Recent events
Astronaut Bruce McCandless II outside of the space shuttle Challenger in 1984 Main article: Modern history See also: Modernity and Future Change has continued at a rapid pace from the mid-1940s to today. Technological developments include nuclear weapons , computers , genetic engineering , and nanotechnology . Economic globalization , spurred by advances in communication and transportation technology, has influenced everyday life in many parts of the world. Cultural and institutional forms such as democracy , capitalism , and environmentalism have increased influence. Major concerns and problems such as disease , war , poverty , violent radicalism , and recently, human-caused climate change have risen as the world population increases. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite into orbit and, soon ...