Sex, Bombs and Burgers

How War, Porn and Fast Food Created Technology as we Know it

Resource Review

Description
Technology Journalist Peter Nowak investigated a range of consumer technologies which, he explains, are the result of military innovation adapted by the fast food and pornography industries – "...military money has funded the development of most of the modern items we use today". Nowak discusses examples such as kitchen appliances, genetically modified seeds, Global Positioning systems, JPEG images and consumer uptake of the internet.

Curriculum / Qualifications links

This book would be of interest to teachers of Technology, Science, Social Sciences, English and Business Studies. Nowak describes why and how the various outcomes were first developed before being adopted or modified by business and then becoming, in some cases, standard household items. There are strong links to aspects of all three curriculum strands, particularly Nature of Technology and Technological Knowledge, and the examples relate to the Curriculum Objectives and individual Indicators of Progression. The book also looks at the positive and negative impacts of these technologies on people and the environment.

Content

Novak considers examples of technology developed for the military, how they have been adopted by the fast food and porn industries, and their subsequent use by average consumers. The microwave ovens found in most Western households are derived from the Radar technology developed during World War II. A sealant developed for plutonium production during the war led to Teflon frying pans, while a protective film for planes gave rise to the plastic food wrap used in commercial and home food storage.

Another World War II invention, the mass spectrometer used in making atomic bombs, allows scientists to accurately identify different molecules and generated a new food industry – flavour production. And the frozen foods we buy come from technology developed to make frozen juice for the US army; the fast food industry used this technology to ensure effective, economical supplies of materials, such as standard potatoes for the hot chips they sell.

The array of home cameras available to consumers evolved from the military development of cameras during the war, via their adoption by businesses producing porn films. Some popular children's toys are also derived from military technology – the Slinky toy from springs used to stabilise sensitive instruments on navy ships, while Silly Putty is based on a substance originally developed as a potential rubber substitute to overcome a rubber shortage during the war.

Ease of use

Although, at 334 pages, it's not a quick read, the book is very readable. The chapters cover specific areas of technological innovation and don't need to be looked at in sequence, so a teacher could suggest a particular chapter for a student to read. A Food Technology teacher, for example, might recommend a Year 13 student (or students) look at the chapters on food chemistry or packaging in the food industry.

Rating

National Technology Professional Development Facilitator Paul Neveldsen finds the book useful for the classroom and as a professional development tool. He has used examples of product development such as the Barbie doll and Slinky as discussion starters, because students already have a connection to them. "It's a good way of getting across to students, even a group of younger students, how technology works in the real world."

Paul says that the material can be used to engage teachers in the type of professional development they wouldn't get in the usual structured format. "It's a book that's going to enhance our understandings of the curriculum. A group of teachers could read a short excerpt and discuss how it demonstrates a particular Indicator then look for another example that would be relevant to their students. If you look at exploring materials, different ways of modelling ideas or playing around with concepts to get to a finished result, it's all there."

Accessibility

Sex, Bombs and Burgers, published in 2010, was issued in New Zealand and Australia by Allen & Unwin in a soft-cover format. The book is available at some public libraries and can be purchased through major book stores.