1984 Science and Technology Advances

Many changes take place in 1984 in science and technology; Aids virus is identified by a French Immunologist, first Apple Macintosh goes on sale, Sony and Philips introduces the first commercial CD players, Sony makes first 3 1/2 inch computer disk, space shuttle Discovery makes its maiden voyage, first ever flight in space by a human untethered using jet back packs, and genetic finger printing or DNA profiling was developed.

In 1981 the United States first started to see the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in both homosexuals. Noticing that hemophiliacs after having received blood transfusions were also coming down with the same symptoms scientist started to think this was a virus. There had been research going on at an international level. France became concerned in 1982 with cases being reported in their country. A team of French clinician, virologist, and researcher soon discovered the virus. After the virus had been found, the French called on an American team of researchers to help determine the characteristics of the virus. This American team had been the only team to describe the only human retrovirus known at this time.

Much gratitude needs to be given to these selfless researchers who found it more important to work together internationally to identify the AIDS virus. 

The Macintosh computer was released in January 1984. Within eight months it was realized that it was inadequate and it was upgraded. This computer was considered the first commercially successful computer to use graphical user interface.Before the Macintosh, all computers were ‘text-based’; you operated them by typing words onto the keyboard. The Macintosh was run by activating pictures (icons) on the screen with a small hand-operated device called a “mouse”. This was the first consumer computer.

In November 1984, Sony released the D-50 CD player this acted as a catalyst to turn around the sluggish audio industry. After the D-50 CD player proved its profitability Sony created a portable CD market. The CD industry as a whole saw a full-scale recovery.

The space shuttle Discovery was NASA’s third space shuttle orbiter it is responsible for the carrying the Hubble Space Telescope. It completed more than 30 successful missions surpassing any other orbiter in NASA’s fleet.

The initiation of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games was ushered in by the use of someone using a jet back pack. This was an exciting time for the Olympic viewers.This was the most widely viewed rocket belt test flight in history. There were over 100,000 people in attendance.

The Challenger Space Mission in 1984 was the first time two astronauts would use 10 million dollar jet packs called man-maneuvering units to fly untethered to the space craft; becoming themselves human satellites flying in tandem with the shuttle. Until this point this was only a fantasy of people.

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1984.html
http://www.infoplease.com/year/1984.html
http://www.pasteur.fr/ip/easysite/pasteur/en/press/press-kits/hiv-aids-research-at-the-institut-pasteur/the-discovery-of-the-aids-virus-in-1983
http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/History/SonyHistory/2-09.html
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/discovery-info.html