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Then: Military Technology in Everyday Life

Author: Sophia

what's covered

In this lesson, you will learn about what has probably become the most common military technology to make it into our everyday life -- the internet. There have been many advances that we have acquired as a result of the military. We cannot say that we wouldn’t have developed these technologies had it not been for the military, but it is safe to say we developed sooner than we otherwise would have because of the military. Specifically, this lesson will cover:

Military Technology in Everyday Life

before you start

How has military technology changed civilian life?

1. Military Technology in Everyday Life

Over the past few lessons, you’ve read about how the military rapidly creates and integrates new technologies. Many military innovations have gone on to be used by civilians in everyday life (Dugan & Gabriel, 2013). Nuclear technology first developed for atomic weapons is now used to generate electricity, for example, and microwaves that were first employed for radar are now used to heat food. Other military innovations that have been adapted to civilian use include the Global Positioning System (GPS) and duct tape.

And this technology crossover isn’t just a recent trend: the metalworking techniques invented to forge strong armor in the Middle Ages were also critically important to the development of agricultural tools. If we look back to the great artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, we’ll see that many of the problems he tried to solve had military origins. We can find examples of many military devices sketched in his notebooks, including early plans for tanks, fire-throwing devices, crossbows, and armed chariots (Willings, 2019). His inventions began as ways to use technology to create an advantage in war, but his ideas had far-reaching effects in civilian life as well.

Reproduction of page from notebook of Leonardo da Vinci showing giant crossbow — **Drawing of a giant crossbow by Leonardo da Vinci, ca. 1485**

One thing you may not know was invented in the military is the internet. Military researchers began exploring the possibility of a digital communication network in 1977, and with rising tensions during the Cold War, they worked to create a product that would let military forces coordinate and communicate more effectively. This product laid the foundation for the internet that has now become central to our lives.

summary

In this lesson, you learned that for hundreds of years, technology developed by the military for the purpose of war has found broader applications in civilian life. A recent example of military technology in everyday life is the internet.

Best of luck in your learning!

Source: Strategic Education, Inc. 2020. Learn from the Past, Prepare for the Future.

REFERENCES

Dugan, R., Gabriel, K. (2013, October). Special Forces’ Innovation: How DARPA Attacks Problems. Harvard Business Review. www.hbr.org/2013/10/special-forces-innovation-how-darpa-attacks-problems

Willings, Adrian. (2019, May 31). 28 Ways Military Tech Changed Our Lives. Pocket-lint. www.pocket-lint.com/gadgets/news/143526-how-military-tech-changed-our-lives

Attributions

Drawing of a giant crossbow by Leonardo da Vinci, ca. 1485 | Author: Leonardo da Vinci / Library of Congress | License: Public Domain