Since the mass production of Henry Ford's Model T, car enthusiasts have been redesigning, rebuilding, and reengineering their vehicles for increased speed and technical efficiency. They purchase aftermarket parts, reconstruct engines, and enhance body designs, all in an effort to personalize and improve their vehicles. Why do these car enthusiasts ......
NASA and the Technopolitics of Supersonic Transportation, 1945-1999
Erik M. Conway constructs an insightful history that focuses primarily on the political and commercial factors responsible for the rise and fall of American supersonic transport research programs. Conway charts commercial supersonic research efforts through the changing relationships between international and domestic politicians, government ......
Human-like (or hominoid) machines fascinate us, and they have become increasingly important in post - World War II industry and space exploration. Where did the idea for such devices come from? What varied uses do they serve in our world, and where do they seem to be headed? Lisa Nocks capitalizes on the salience of these issues, tracing the ......
The airplane has redefined the way in which people travel, conduct commerce, spend their leisure time, and wage war. From the Wright brothers' wood-and-fabric Flyer to the modern jet aircraft, the airplane has evolved in countless ways as its many uses have unfolded. The development of safe and efficient air travel required solving multiple ......
Guns have existed in various forms for hundreds of years, and few objects have had such an immense impact on world history. Firearms traces their evolutionfrom the handheld weapons of ancient humans to the medieval guns of China to modern assault rifles and hunting tools. This rich and surprising story uncovers centuries of trial and error and ......
Technology, in its current usage, can most simply be understood to have three components: artifacts, practices, and knowledge. Artifacts are the material objects that exist in the world. Practices are the methods and techniques used to interact with artifacts and knowledge represents the underlying theoretical and conceptual paradigms that influence technology in different cultural contexts. Using these components as the framework, this four volume major work traces the intellectual, scholarly, and public evolution of technology studies and ultimately questions whether technologies are truly autonomous within the societies they inhabit and whether or not technological changes drive social changes. Rayvon David Fouche presents the evolving conceptualizations of technology to understand the ways in which technology has shaped global society. Technology Studies is part of the 'Key Issues for the 21st Century' series published by SAGE which brings together collections on those critical issues that will shape our future. This four-volume set covers: Volume 1: Conceptualizing Technology Volume 2: Theorizing Technological Change Volume 3: Politics of Technology Volume 4: Technology and Culture
The nature-nurture debate continues to stir controversy in the social and behavioral sciences. How much of human behavior and development can be attributed to biology and how much to the environment? Can either be said to “determine” human development? And what are the implications of each view for society? In this important study, ......
Although building a space station has been an extraordinary challenge for America's scientists and engineers, the securing and sustaining of presidential approval, congressional support, and longterm funding for the project was an enormous task for bureaucrats. The Space Station Decision examines the history of this controversial initiative and ......
The growth of engineering and science has affected military technology, organization, and practice from the colonial era to the present day. At the same time, military concerns have influenced, and often funded, American engineering and scientific development. American Military Technology chronicles the interactions of technology and science with ......
