20th Century History

[aguy2]

Do you think it is too early to say that, "Human destiny in the 20th century was largely pre-determined by 3 things, give or take a little. These 3 things being 75mm guns, 105mm guns, and 155mm guns."?

aguy2

[Pangloss]

I think it's too *late* to say that. The supposition might have been put forth with some validity in the 1950s, but the later half was defined more (militarily speaking) by aircraft than by large-bore artillary.

[Jim]

Do you think it is too early to say that' date=' "Human destiny in the 20th century was largely pre-determined by 3 things, give or take a little. These 3 things being 75mm guns, 105mm guns, and 155mm guns."?

aguy2[/quote']

 

 

My vote would be for the physicists working in the early part of the 20th century. Their theories culminated in nuclear weaponry which, after two global wars in the first half of the century, kept the world from a third. Without nuclear weaponry, as much as we hate them, the world would now be a very different place.

 

Alternatively, I would vote for the tabulating machines of Hollerith. The impact of these machines was immediate and dramatic facilitating the census, social security and, possibly, the Holocaust. (The later being a controversial proposition.")

[gcol]

Alternatively' date=' I would vote for the tabulating machines of Hollerith. The impact of these machines was immediate and dramatic facilitating the census, social security QUOTE']

 

Ah yes, Hollerith machines, worked on those, late 50's, punchimg the cards by hand, plug-panel programming. Museum pieces now, makes me really old. Bill Gates is just a young whippersnapper.

[aguy2]

Alternatively' date=' I would vote for the tabulating machines of Hollerith. The impact of these machines was immediate and dramatic facilitating the census, social security QUOTE']

 

Ah yes, Hollerith machines, worked on those, late 50's, punchimg the cards by hand, plug-panel programming. Museum pieces now, makes me really old. Bill Gates is just a young whippersnapper.

 

Would you believe in 1967 I got hired by a then blue chip mid-western corp to train as a computer operator. I was told to start work at 4pm. I showed up and someone showed me where the mens room was, and how to egress/regress the quite secure facility within a home office setting. I walked into the computer room for the 1st time at 4:55 pm and was told, "Well, there it is, here is list of things we would like done, here are some numbers if you run into problems, if you don't get it all done, don't worry Bruce will be in at 11." and they all trooped out at 5 sharp. And there I was with a brand new IBM1401 and I had never seen a computer in my life.

aguy2

[bascule]

Do you think it is too early to say that' date=' "Human destiny in the 20th century was largely pre-determined by 3 things, give or take a little. These 3 things being 75mm guns, 105mm guns, and 155mm guns."?

aguy2[/quote']

 

I would say: the human condition in the 20th century was most largely influenced by the creation of the atomic bomb

[aguy2]

I would say: the human condition in the 20th century was most largely influenced by the creation of the atomic bomb

 

The 'bomb' didn't come into the world till the century was almost 1/2 over, and a couple of years after the destiny of the 20th century world had been determined at Kursk or there about.

aguy2

[Pangloss]

 

Would you believe in 1967 I got hired by a then blue chip mid-western corp to train as a computer operator. I was told to start work at 4pm. I showed up and someone showed me where the mens room was' date=' and how to egress/regress the quite secure facility within a home office setting. I walked into the computer room for the 1st time at 4:55 pm and was told, "Well, there it is, here is list of things we would like done, here are some numbers if you run into problems, if you don't get it all done, don't worry Bruce will be in at 11." and they all trooped out at 5 sharp. And there I was with a brand new IBM1401 and I had never seen a computer in my life.

aguy2[/quote']

 

Great story.

[Jim]

 

Would you believe in 1967 I got hired by a then blue chip mid-western corp to train as a computer operator. I was told to start work at 4pm. I showed up and someone showed me where the mens room was' date=' and how to egress/regress the quite secure facility within a home office setting. I walked into the computer room for the 1st time at 4:55 pm and was told, "Well, there it is, here is list of things we would like done, here are some numbers if you run into problems, if you don't get it all done, don't worry Bruce will be in at 11." and they all trooped out at 5 sharp. And there I was with a brand new IBM1401 and I had never seen a computer in my life.

aguy2[/quote']

 

Lol. I can't top that but my first and only computer class was with punch cards. Lots of good that does me now...

