Final answer:
The difference between the East and West Area Computers at the Langley Laboratory was that the East Area Computers were white and the West Area Computers were black, which reflected the segregated workforce of the time. The West Area Computers included notable African American female mathematicians who played a vital role in the U.S. space program.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question refers to the distinction between the East Area Computers and the West Area Computers at the Langley Laboratory in the 1940s. The correct answer is that all of the East Area Computers were white people, and all of the West Area Computers were black people.
This segregation reflected the racial policies and social norms of the time, which relegated African Americans to separate, often inferior, working conditions despite being qualified personnel. The West Area Computers, including notable figures like mathematician Katherine Johnson, made significant contributions to aeronautics and spaceflight, working on complex calculations for trajectories and engineering issues. Their story gained popularity through the book and film 'Hidden Figures.'
These women were part of a broader history of underrepresentation and segregation in the technology and military sectors during the war and subsequent periods. The computers, in this case, refer not to machines but to human computers, individuals performing complex calculations before the advent of electronic computers. The work of the West Area Computers, in particular, represented a significant step for not just integration but also for the recognition of black women in STEM fields.
Computerization and the growing role of technology in military, space, and civilian applications were shaped by various pioneers, including these human computers. Racial discrimination in the workforce during this era was a systemic barrier that these women had to navigate, making their achievements even more remarkable.