THE RAILROAD AND THE SPACE PROGRAM--AN EXPLORATION IN HISTORICAL ANALOGY

This volume, one of a series, results from an inquiry by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences into the impact of the national space efforts on American society and was funded by NASA. The editors have focused their attention on historical analogy as a device to assist in forecasting or projecting the impact of the space program. The coming of the railroad was chosen as most comparable to America's space program. In the 19th century the railroad was the "tremendous and far-reaching engine of social revolution" which left its mark on a whole range of areas--economic, sociological, political and intellectual. Analyzed is the relationship between the railroad and contemporary technology, the effect of the railroad on growth of the U.S. economy, the railroad's part in creating modern industrial administration, and its effect on people's ideas of the world in which they lived.

• Corporate Authors:

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press

  55 Haywood Street
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142-1493
• Publication Date: 1965

Media Info

• Features: Tables;
• Pagination: 223 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aerospace engineering; History; Industry structure; Management; Politics; Socioeconomic factors; Technological forecasting; Technology
• Uncontrolled Terms: Aerospace technology
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; History; Railroads; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00322980
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 30 1980 12:00AM