[Jim]

Alternatively' date=' I would vote for the tabulating machines of Hollerith. The impact of these machines was immediate and dramatic facilitating the census, social security QUOTE']

 

Ah yes, Hollerith machines, worked on those, late 50's, punchimg the cards by hand, plug-panel programming. Museum pieces now, makes me really old. Bill Gates is just a young whippersnapper.

 

I remember the first Apple my folks bought - spent about $6k and it had no hard drive.

[Aardvark]

Radar.

 

No radar. 3rd Reich win WW2.

[john5746]

Globalization of Information

[bascule]

The 'bomb' didn't come into the world till the century was almost 1/2 over, and a couple of years after the destiny of the 20th century world had been determined at Kursk or there about.

 

The bomb marked the first time in history that our species could effectively wipe itself off the face of the planet.

 

This concept marked dramatic changes which penetrated all levels of society.

 

The explosion at Trinity pretty much sounded the death knell for modernism. Suddenly everyone realized that everything humanity struggled to achieve over the centuries could be wiped out in a nuclear holocaust, and furthermore that the bomb was the natural result of our progress (i.e. progress can yield complete annihilation... and what kind of progress is that?). At this point humans were forced to ask themselves what all that progress was really for, and I think it was out of that question that post-modernism was really born.

 

Everyone was forced to accept that Damocles' atomic sword was precariously dangling above their heads every hour of every day, and that we all must prepare for the eventuality of a nuclear holocaust.

 

Barring john's answer (Globalization of Information) I cannot think of a single more important event in the 20th century than the creation of the atomic bomb.

[aguy2]

The bomb marked the first time in history that our species could effectively wipe itself off the face of the planet.

 

This concept marked dramatic changes which penetrated all levels of society.

 

The explosion at Trinity pretty much sounded the death knell for modernism. Suddenly everyone realized that everything humanity struggled to achieve over the centuries could be wiped out in a nuclear holocaust' date=' and furthermore that the bomb was the natural result of our progress (i.e. progress can yield complete annihilation... and what kind of progress is that?). At this point humans were forced to ask themselves what all that progress was really for, and I think it was out of that question that post-modernism was really born.

 

Everyone was forced to accept that Damocles' atomic sword was precariously dangling above their heads every hour of every day, and that we all must prepare for the eventuality of a nuclear holocaust.

 

Barring john's answer (Globalization of Information) I cannot think of a single more important event in the 20th century than the creation of the atomic bomb.[/quote']

You've presented a pretty good case. Maybe I should change my statement and just talk of the 1st half of century?

aguy2

[Jim]

The bomb marked the first time in history that our species could effectively wipe itself off the face of the planet.

 

This concept marked dramatic changes which penetrated all levels of society.

 

The explosion at Trinity pretty much sounded the death knell for modernism. Suddenly everyone realized that everything humanity struggled to achieve over the centuries could be wiped out in a nuclear holocaust' date=' and furthermore that the bomb was the natural result of our progress (i.e. progress can yield complete annihilation... and what kind of progress is that?). At this point humans were forced to ask themselves what all that progress was really for, and I think it was out of that question that post-modernism was really born.

 

Everyone was forced to accept that Damocles' atomic sword was precariously dangling above their heads every hour of every day, and that we all must prepare for the eventuality of a nuclear holocaust.

 

Barring john's answer (Globalization of Information) I cannot think of a single more important event in the 20th century than the creation of the atomic bomb.[/quote']

 

I think we actually have complete agreement for once. The only slight disagreement we have is that I initially posted that development of the theories by physicists that fixed our destiny. Once the theories were known, Trinity was inevitable.

 

My second nomination was the Hollerith machine which was the event which put in play the globalization of information. Manipulating people as data came first in the preparation of census information, then to implement a massive social program and then genocide. Being into Kurzweil, I thought you would opt for the event which presaged "people as data" over the bomb but for me it is a close call.

 

Maybe it's fair to say that the bomb dominated the 20th century primarily by what didn't happen - a third world war. The invention of the Hollerith machine was the event which predestined the 21st century.

[Jim]

Radar.

 

No radar. 3rd Reich win WW2.

 

You could say the same of other technologies in WWII. Eisenhower said' date=' "'Andrew Higgins..is the man who won the war for us." He's referring to the lowly Higgens' boats that carried the troops ashore on DDay. Kind of makes you wonder what we would have done without those boats....

 

Of course there is also the decryption of the enigma machine. This kind of dovetails with the information theme.