Part 6: Chapter 22, A Fire in the Sun Summary and Analysis

McDougall reiterates the purpose of his book - to trace the development of space technology. There are various ambiguities associated with the space age. The launch of Sputnik and the Cold War brought about a situation where technology was financed and pushed by government. The more backward a society is, the more needed is the push by government. The advanced nations justify their push for technology to maintain their security. Some, like Pope Pius VII, view technology to be a tool that humans use and the tool should be used for morally neutral purposes. Does science and technology present a problem between religion and science? Pope Pius VII didn't seem to think so.

"My instinct tells me that our science and technology, feeble as they are in controlling Nature...