Scientific and Technological Revolution in the XX Century

The article analyzes the course and main results of the Scientific and technological revolution (NTR) of the middle and (partly) the second half of the 20th century – from the first tests of the atomic bomb to the introduction of personal computers and the Internet. The period of 1940 – 1980s. is most typical for fundamental innovations in nuclear energy, microelectronics, in the areas of industrial automation, space exploration, creation of polymers with predetermined properties and for the events of the «green revolution». Special attention is paid to the areas of NTR, in which our country has long been in the group of leading states. The question of the reasons for the scientific and technical backwardness of the USSR from the leading countries of the world (since the mid 1970s) is discussed. In conclusion, the general features of an economic model that can bring our country to the forefront of scientific and technological progress are outlined.