Question

Describe what you think was the most beneficial change in engineering practice as a result of the military-industrial-university complex in the Cold War, and why (2-3 sentences). Then state what you think was the least beneficial change in engineering practice as a result of the military-industrial-university complex in the Cold War, and why (2-3 sentences).

Answer 1

Answer:

The military-industrial-university complex during the cold war was a form of informal alliance between the government, the academic world and the industries (usually privately owned industries).  The alliance was supported by the government, that played the major role of financing the production of military hardware and its consumption.

The most beneficial change in engineering practice was that new production methods, and new technologies were discovered in the rush to create the most sophisticated military weapons. One of the areas that benefited from this alliance is the aviation industry; that saw the development of super-fast jets and radar and night vision technologies. Some of these technologies have found their ways into civilian usage.  

The least beneficial change was that most government spending was channeled into the development of military technology, suppressing the development of other civilian technologies and production techniques. Some companies that were not related to the military were not able to access the results of some research in the academic world, as they were classified until the cold war tension came to an end.