Posted on 07/31/2008 8:35:20 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
A mechanism that computes the positions of the planets can be used for what other purpose?
Are you sure of that?
The way I read history, there has never been much distance between the two...hemlock and excommunication come to mind.
More recently, eugenics and the master race, A-bombs and a Nuclear Iran, come to mind.
A lot of what we call science today grew out of individual efforts that went entirely against the political, and accepted 'scientific', grain of their day.
But, most 'science' in history was sponsored by either state or church and was directed closely, ultimately determined, by either or both.
(Conveniently described by "follow the money".)
Versus:
Take a look at the Rand (US Government) version of 21st century computing at post #3.
(And remember that the first modern computer came into being before 1860 and took a century to reach that level of conjecture.)
It would have kept computing safely in the hands of only the largest institutions and supported status quo.
It was blown out of the water by a couple of outsiders with entrepreneurial goals.
Actually, the RAND corporation has never been a part of Sperry or its descendants.
The RAND corporation (RAND stands for “R and D”) was one of the original, if not THE original, think tanks set up right after WW II, and continues as such today.
The “Rand” of Sperry-Rand was named after the founder of a technical instrument company, and was merged into the Sperry corporate structure after WW I.
Glad you posted this - I saw it in USA today and we can only post the links to their stuff.
Cool pics at link
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2008-07-30-device_N.htm
Ping for later read....
Thanks!
That instrument panel in the bckground is a reactor control station for a nuclear submarine. The left panel is the steam-plant with the large forward throttle wheel and smaller reverse throttle wheel. The central panel is the ractor control panel and the right hand panel is the electric plant control panel.
Correctamundo.
Greeks followed a celestial Olympics
Maybe the second link has something different.
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