I know there was a lot of new technology built during this period, but when I google it I get a lot more articles pertaining to the space race than other technological advances. If you know of any books that may have information on this topic as well, that would be very helpful.
You've likely eaten out of a material designed for use in Cold War missiles--CorningWare. Since it was designed (in 1958) to be able to deal with very high temperatures as well as thermal shock (big changes in temperature), it was readily adapted to cookware. The iconic blue pattern was added and a classic was born. These pieces could be used in the oven or on the cooktop and could also be used as serving dishes. Until very recently, the formula was unchanged.
So, that tuna casserole you ate at grandma's house was probably baked in a bit of Cold War ceramics.
ARPANET was made in 1969 by the agency that would one day be known as DARPA, and it would eventually evolve into the internet.