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No more heroes of discovery.

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heathtech

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A few days ago I was absorbed in some philosophical thought, and my mind went to this subject. Has anyone else noticed this? Let me explain: There are a great many names in the history of inventiveness, technology, and scientific advancement. We can look back through history and admire the acomplishments of men like DiVinchi, Einstein, Newton, Bell, Aristotle, Robert Goddard, etc., but I find it very difficult to look back in the last recent 40-50 years and find examples of Household names like these who's contributions can be readily pointed out. It isn't because science isn't advancing! Technologies are being developed at a record pace! The problem is hard to point at, but one problem is that our media prefers to write articles and promote fly by night actors and talentless pop singers like Brittny Spears rather than boring, unglamorous scientists.
I mean, can anyone on this forum tell me who invented the internet? Can anyone tell me who invented the cellular phone? What about the laser printer? And even if some of you know these, why aren't our schools and the media hailing these inventors like Edison was hailed decades ago?
 
You find that mainly because of a lot of the theories that were developed so long ago remain as building blocks for what we use every day. There just aren't those type of things left to define. We know/understand gravity "for the most part," but there isn't something as plain as that yet remains. So the major advancements that you see taking place today cannot be done by one person.

Right now at this very moment there is a group in California revolutionizing computers. You may not see the results for 10 years, because the sort of breakthroughs you describe just don't happen in a weekend. There is another group currently changing the conventional RAM.

Most of what remains to be discovered no one takes interest in. The major breakthroughs that yet remain are being built on Einstein's shoulders. But is how this game has always worked while we wait for a new genius to arrive, we simply build on the shoulders of past giants, such as your Divinci's, Einsteins, and Fouier's.

Science is working fine my friend, just give it time. :)
 
heathtech said:
one problem is that our media prefers to write articles and promote fly by night actors and talentless pop singers like Brittny Spears rather than boring, unglamorous scientists.

Tell people to stop paying attention to this drivel then. The media certainly wouldn't be doing it if people weren't wanting it and buying it.

Mike
 
heathtech said:
I mean, can anyone on this forum tell me who invented the internet?
When the USSR launched the sputnik in 1957 (before the Americans), the American goverment started a military campain to try and beat the Russians. 1 of the projects in that campain was ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency). ARPA was meant to do missle defence and space research. 1 year later NASA was formed and took over space resarch making ARPA move it's field into computer science. 1 of the new ARPA projects was to try and connect university mainframes worldwide to try and communicate using a common protocol. In 1969 ARPAnet was a fact. That ARPAnet expanded to grow into the internet we know today.

heathtech said:
Can anyone tell me who invented the cellular phone?
Martin Cooper invented the first cellphone and made his first successful call in 1973, at that time he was "general manager for the systems division at Motorola".

Funny little sidenote: He made his first call to his rival Joel Engel, head of research at bell-labs :lol:
I wonder what he said! ... Hello Joel, you've been beaten :lol:

heathtech said:
What about the laser printer?
Gary Starkweather invented the Laser printer in 1971 while working for Xerox.


I swear i didnt had to look any of this up (except for the dates), I had to learn this @ school :?

heathtech said:
And even if some of you know these, why aren't our schools and the media hailing these inventors like Edison was hailed decades ago?

Maybe because all of those things aren't such big steps compared with the other inventors you mentioned ?
I mean, when Edison invented the lightbulb it changed the world, but when the laser printer was invented ... you could choose between an inkjet and a laser , not really world shocking...
I dont mean any disrespect for the laser printer and it's inventor, i just mean the progress has become smaller...

candle --------------------> Lightbulb
Inkjet -> Laser

Also , the fact that most of those ppl are still alive doesnt help.
Most geniuses are only recognized long efter they died...
 
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