Science and Technology

Since the earliest days of recorded history, people have sought to understand the world around them. Accordingly, from the creation of the first known numerical system in Mesopotamia five thousand years ago to the first moon landing in July 1969, human beings have invented a wide array of technologies – and made countless discoveries – that have transformed our world beyond recognition. Over the centuries, scientific inquiry has generated major advances in transport, medicine, energy, and communications, eventually leading us into a “digital age”. At the same time, technological developments have given rise to the invention of nuclear weapons and devastated our planet’s climate system. Put simply, science has both liberated and oppressed; it has brought both peace and destruction. Consequently, the theme of “Science and Technology” is essential to understanding the historical processes that continue to shape our everyday lives.

“Science and Technology” converges with several other themes at BOA, most notably “Medicine”, “Media and Communications”, and “Philosophy and Religion”. Due to the importance of this theme to historical research, the collections shown below provide crucial insights into a variety of historical and geographical contexts. They reveal the transformative effects of the industrial revolution and highlight the increasing interconnectedness of societies over time; they explore the horrors of modern warfare and chart the birth of modern medicine; they underline key innovations in agriculture and urban infrastructure; and they document the trajectory of both the “arms race” and the “space race” after the Second World War.