Quote:
Originally Posted by rmcconachy
Personally, I'll take the drug cabinet as the biggest difference. Computers are great tools but antibiotics have saved a huge number of lives. The amount of effort (money and time) invested in computing research as a share of the total amount of research and development across all areas is actually very small. Computers are important tools, crucial for some things, but I disagree that they are "...the achievement of man in 100 years." You've been given several other examples but you've waved them off because something sort of similar but often not functionally equivalent existed a century ago. If you want to play that game then scratch the computer too since slide rules date from the 17th century and they are kinda, sorta, almost, about the same and my great grandfather had one in his house a century ago. He didn't know how to use it - and I cannot remember how to any more either - but he had one! I guess that means we've gone nowhere during the last one hundred years.  |
We are talking about the household. The computer is the biggest achievement of man that we have in the household.
"The amount of effort (money and time) invested in computing research as a share of the total amount of research and development across all areas is actually very small."
Yeah, so why are we giving billions of tax dollars to the military so they can develop this stuff? I think a little more than a thin slice of resources etc.. goes into that.
Do you think that because an advanced computer gets designed and built the public is the first to have it?
We are currently operating on technology the military had decades before.
Do you think Intel creates CPU's etc... so they can be fed to the public direct?
They go to military first, then when military has something better, we get the old technology. It's the only way they can stay ahead of the public.
I'm talking technology not secondhand CPU's etc...
So I think if you really do the math, a very large slice of your tax dollars go to that, where do you think government funding comes from, your tax dollars.
You talk about anti-biotics, people were taking anti-biotics before they were discovered. How many people ate mouldy bread? We already had those things.
You talk talk about the 17th century, I'm only talking about 100 years ago.
Anyway I'm drifting from the subject. Even though your points are valid from your perspective, It's not what I originally posted about.
Please don't think I'm trying to drive you all crazy
, I'm not. It's easy to see what marvelous things have occurred in the world, I'm just talking about the household!
Regards...