bombs. Planes would also be used in the future to carry passengers and take them over seas as commercial airplanes. One invention strictly helped military that is still used today, that is radar. Radar was invented by Robert Watson in 1935, to help provide range information in harsh weather, at night, or when in the air. In this case the radar was mainly for the use of military airplanes looking for the enemy troops or artillery. The creation of these two inventions helped not only the Allied Powers, but gave us a slight advantage when the dawn of war were to come.

Other inventions during this time period were being created, but these were some to show the significance of inventions pushed by war and others for practical uses. The First World War really changed the way we fight wars, and the way we use tactics against armies with modernized weaponry and this opened our eyes to see the world was becoming a lot more dangerous and deadly. New inventions always inspire change whether it be good or bad.

Technology from 1865-1914

Have you ever thought of how our daily lives in the 21st century would be if we used technology from 1865? How about if our city, town, or colony had: a blacksmith, a carpenter, a seamstress, or doctor? Technology today would seem primitive in our eyes, based on how our society currently functions. As a college student, I rely on technology massively and to use a typewriter or telegram instead of email and a computer would seem almost obsolete. Technology in 1865 was the start of the Reconstruction Era where we as a country and a people became more industrious. During this time period, inventions like: the Rotary Printing Press, Barbed Wire and the Urinal were invented to change the life we live in. In America we were experiencing changes such as the Manifest Destiny, the Second Industrial Revolution, and Post Civil War reconstruction. Today, we as a society of industrial people need our technology and without the brilliant minds who created these inventions and others wouldn’t have the necessary resources to function today. During the year period 1866-1868, the United States was in conflict with the Native Americans in the Great Plains. (Henkin + McLennan) Through our conflict with them we almost wiped out a whole race of man through warfare and through greed to industrialize their territory for our benefit. The Central Pacific Railroad for example was “Made to replace most of its higher-wage, strike-prone Irish railroad workers with lower-wage Chinese laborers…” Henkin + McLennan) The United States from the end of the Civil War looked to conquer the unknown land and exterminate any one who interfered and at the cost of cheaper labor. By the end of the conflict, the United States neared the finish of the Transcontinental Railroad, which finished in 1869, caused a lot of good to cross at lower costs. The railroads which were prominent in the 1860’s did experience a big pay off, but many lives were cost to gain it. I don’t know about you, but if I were relocated, neglected, possibly killed for land that was belonged to my family for generations I wouldn’t be too happy for representing a country who believed in self enrichment. Technology is something that must grow in order for us to grow but if it is justified, not through bloodshed or greed. There are still many amazing technological advances we had in this era. As technology in America changed, households changed and society as a whole changed to fit the industrial life style. With the building of factories, many families went from the rural life on the farms to living in inner cities. Was this a smart idea to pack families into housing complexes with very little sanitary codes? I don’t think so but that was the cost for making cheaper living and being close to work. In 1870, the Pneumatic Subway was created in New York by Alfred Ely Beach, “Boss” Tweed opposed, under Broadway. (pbs.org) Three years later, the British attempted to make a typing machine and  Christopher Latham Sholes invented his own. (pbs.org) With big inventions, come big industry and big “Bosses”.  In New York, a Democrat leader by the name of William “Boss” Tweed handled multiple amount of construction and public projects during 1870. He was the man who had the sewers, water lines, and gas pipe lines to be constructed in New York. He had the infrastructure of New York made and with his help, new necessity for private housing was needed as well as new routes needed to be made to accommodate the growing population of the city. We see here that without technology we would still be living simple lives without knowing what the future could have held for us.

In the current state of America and the laissez faire capitalism the owners of major corporations would be the ones running the country. With major titans during the 1860’s like: Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan they monopolized their own areas of businesses. Whether it was steel for the railroads going across the United States, Standard Oil with kerosene lamps and later oil. Their earnings would break barriers of fortune. Millions of dollars would go into their pockets and not be taxed because of the government involvement with their companies. As monopolies they could buy the best lawyers and pay off anyone they wished to. Technology created monopolies due to men looking for fortune. These men would use their power to advance us as a country as well as a society and even today their influences still linger through the new inventions we have today.

With industrialization growing in the country, and with the inventions of new modernized society we as a people needed to figure out a way to be self-sufficient. With the growing population in America, the need for more housing complexes grew. Anglo Americans, Chinese, and other racial groups needed homes to live in and the major cities provided those housing units. Technology needed to improve because the want for more housing increased dramatically with the industrialization of major cities. One story homes eventually became multiple story homes. These buildings eventually became the apartments we have today and the largest building in America during the 1880’s was seven stories high.

As time continued on, new inventions were made to accommodate the “American” life style. With the invention of the affordable automobile by Henry Ford in 1908, families had a way to be able to buy a car and take their families from one destination to another. Because of the new assembly line in factories, production of products multiplied and since this method was applied to the automotive factory more cars would be produced, thus making them more affordable. The Model T made its debut in 1908 with a purchase price of $825.00. Over ten thousand were sold in its first year, establishing a new record. (http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/ford.htm) The invention of an affordable vehicle would not only change the 1900;s but would change the rest of the world since today we rely on our cars for transportation. The automobile became an invention just like Thomas Edison’s lightbulb that would revolutionize the way Americans live   and work.

Cesar Estrada

Hello my name is Cesar Estrada, I am 19 years old and I am attending my first year in college at Antelope Valley College. I will be majoring in Mechanical Engineering after I transfer to CSULB. I have a passion for mathematics, science, and martial arts.