Seen through 50 years of history's soft lens, the early days of the Cold War have taken on an idyllic sheen. America, powered by nuclear families living in spiffy new suburbs, with dad driving a new car every year and mom experimenting with pineapple on the ham, was headed for the space age. Sure, scientists were engaged in a fast-paced atomic death race with those evil Soviets, but this is America. Our eggheads would prevail.
Advertisement