The 1900s Science and Technology: Overview

Scientific and technological advancements invented and perfected during the early 1900s had significant effects throughout the twentieth century. Intense thought, research, and experimentation in the fields of mechanics, communications, physics, genetics, and psychology dominated the decade. Scientists in America and around the world worked to develop breakthroughs that would enhance the quality of human life.

The three most important inventions developed during the decade included the automobile, the airplane, and the radio. Each new device transformed American life by greatly expanding the average citizen's opportunities for travel and communication. Henry Ford and other Americans improved the automobile, which had been invented in Germany. Soon the United States was covered with paved roads, and people were able to travel great distances in a swift and affordable manner. No other technological achievement of the early 1900s captured the public's imagination more than the airplane. The ability of humans to take flight symbolized the unlimited potential of the dawning century. Radio, which had evolved from advances in telegraph and telephone technology, was a revolutionary step forward in communications because, unlike its predecessors, it did not require wires.

Discoveries in science and technology during the 1900s were shared internationally. A breakthrough announced in one nation was quickly followed by an exchange of ideas and theories from around the globe. Scientists and inventors in other countries offered suggestions for possible improvements and notions for building upon the initial idea. The automobile owes its creation to inventors primarily in Germany, France, and the United States. The race to invent the airplane was mainly between the Wright brothers of Ohio and their counterparts in France. A combination of American, Italian, English, and Croatian scientists were responsible for the birth of radio.

While American technology advanced rapidly during the early 1900s, American science did not keep pace. In the late nineteenth century, there were only a few thousand American research scientists working throughout the nation. University programs stressing theoretical research grew very slowly because professors favored sciences with more practical applications, such as agriculture and engineering. Although the United States lagged behind Europe in scientific achievements, the country's best thinkers closely followed the breakthroughs of their foreign counterparts. For example, American biologists and plant and animal breeders carefully watched the developments in the new science of genetics, which had grown from the discoveries of Gregor Mendel and others. Great European minds such as Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud introduced their theories during the decade inspiring thinkers around the world. American astronomers participated in international space research and made significant contributions to the field from their home observatories. One of the most significant changes in science was greater emphasis on research for its own sake in universities and laboratories across the nation. Scientists were now encouraged to probe the mysteries of the physical world, not just to solve practical concerns, but also to focus on pure research to benefit humanity.