STEM on the Battlefield

The British army swelled in size at the beginning of World War I. But many of these new recruits suffered from malnutrition and lacked the physical strength to serve on the front line. Doctors developed healthy diets and workouts for the soldiers and, within months, the army was ready to fight. Biology has always been an important part of war. Doctors use biology to keep troops healthy by treating wounds and effects of trauma. Biologists have developed weapons that use germs to spread deadly diseases. Warfare has led to incredible advances in biology and medicine. From blood transfusions to biological weapons, learn how doctors and biologists have changed the face of warfare!

During WWII, Japan's navy relied on secret codes to communicate battle plans. By early 1942, US experts had cracked the code. The Japanese had planned a surprise attack on US Navy ships, but now the Americans knew the attack was coming. They turned the tables on the enemy and won a decisive victory. Math has always been key to warfare. Scientists use mathematical calculations to understand how missiles fly, or how to build faster airplanes. Soldiers in battle use math to figure out how to hit a particular target. From making sure an army has enough supplies to recording casualties and damage, discover how math and calculations lie at the heart of warfare!

In 1878 tiny Russian speedboats raced toward a huge enemy warship in the Black Sea. The speedboats carried new weapons called torpedoes. The Russian torpedoes struck the Turkish warship, and it sank. It was the first time small boats had destroyed a warship. Physics, or the science of forces, has always been an important part of war. In the late nineteenth century, inventors developed machine guns that could fire thousands of bullets a minute. During World War II, physicists took part in a top-secret project to create the most powerful weapon in the world: the atom bomb. From crossbows and cannons to rocket launchers and laser-guided missiles, discover how physicists have changed weapons and warfare!