The World in the Twentieth Century by Black Jeremy;

Author:Black, Jeremy; [Jeremy Black]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 4406512
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group

Science

The twentieth century saw great intellectual achievements in science, particularly in physics, which was transformed by Albert Einstein (1879–1955), who developed the theory of relativity. The century also saw revolutionary transformations in theoretical and applied science and technology in most fields, whether transport, the generation and distribution of power, medicine, contraception, agricultural yields, cloning or the accumulation, storing, transmission and manipulation of information. Wealth was created and the means were provided that would make it feasible to suggest that humanity’s lot on earth could be substantially improved, and that science should therefore be employed to ensure that such an improvement took place.

Furthermore, the relationship between humanity and the world was altered with the realization, through the combination of telescopic investigation of the universe and advanced mathematics, that there were other galaxies apart from our Milky Way (1923) and that, as the galaxies were moving apart, the universe was expanding (1929). This led to the reconceptualization of time, which was presented as originating from an original Big Bang when the universe began. This process of investigation and speculation extended to the more precise analysis of the building blocks of life. This analysis included the discovery and utilization of subatomic particles, an understanding of how light travels, the explanation in 1953 of the correct atomic structure of the genetic material DNA, and research on neurobiology and the workings of the brain. All this underlined the nature of knowledge as a process of change. A comparable sense of human capability arose from the human ability to synthesize new experiences, which culminated in the early 1990s with the development of virtual reality imaging. In addition, for example in the development of recycling technologies, science was able to display an ability to respond to environmental problems. At the start of the new millennium, the pace of change, and its insistent impact on the tempos of life, appeared greater than ever.

At the same time, disquiet about the pace of technological change, and the process and consequences of scientific advance, increased markedly. The use of the atom bomb in 1945 led to concern, and this was seen more generally from the 1960s as the environmental movement became more vocal and popular. Anxiety about technology was linked to a wider questioning of the rationale of economic growth, although such growth was required in order to fund environmental rehabilitation.

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