The Cold War and American Science

Event Details

Stuart Leslie, a professor from Johns Hopkins, gives a lecture on American scientific innovation during the Cold War. He explains that science became harnessed to defense initiatives in America. This, Leslie argues, has both positive and negative consequences. The positive side of this alliance was the development of superior weaponry; the negative aspect was the excessive preoccupation with defense technology. During the questioning session Leslie addresses the role of American universities in this phenomenon, the scientific world in relation to the end of the Cold War, medical research, and the societal implications of scientific developments.