The moon

[Fitzroy]

The zero symbol plays a vital part in our modern ( not really that modern ) number system.

Consider the number three hundred and six when you don't have a zero symbol. How do you write it? You could write 3 6 or 36 or 3 , 6 but that would be confusing. With 306 it makes it clear what you mean. It forces digits to have a place value and enables calculation by writing numbers in columns.

Without zero, we would be using a system like the Romans, 306 = CCCVI. Try doing long addition/subtraction using just the Roman system. You will soon see why mediaeval people used counting tables and jetons.

Every days a school day, had to Google jetons. Very interesting

 

[Cooper]

I have always been under the impression that the space race in the sixties was not really about going into space but devising rockets that could deliver ballistic atomic weapons. By employing Von Braun the US was exploiting the Nazi technology for their own defensive purposes. The morality of how Von Braun acquired his knowledge and skills was immaterial to the US administration. If going to the moon had mattered that much, then why did they stop going to the moon? Surely not just to make the point they could do difficult things and then stop (a point Kennedy made far more eloquently). Don't forget that that Kennedy made his speech around the time of the Cuban Missile crisis.
Martin

 

[Spectric]

By employing Von Braun the US was exploiting the Nazi technology for their own defensive purposes.

Would it have been so defensive had the Russians not also had the same, was it a good move at the time for people to think that leveling up the playing field will create stability and equilibrium will maintain peace or was it a case of somebody thinking there could be a lot of money to be made if we start an arms race.

 

[Thingybob]

Most good inventions come about when we are threatened by war, sickness, fear so the cold war comes in under fear and we all know that greed is a big cause of all three always will be , To hell with what a persons past is if you you come out on top

 

[MikeK]

Gentlemen, to avoid closing this thread or banishing it to the Off-Topics 2 forum, please keep mostly to the subject. The Godwin line has already been crossed, so the clock is ticking.

 

[Spectric]

Never heard of that one before, you certainly do learn something new every day but that someone has worked out that wherever you start and irrelevant of subject you end up bringing in nazism and fascism. So what is the equivalent in say China and Russia, do they end up with western ideology or is it just a western thing because we see it as such a threat. On these forums I would have though it would end up with sharpeningism, that can be more detrimental to life than fascism, maybe we will get a Godwin equivalent talking about the night of the blunt chisels.

 

[sploo]

Gentlemen, to avoid closing this thread or banishing it to the Off-Topics 2 forum, please keep mostly to the subject. The Godwin line has already been crossed, so the clock is ticking.

I did Nazi that coming... Ahem.

To be honest I was quite impressed that such a sensitive topic was raised and everyone was quite sensible about it.

That said, it is somewhat on topic; in the sense that space exploration has historically been tied to national pride; in that those at the top have tended to back it for political rather than scientific purposes (and sometimes used the research for the military).

There can be "political" positives too; I understand that the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 caused significant changes to the US education system; with a push to invest in science and engineering (in order to better compete with the USSR).

PS For those of us who are not on the Off-Topic 2 forum; when it's felt a thread should be moved could I request that the original thread is left intact (albeit moderated accordingly, and closed), and a new one started in Off-Topic 2? Otherwise a discussion that was visible to all is suddenly moved behind a wall, with some contributors unable to see new responses (possibly in answer to their already present posts).