3 ms·

If you think wars don't spur technological changes, I suggest you look at the planes of 1940 vs those of 1945. Inventions in WW2 avaiation include radar and the

by jmyeet 5y ago

If you think wars don't spur technological changes, I suggest you look at the planes of 1940 vs those of 1945. Inventions in WW2 avaiation include radar and the jet engine. It's planes that ultimately ended the U-boat clockade of the Atlantic as improved technology increased the range of anti-submarine bombers such that the US could cover the entire Atlantic leaving the U-boats nowhere to hide.

oblio 5y ago
I didn't say they wars didn't do anything. I said they probably do <<less>> than the equivalent peacetime. 99% of the examples you and other commenters use are in the military field. And frankly, I know all of them, I'm a history buff. Let's compare the washing machines of 1990 with those of 1995, instead. Let's compare Intel CPUs of 1980 with those of 1990. Let's compare desktop publishing in 1995 with that in 2000. Heck, the more answers I get the more I'm convinced people are also partly influenced (I don't want to say brainwashed), by military R&D propaganda that needs to justify its budgets. For every radar and jet engine there's a F22 jet fighter.
- dotancohen 5y ago
  > And frankly, I know all of them, I'm a history buff. Then your perspective would be appreciated with facts, not questions. Though I agree that often the questions are more interesting :) I'm interested in dispelling the notion that war spurs innovation, even though I hold this view I'd love any excuse to demonstrate that we don't "need" wars. What were the specific technologies that led to the change in washing machines from 1990 to 1995? How does that compare to a war-period of development? What drove Intel to improve the CPUs in 1990, as compared to 1980? How does that compare to the previous decade? Thank you. I'm not quite a "history buff" but the implications of history are of course of interest.

3 ms·

If you think wars don't spur technological changes, I suggest you look at the planes of 1940 vs those of 1945. Inventions in WW2 avaiation include radar and the

by jmyeet 5y ago

oblio 5y ago
I didn't say they wars didn't do anything. I said they probably do <<less>> than the equivalent peacetime. 99% of the examples you and other commenters use are in the military field. And frankly, I know all of them, I'm a history buff. Let's compare the washing machines of 1990 with those of 1995, instead. Let's compare Intel CPUs of 1980 with those of 1990. Let's compare desktop publishing in 1995 with that in 2000. Heck, the more answers I get the more I'm convinced people are also partly influenced (I don't want to say brainwashed), by military R&D propaganda that needs to justify its budgets. For every radar and jet engine there's a F22 jet fighter.
- dotancohen 5y ago
  > And frankly, I know all of them, I'm a history buff. Then your perspective would be appreciated with facts, not questions. Though I agree that often the questions are more interesting :) I'm interested in dispelling the notion that war spurs innovation, even though I hold this view I'd love any excuse to demonstrate that we don't "need" wars. What were the specific technologies that led to the change in washing machines from 1990 to 1995? How does that compare to a war-period of development? What drove Intel to improve the CPUs in 1990, as compared to 1980? How does that compare to the previous decade? Thank you. I'm not quite a "history buff" but the implications of history are of course of interest.