In addition to the impact on the arms and space race, the Cold War has affected research in agriculture, biomedicine, computer science, among others. It was a period in history with one of the largest state investments in science and technology research. Some of the technologies elaborated during this period greatly facilitated modern life and allowed us to do many things that our ancestors could not.
Below are some technologies developed during the Cold War and what you can do with them today.
Microwave oven
: Anyone who often heats chocolate chips or bread with cheese in the microwave may not imagine, but is using a legitimate product that came about thanks to military engineering. During the beginning of the Cold War in 1945, American engineer Percy Spencer worked with radar technology, more precisely in the construction of parts capable of generating electromagnetic waves (magnetrons). During his many hours of service, Spencer realized that a chocolate bar in his pocket had melted. It was not long before the engineer came to the conclusion that the candy had been heated by the microwaves. After that, research continued and popcorn was the first food to be prepared in the world with the new technique.
Computers: The world's first electronic computer, known as ENIAC, began to be developed during World War II in the United States, but was not ready until 1946 during the Cold War. Used primarily for ballistic calculations, this "giant brain" - as the press of the time referred to it - was a key player in the development of the hydrogen bomb, which the country tested in 1952.
Internet: Still during the Cold War, the United States sought a means of communication and data storage that would be decentralized, that is, that would continue to function even if part of it had been bombed. Thus, ARPA, a military agency specially developed for the creation of this project, funded studies and academic research that could lead to the creation of ARPANET, as our beloved internet was called at that time. In the beginning, access to this network was restricted for military use, and later was also released for academic use.
In January 1973, the Supreme Court issued a 7–2 decision ruling that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides a "right to privacy" that protects a pregnant woman's right to choose whether or not to have an abortion.
