by aristarchusinexile » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:10 pm
aristarchusinexile wrote: Then why does the U.S. lag far behind the Russians in technology, economics, and, seemingly, the sciences?
Chris wrote:We don't. Russia has some of the worst science in the world- the worst sort of pseudoscience. Paranormal research, even. And much good science in Russia remains crippled even this long after the Soviet era by poor access to technology. And if you think the Russian economy is working better than ours, well... what can anybody say to that?
You don't keep up with current events, Chris. Russia has no national debt, is hugely wealthy on oil and gas, diamonds, gold, etc. Unemployment is so low they are scouring the world for construction trades workers to build homes. The Russians developed ice therapy for heart operations (now being adopted worldwide).The Russian heavy lift rocket was used for the largest sections of the ISS because the U.S. didn't have the technology. The Russians have a 600 mph torpedo whereas the U.S. has fired a bullet underwater at high speeds. Russian fighter jets fly circles around U.S. fighters. Even decades ago the Soviets landed on Venus when the U.S. said it was impossible (the old 'man was not made to fly' consensus. Russia (and formerly Poland) have been far ahead of the rest of the world in science exploration. Paranormal is nothing more exotic than non-locality. Chris, you need to expand your reading, but I realize you are heavily involved in astronomical outreach, so you probably just don't have sufficient time.
Chris wrote: ... we still produce, by a good margin, the best science in the world.
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According to everything I have read that view is true only in cosmology, and is now historical, and was of extremely short duration, between WW 1 and WW 2. The Soviets saw no purpose in sending men to the moon because robots were far more cost and research efficient. Of course, the human value of manned exploration is priceless, but Chris, it is a fact that without the Canadians from the cancelled Avro Arrow, the U.S. would not have made it to the moon. Furthermore, the scientific achievements of the U.S. have almost always come from immigrants educated elsewhere, Eastern Europe particularly .. Telsa a good example. What the U.S. has always been good at is mass production, mass consumerism, and exporting the image of the consumer to the world .. this in the past resulted in exports of manufactured goods, that era now finished.
[quote="aristarchusinexile"] Then why does the U.S. lag far behind the Russians in technology, economics, and, seemingly, the sciences? [/quote]
[quote="Chris"]We don't. Russia has some of the worst science in the world- the worst sort of pseudoscience. Paranormal research, even. And much good science in Russia remains crippled even this long after the Soviet era by poor access to technology. And if you think the Russian economy is working better than ours, well... what can anybody say to that? [/quote]
You don't keep up with current events, Chris. Russia has no national debt, is hugely wealthy on oil and gas, diamonds, gold, etc. Unemployment is so low they are scouring the world for construction trades workers to build homes. The Russians developed ice therapy for heart operations (now being adopted worldwide).The Russian heavy lift rocket was used for the largest sections of the ISS because the U.S. didn't have the technology. The Russians have a 600 mph torpedo whereas the U.S. has fired a bullet underwater at high speeds. Russian fighter jets fly circles around U.S. fighters. Even decades ago the Soviets landed on Venus when the U.S. said it was impossible (the old 'man was not made to fly' consensus. Russia (and formerly Poland) have been far ahead of the rest of the world in science exploration. Paranormal is nothing more exotic than non-locality. Chris, you need to expand your reading, but I realize you are heavily involved in astronomical outreach, so you probably just don't have sufficient time.
[quote="Chris"] ... we still produce, by a good margin, the best science in the world. [/quote][/quote]
According to everything I have read that view is true only in cosmology, and is now historical, and was of extremely short duration, between WW 1 and WW 2. The Soviets saw no purpose in sending men to the moon because robots were far more cost and research efficient. Of course, the human value of manned exploration is priceless, but Chris, it is a fact that without the Canadians from the cancelled Avro Arrow, the U.S. would not have made it to the moon. Furthermore, the scientific achievements of the U.S. have almost always come from immigrants educated elsewhere, Eastern Europe particularly .. Telsa a good example. What the U.S. has always been good at is mass production, mass consumerism, and exporting the image of the consumer to the world .. this in the past resulted in exports of manufactured goods, that era now finished.