The Saddest Lesson I Learned from the Search for Malaysia Flight 370

Spy Satellite

There's probably no point in setting up a scale of misery and heartbreak surrounding the tragic disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370. The pain their families have continued to suffer is truly unimaginable and my heart goes out to them. But something else also brought me to the brink of tears the more I reflected on it. Even though international coordination was slow to get off the ground, I was amazed at how many countries had spy satellites, scouring images from the missing flight.  It was not merely the United States, Russia and China, but Iran, England, India, Afghanistan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Israel as well. 

So I ask: throughout history what has been the fastest way that humans have transferred new technologies from one side of the globe to another? I would like for the answer to be trade. But the real answer is of course war.  These machines flying around the planet every 90 minutes or so are for purposes of gathering military intelligence. Had the world been at peace, it might have been centuries before countries invested the billions of dollars required to thrust satellites into the stratosphere, which also allows us to have cellphones.

Our species is a magnificent work of creation. There are so many things we yearn for and some endeavors we will attain. But when it comes to technology, what drives human societies first and foremost to invest in innovative ideas is war. In modern times that has brought us from duct tape and jet engines to the Internet.  And who knows what technological heights we might achieve if only we don't destroy ourselves first.