100 years today...and no one posted!

mike65 · 17-12-2003 11:46pm #1

I just thought I'd mention that it was exactly one hundred years ago today that the first powered aircraft flew....

Mike.

ColinM · 17-12-2003 11:55pm

That's because it's all a big lie!

They expect us to believe that mankind went from nailing a few planks of wood together and getting a few feet up in the air for a few seconds to jet engined planes flying at high altitudes capable of reaching supersonic speeds within a timeframe of about 50 years?

Totally implausible!

CyberGhost · 18-12-2003 1:21am

totally believable!

see how fast the technology is evolving!

in hundred years when they have nanotechnology, robots, and cyborgs, someone like you will say the same thing "They expect us to believe that mankind went from stupid little computers to robots that process hundreds of gigaflows information n a timeframe of about 100 years?"

seamus · 18-12-2003 1:34am

Originally posted by ColinM
That's because it's all a big lie!

They expect us to believe that mankind went from nailing a few planks of wood together and getting a few feet up in the air for a few seconds to jet engined planes flying at high altitudes capable of reaching supersonic speeds within a timeframe of about 50 years?

Totally implausible!

Heh, also totally impossible that man went from simple arithmetic calculation using a few hundred glass tubes housed in a massive warehouse, to complex computation and graphics rendering using tiny 4cmx4cm(?) chips with millions of transistors in less than 50 years.

Preposterous!

Capt'n Midnight · 18-12-2003 2:02am

Totally implausible!
The main reason why the Wrights can claim to have the manned flight thing is because thier aeroplane with very few modifications was able to fly controllably for an extended period of time.

Up until the 60's crusing speeds doubled about every 10 years (cf moores law) wrights 30mph, WWI 60-130mph , WWII 160- 520 , etc. until it stopped at Mach 3 with the XB70 / SR71 due to the "thermal thicket"

Journey times though have not decreased since 1950's due to stacks and delays. And except for Concorde and the TU-144 passengers planes don't really go much faster than the original Boeing 707

So not a lot of change since the 50's really

And it's not really science - more like engineering - even though the Wrights did have a wind tunnel

Sparks · 18-12-2003 3:50am

So it's the 100th anniversary of manned spaceflight. Private companies and organisations all over the states marked today though some impressive acts, from building a perfect replica of the Wright flyer to building and flying one of the first private spacecraft - and the first manned craft built by a small private company to break the sound barrier.

What did Bush do?

Well, he was rumoured to be announcing a new program to go back to the moon. NASA had plans left, right and centre, the moment people heard about it, there was nation-wide acclaim for the idea, and even I was left going "bugger - that's a damn good thing".

Why would he do it? Well, it would revitalise aerospace industries, it would give a civilian drive that equalled that of war during the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, it would put mankind a step further forward, it would add to our body of knowlege immensely and it would probably be one of the few good things he's ever done. It'd even appease the right-winger in the US because it'd mean them darn chinese wouldn't be the first back to the moon. Heck, even Bush Sr. made the announcement that they'd be going back when he was president, and if Bush Jr. is going to keep doing what daddy did...

And what did he do?

Squat.

Nothing.

Nada.

Hell, Travolta actually talked about returning to the moon when introducing him! And what does that alcoholic/deserter/drug addict/corporate thief/chickenhawk/religious fundamentalist gob****e do?
He makes some platitudes about how great strides have been made, he jokes that the anniversary would have happened on the 13th except that the Wrights were good christians (no, I'm not joking, that's what he said), and then he ends with a build-up to the moon announcement and walks away without announcing it.

You know, this does indicate the general tone of the world we're living in because of this gimp. Want to bomb another country or bring in illegal trade practises or let corporate bodies run amok? No worries. Human rights getting in your way? Let Georgey-boy fix that for you. Problems with them pesky voters not wanting to elect you? Get your brother to fix the election, or just redraw constituencies to ensure your future election. But actually want to mount a program that would provide all the technological advances that a war brings without the casualties? That would help put the US back as a beacon for the rest of the world to follow? That would advance all of mankind in the long run?
Naw, not interested.

:mad:

mike65 · 18-12-2003 7:53pm

Jesus H Christ Sparks, get off your soapbox!!!!!

Mike.

Sparks · 18-12-2003 8:02pm

Originally posted by mike65
Jesus H Christ Sparks, get off your soapbox!!!!!
Mike.

Sure mike - as soon as you prove me wrong.

Capt'n Midnight · 18-12-2003 8:16pm

methinks that might be better in politics - it ain't science or even engineering and the stickies are there...

In a strange way it reminds me of the time Regan was supposed to have tried to stiffle John Glenns political carrer by pointing out that "The Right Stuff" was just a movie.... (in an attempt to keep this on topic you could say Wilbur had "The Wright Stuff"

mike65 · 18-12-2003 8:19pm

Sparks I dont give a flying f*** about whether you or I are right or wrong only that you have hi-jacked a thread....

Mike.

Sparks · 18-12-2003 8:23pm

So it's not relevant then?
Despite the fact that this was rumoured to be the biggest aerospace announcement in two decades, despite the timing and location of the speech (at the first flight of the Wright flyer replica) and despite the importance to the aerospace industry of the non-announcement?

Methinks you're incorrect mike.

mike65 · 18-12-2003 8:29pm

Okay you're right about it all, everything!

I'm wrong and I was'nt even talking about Bush and what was promised or not!!!

Happy now?

Mike.

Moriarty · 19-12-2003 5:41pm

/me smirks

ecksor · 19-12-2003 5:58pm

I read this last night and had a good old chortle to myself, forgot about it again until now.

Sparks, you're a bright bloke, but a tad bonkers.

Capt'n Midnight · 20-12-2003 2:50pm

SPARKS - George Bush makes a soundbite about future aspirational promises of investment in aerospace. Most people round this way would realise it's a soundbite (electioneering) and until W. puts serious investment into non-military aerospace his record on environmental issues etc. speaks for itself. BTW the same applies to most politicians - when the money starts to flow then I'll start believing what they say. So please keep political promises off the board. They have Nothing to so with Science.
Watch my lips "I will continue to lie to get re-elected"

ColinM Life chages in 50 years eh?
How about the introduction of the penny black etc. - Before that when someone emigrated you'd be lucky to hear from them again - shortly afterwards most people could afford to send a letter to anyone else in the empire (and maybe be more certain of the letter's arrival than today

)
Then there was the pony express. Before it took weeks for a letter to cross the states. 18 months later the pony express was obsolete as telegraphs meant instant communications - messages to Oz were also speeded up.

So in the 1830's long distnce communication was rare, expensive, and sooo slowww. 50 years later most people in big cities could walk in off the street and ask for a telegraph to be sent to most other places in the world - and there was a good chance the other person would get it the same day.

==================================

100 years eh ? (Only in base 10)
Aeroplanes are a mature product and the development is mainly in terms of tweaks rather than innovations (insurance companies have a lot to answer for here) Airliners havn't change much in the last 50 years. The space shuttle has been in use for more than half of the time period of manned flight, and the Russians still only send people up in what is essentially a modified 1950's ICBM. Jet fighters rarely go beyond Mach 2 etc..
Unfortunatly the golden age of flying is over - the rest of us don't need that much gold to fly

PS. the planks weren't nailed together - they used string !

100 years today...and no one posted!

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