The Space Race and Television

The Space Race was a result of the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet.  This was another medium or arena that was used to hold this war.  It began with the Soviet's launching of the Sputnik, the first artificial satellite.  It was pretty much ended when the U.S. landed Apollo 8 on the moon.  The attention of the American public was focus on this space race due to the developing televisions.  The progress of the Space Race was heavily covered by the media.  The media potrayed the American Astonauts as heroes and the American people lived through them.  While the Soviets were potrayed as the losing villians. 

http://www.history.com/topics/space-race

Space Shuttle Technology

I finally found the article I was reading a few days ago about the space shuttle's technology. 
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-07-space-shuttle-science-brought-payoffs.html

Space shuttle technology can be credited for allowing us to see the depths of the cosmos and other sister planets.  It is from its technology that doctors more understand and often aid with our aging bodies.  Its technology also helped develop some of our technologies here on Earth such as technology behind baby formulas, the socks we wear designed for hot weather, soldier's ability to move around an active landmine field, etc. 

However, there are some critics claims that Space shuttle technology benefits are merely "hype" and is used to help companies market their item as being derived from space technology.  Such items are the sticky Velco and non-sticky Teflon and Tang.  These items were not develop from the space shuttle program but only used by NASA.

Other scientists who have been involved with the space agency say otherwise.  They say that research during the past 40 years the space shuttle program have been present have been very useful and beneficial.

other useful articles/sites: 
http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/
http://gcn.com/articles/2011/07/08/space-shuttle-technology-on-earth.aspx

Subject for my research paper.

I originally pick the clock as the subject of my research paper.  But I am having second thoughts.  I am thinking about doing a research paper on the space shuttle and how it affects our society.  I read a newspaper article about how items we used today were first developed from the space shuttle.  It also states that because the space shuttle was able to put man into space, we are able to know about how our body ages and how we can slow it down.  I quickly skimmed through the article because I picked up the newspaper at work so I didn't bother reading the whole article.  But it was interesting and I would like to know more about it.