What Is The Role Of Technological Advances In The Soviet Union's Sputnik

Out of this article, it goes to show that scientific research has come a long way and has evolved in many different forms. There have been many different influential individuals, all of whom had different professions (some of them not being in the scientific area of research). Nonetheless, the idea that technological advances weren’t always present in the United States may shock some individuals growing up in today’s society. The idea that the Soviet Union’s Sputnik launching was what encouraged and started the invention, mediation, and creation of these technological advances is something that intrigues me. The main reason why is because there have been so many things that have influenced many different aspects of the U.S., and knowing that
Sputnik was the thing that put the U.S. over the edge to start technological advancements is amazing. I’m sure other forces were used as part of this decision, but the icing on the top was the launching of Sputnik. The one quote that stuck out to me was, “Many research advances are being made outside of the United States, as other countries increase their commitment to their own scientific research efforts.” The main reason why I found this quote interesting is because, at one point in time, science was thought to be run by and mainly done only in the United States. Seeing that the advancement in not only using technology, but creating new scientific advances within technology stemmed solely from the United States. Nonetheless, this brought up a vital question of concern for me. Therefore, with other countries advancing in their own scientific research, does that mean that the U.S. not as committed, lacking, or at the same level as they’ve always been? At the same time, what can we do to ensure that technological advances are being made that follow social and political policies? Clearly, there’s not a way to please everyone, but the fact that there is no clear definition for social policy is something that is concerning. In one country, an individual can do something that is completely illegal in another country. Therefore, having a definition and social policy guidelines put in place will help scientists worldwide.