DailyTech - Looking Back: Sputnik's Importance

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Blog: Science Looking Back: Sputnik's Importance
Michael Hoffman (Blog) - October 10, 2007 12:55 PM

14 comment(s) - last by Screwballl.. on Oct 12 at 1:19 PM

Sputnik 1 (Source: NASA)

Remembering Sputnik 50 years later

Even though the Sputnik anniversary took place last week, on Thursday, October 4, the additional time has allowed my mind to finally grasp the significance of such an amazing event 50 years ago.

The Sputnik launch was highly celebrated in Russia and other parts of the world, with unmanned space missions effectively ushering in a new era of space excitement. The first Sputnik satellite had a 23-inch diameter and weighed in at 183-lbs., but the fact that it became the Earth's second satellite - the first man-made satellite - is of significant importance. As the craft whizzed around during its 96-minute Orbit of our planet, the Soviets were thrilled while Americans were jealous and worried about Russia's progress.

"My bubble had burst. I had thought that the United States was the scientific and technological leader of the world. But the Soviets had just thrashed us on our own home field," said Normal Augustine, a San Francisco Chronicle reporter who was a Princeton University graduate student at the time of the Sputnik launch.

Since the Soviets were the first to launch a satellite into orbit, the United States gave science and mathematics research a new priority. It cannot be forgotten that Sputnik's launch also helped influence a new generation of teaching for children and college students in Russia, in an attempt to make sure they stayed technologically superior to the Americans.

"It influenced a new type of education, so-called specialized schools, which started soon after Sputnik," said Vasil Kharchenko, a scientist who now lives in the U.S. "My generation enjoyed the benefits of the post-Sputnik era. We got for free the best education in science and mathematics."

Although my generation is seeing a growing space race between several different nations trying to get back to the moon and eventually to Mars, it simply can't be compared to the day Sputnik began to orbit Earth.

Speaking of Sputnik, Google received a bit of flak after changing the Google logo to highlight the anniversary of Sputnik. It looks like a well known right-wing online news publication took strong offense to Google giving props to "communist Sputnik" while deciding not to celebrate Memorial Day.

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No conspiracy

By Ringold on 10/11/2007 12:20:32 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
It looks like a well known right-wing online news publication took strong offense to Google giving props to "communist Sputnik" while deciding not to celebrate Memorial Day.

To be fair, on the diplomatic side, Sputnik did cause America a bit of consternation and we had little reason, at that particular point, to doubt that Khrushchev wasn't being truthful when he said he was rolling out similar missiles like sausages off a machine, pouring just a little bit more lighter fluid on the era.

Not too long after, when ever the first U2 overflights were, Eisenhower became aware that by hundreds or thousands of ICBM's Khrushchev really meant 4 ICBMs.. but even that didn't become widely known for a while.

I suppose it was just an oversight, though. Might also be a reflection of the fact that its location and it's employees demographics don't likely yield a lot of employees with powerful patriotic zeal that dare not miss a single national holiday but it probably does produce a workforce that has a few people in it that likely know detailed specs of the Sputnik satellite itself. Nothing criminal or of il intent.. I don't reckon, at least. I don't know what news organization you were refering to (Fox might be the only major TV one but there are scores on the net and in print) but they can have a hair trigger.

RE: No conspiracy

By Proteusza on 10/11/2007 5:40:46 AM , Rating: 4

I just had a look on Wiki, and from what I can tell, Memorial Day celebrates those who fell in the various wars the USA has fought in.

The thing is, although Google is an American country, Sputnik is something the entire world can be proud of - its a human achievement as much as it is a Russian one. We should celebrate any human achievement in the arts or sciences as such.

Memorial Day is unfortunately American only, and therefore is not representative of the planet. No disrespect to those who have died.

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RE: No conspiracy

By TomZ on 10/11/2007 1:34:03 PM , Rating: 2

One could argue that American solders have had a global effect, maybe changing the world even more significantly than Sputnik, e.g., in WWII.

I'm not calling for a global Memorial Day, however. But Ggoogle might be wrong to not recognize this holiday since they wouldn't be able to exist except for the freedom provided in part by the sacrifices made by military servicemen and women.

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RE: No conspiracy

By Ringold on 10/11/2007 1:53:32 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
But Ggoogle might be wrong to not recognize this holiday since they wouldn't be able to exist except for the freedom provided in part by the sacrifices made by military servicemen and women.

