The Country Which Has Had The Most Impact on The Modern World

**rory_20_uk** · 03-13-2012, 17:55

The moon landings look like a bit on an aberration. Great, one command economy beat another to plant a flag. Since then, everyone realised it was a complete waste of time and didn't bother for the next few decades, since the penis-measuring exercise had been completed.

It didn't really change the world in any significant way. Yes, there were some technologies that trickled down from it, but no more than providing billions to Universities for R&D would have achieved.

The internet, the discovery of DNA, the transistor, hell, discovering antibiotics made a far greater and long-standing change to the world than sticking someone on a ICBM with an oxygen supply.

**Vladimir** · 03-13-2012, 18:29

Originally Posted by rory_20_uk

The moon landings look like a bit on an aberration. Great, one command economy beat another to plant a flag. Since then, everyone realised it was a complete waste of time and didn't bother for the next few decades, since the penis-measuring exercise had been completed.

It didn't really change the world in any significant way. Yes, there were some technologies that trickled down from it, but no more than providing billions to Universities for R&D would have achieved.

The internet, the discovery of DNA, the transistor, hell, discovering antibiotics made a far greater and long-standing change to the world than sticking someone on a ICBM with an oxygen supply.

Somebody's grumpy.

**gaelic cowboy** · 03-13-2012, 19:21

Originally Posted by rory_20_uk

The moon landings look like a bit on an aberration. Great, one command economy beat another to plant a flag. Since then, everyone realised it was a complete waste of time and didn't bother for the next few decades, since the penis-measuring exercise had been completed.

It didn't really change the world in any significant way. Yes, there were some technologies that trickled down from it, but no more than providing billions to Universities for R&D would have achieved.

The internet, the discovery of DNA, the transistor, hell, discovering antibiotics made a far greater and long-standing change to the world than sticking someone on a ICBM with an oxygen supply.

I am astounded at this statement sure the space race achievement list is nearly endless and not confined either to purely technological advacements.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space Race Advances in technology and education

When the Space Age Blasted Off, Pop Culture Followed

10 tech breakthroughs to thank the space race for

merely providing money to universities and foundadtions would not have given us much of the tech we take for granted today a lot of it came about due to specific problems with going into space.

**Kralizec** · 03-13-2012, 21:46

It didn't occur to me to pick the Roman empire, because I thought the OP meant "countries" that are a little more recent. While what PJ says about one country (or person) building on the achievements of its predecessors is true, the Roman empire does stand out for the enormity of its own contribution- arguably moreso than the Greeks, the British or Luxembourg.

...

As for the moon landings, no offence intended, but I think it's a little short sighted to measure its significance by the returns it has brought so far. I do think that human space travel (in our own solar system, that is) is going to be enormously important in the far future; and I'm sure that future generations will look on the 20th century space race as an important phase in history.

**a completely inoffensive name** · 03-13-2012, 22:13

The moon landing wasn't impressive? Obviously, we have some martians here.

**Centurion1** · 03-13-2012, 22:55

Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

The moon landing wasn't impressive? Obviously, we have some martians here.

More like jealous Europeans. Look at how much pride they get in "leading" the fight in Libya with our bombs ACIN. Don't rub their faces in one of the most impressive feats of the 20th century.

No need to burst the children's bubble.

**Sasaki Kojiro** · 03-13-2012, 23:01

We did some great things with satellites, while the USSR was doing a bunch of propaganda crap that made no real advancement. Then we stopped funding the good stuff and went for the propaganda ourselves.

The moon landing is impressive technologically, but not "the greatest achievement of the US"...I see no reason why the Soviets couldn't have managed it, even if it would have taken them longer.

We barely remember the names of the guys who went to the south pole first or climbed mount Everest first. The Moon race will only be different if we end up having a bunch of moon colonies like Kral suggests.

**Graphic** · 03-14-2012, 00:18

Because braving some cold weather is totally the same as leaving the planet, landing on another celestial body, and returning.

I wonder how you'd feel if they discovered microscopic organisms on Mars. After all there are billions of different kinds on Earth, and no one remembers the name of the guy who discovered the latest known bacteria. Its just some more useless microscopic cells, who cares if it's alien?

**Sasaki Kojiro** · 03-14-2012, 00:35

"braving some cold weather"

Just proving how quickly we forget about the antarctic expeditions :)

**Sarmatian** · 03-14-2012, 08:17

Originally Posted by Sasaki Kojiro

We did some great things with satellites, while the USSR was doing a bunch of propaganda crap that made no real advancement. Then we stopped funding the good stuff and went for the propaganda ourselves.

The moon landing is impressive technologically, but not "the greatest achievement of the US"...I see no reason why the Soviets couldn't have managed it, even if it would have taken them longer.

That's highly debatable.

Soviets probably did have technology to land on the moon, they lacked funds to do it. One could argue that taking parts that weigh many tons and then assembling them in space to create a fully functional manned space station is a greater and more beneficial achievement in terms of technological advancement than landing on the moon.

**rory_20_uk** · 03-14-2012, 13:23

What was the point in being second to the moon. Who cared? They probably had the know how, not the spare funds.

Giving money to universities would have probably given different breakthroughs, with probably a lot less wastage. Yes, there a lot of them. How many billion did it cost for each one?

If missions had been restricted to unmanned ones more could have been achieved as humans are basically dead weight when all one is doing is planting a flag and taking some pictures.

Future space travel has will utilise a lot of high tech computer systems that have managed to develop without NASA backing it. Many new fibres that are to be used came from many other industries and not necessarily NASA.

What pods do we use to get to the Space Station? They're Russian. What rockets are in service at the moment? Most of them Russian. Who is building the next gen craft? Private enterprises, as the ones NASA came up with were hideously complicated and expensive.

Sorry, but the race to the moon was not the genesis of the world as we know it.

The Space Space station has a lot of theoretical wonders, but few that have been realised.

**Moros** · 03-14-2012, 01:09

Originally Posted by Kralizec

It didn't occur to me to pick the Roman empire, because I thought the OP meant "countries" that are a little more recent. While what PJ says about one country (or person) building on the achievements of its predecessors is true, the Roman empire does stand out for the enormity of its own contribution- arguably moreso than the Greeks, the British or Luxembourg.

Then I go for Larsa. :s