Comparison between the cultural impact of Quantum physics to the reaction to the Theory of Natural Selection
This thesis shall be limited to the cultural impacts of Darwin’s theory of evolution especially in Europe and the United States of America. Initially, the western world believed that the world was created in six days by a supernatural being. Therefore, advancement of the theory of natural selection was widely accepted by the scientific community but vehemently rejected by the religious leaders. In addition to this, the theory had political implications in the essence that it advanced for socialism as a remedy for the challenges posed by capitalism. The theory highlighted the human wellbeing under the perspective of capitalism and thus aided the cultivation of socialism in the western world.
Quantum mechanics is the basis of the big bang theory which describes the scientific origin of the universe based on gravity and the macroscopic behavior of matter. This was a contradiction to the creation theory. The populism of the theory today was also in relation modernism specifically arts, and literature. This implies that the theory of quantum physics advanced the notion that everything is relative. Initially, art was viewed upon in three dimensions; namely length, width and height. Quantum physics on the other hand is believed to have introduced the concept of the fourth dimension; spatial-temporal dimension. Literary impact of theory was evident in terms of the number of books that were published in relation to the theory including books by Russian Mathematician, Aleksandr Friedmann, and British astronomer, Arthur Eddington.
Of the two theories, quantum physics had the most impact on western culture because we not only live in a relative world but also a literary and artistic rich in which the main dimension is spatial-temporal.
The social and cultural impact of the Sputnik
The Sputnik which was launched in 1957 had a significant impact not only in the United States of America but also on other parts of the world; it birthed hope and also inspired fear. Before the launch of the Sputnik, there was a renewed zeal in science. Therefore the launching of the Sputnik crowned this zeal and gave hope that indeed, it was possible for the imagined possibilities in science to become a reality. Aspirations were birthed in young minds with some of them aspiring to become cosmonauts and astronauts. Notable among those who were inspired by the launch of the Sputnik was NASA astronaut Frank Chiaz. The hope birthed by the launch of the Sputnik found it way to modern popular culture. Isaac Asimov preferred to be referred to as a science writer rather than a science fiction writer following the launch of the Sputnik. Stephen King began to feature space ships in his works.
The launch of the Sputnik by the Soviet Union was viewed as a threat to the scientific and technological prowess of the USA. The Soviet Union had won the space race and the USA had not foreseen this. As a result of the fear and panic, the engineers received massive support from the government in an effort to speed up the pace at which they came up with inventions. Microchip technology that is often used in laptops nowadays was invented in the USA as a result of the Sputnik crisis.
Works Cited
Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 20 June 2012. 26 June 2012
Dickson, Paul. Sputnik's Impact on America. 7 June 2011. 26 June 2012
Esearch Ethods. The Impact of the Darwin-Wallace Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. 29 May 1999. 26 June 2012