Exactly. Given that Google's voraciously consumed the brightest young talent in the industry I think they could figure out how to display something for Memorial Day to US visitors while excluding Canadians, Chinese, etc.

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RE: No conspiracy

By Screwballl on 10/12/2007 1:19:36 PM , Rating: 2

exactly...
in other parts of the world, many use google.XX with XX being their country's domain. google.ca, google.com.jp, google.hk and so on. So they could very easily put Memorial Day for IPs originating in the US and everywhere else have a normal heading.

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RE: No conspiracy

By maven81 on 10/11/2007 6:04:36 PM , Rating: 2

While I don't support everything that google does, and sometimes find their actions disconcerting... they are a private company, not a government agency, and have the right to decide what holidays or events they want to emphasize. Just like my company could decide to celebrate, or not celebrate something.
To use that freedom to label someone as unpatriotic is deeply ironic. Just like the recent silliness about flag pins and whatnot.
Besides this thread is about Sputnik, not about other historical events that mattered. Or can we not have a discussion without pointing out how great America is?
If anything Sputnik is an excellent example of what happens when American society starts feeling too comfortable and good about themselves, forgetting that there's a whole world out there. It was a very positive force that woke people up and reminded them of the value of education, determination, and exploration (among other things). Like the computerworld article mentioned below points out, it's something that can happen again.
Think about that for a second.

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RE: No conspiracy

By darkpaw on 10/11/2007 2:34:54 PM , Rating: 2

I haven't heard of this issue prior to this (or really care about it in general), but I doubt it is just due to the fact that its a US Holiday. They do changes for other US holidays like July 4th, Thanksgiving, etc do they not?

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Proper due

By masher2

(blog) on 10/11/2007 12:18:39 AM , Rating: 2

When I lived in Moscow, one of my favorite spots to visit was the enormous status of Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, right outside of one of the city's busiest subway stations. Say what you want about the Soviets, but they certainly gave their space heroes their proper due.

Its always saddened me that the US entered the space race more with an eye towards beating the USSR, rather than out of any inherent understanding of the benefits and value of manned spaceflight.

RE: Proper due

By Master Kenobi

(blog) on 10/11/2007 7:11:29 AM , Rating: 2

Thats why the U.S. doesn't turn out as many high caliber math and science students. It's just not something Americans take seriously.

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RE: Proper due

By jacarte8 on 10/11/2007 11:31:57 AM , Rating: 2

Clearly... it's much more politically important to be better than your rivals than to be doing any good for humanity. That's why we're not focusing resources on the future, but are wasting resources on maintaining the status quo.

It's definitely a sad thing. However, most people really don't have a concept of humanity as a whole and never will. The "Greatest Generation" is far more concerned about their own financial raping of the youth than with the future of society or humanity as a whole.

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RE: Proper due

By maven81 on 10/11/2007 6:08:59 PM , Rating: 2

You mean like keeping the name of the chief designer a complete secret, and not letting him receive the nobel prize? Not even acknowledging his existance until his death?
I agree, cosmonauts got fame and fortune, but the people that actually worked to place them up there... not so much.
I hear that the "cosmos pavilion" was turned into a dealership at some point, but I believe they have recently fixed that mistake.

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RE: Proper due

By mars777 on 10/11/2007 9:00:31 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
You mean like keeping the name of the chief designer a complete secret

I didn't know that one.

But when i think about it... its completely logical.
It was in the days of cold war.
They, or the guy himself, were afraid of spies/asassins.

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Computerworld article

By darkpaw on 10/10/2007 10:41:57 PM , Rating: 3

A few weeks back there was an excellent Article on Computerworld.com entitled Happy Birthday, Sputnik! (Thanks for the Internet). It explains how the launch of Sputnik ended up leading towards the beginnings of the Internet and many other modern technologies.

I found it very interesting, here's the link for anyone that might not have seen it and is interested:

http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command...

RE: Computerworld article

By Michael Hoffman on 10/10/2007 11:46:27 PM , Rating: 2

Hi darkpaw, thanks for posting the link to the Computerworld article!

Here are a couple of other articles that I enjoyed reading:

http://www.theheraldbulletin.com/opinion/local_sto...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003...
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spe/ni...

The amount of posted editorials regarding Sputnik really astounded me!

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