Laser Cannons --> Military --> Spam

[TerranC]

Originally posted by Cyrien:
Spam was created before WW2 and not by the military.

Are you sure about that? I thought SPAM along with Processed Cheddar was developped by the army during WW2.

[deccan]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
Re: The Teller interview in the Economist. What exactly is inherantly immoral about spending money on technology that does not currently exsist? That's what research and development is all about. At the start of the Manhattan project noone knew for sure the bomb would work. The same with the airplane, tanks, guns, any piece of weapons technology. And any civilian technology also for that matter.

The Stratregic Defense Initiative was a massive program to advance the technology needed to achieve a missle shield. Debate the morality of having a missle shield if you want, but once the decision is made to develop one, saying it's imorral to spend the money to research it is a bit odd.

Shrug. The author of that letter was implying (whether or not he is justified in that I wouldn't know) that Teller knew all along that it wouldn't work and yet advised Reagan to go for it just the same.

And presumably the American taxpayers wanted more than just advance technology in return for their tax dollars, such as say a practical and working missile defense system, preferably while it could be useful.

[Karibu]

Well, did you know that Chinese were at the top of science some two thousand years ago? If I remember correctly, they tried to send man into space long before Soviet Union or USA. About same time when Caesar was playing with catapults, chinese tied one man into some sort of big rocket with ropes, which was filled with gunpowder they invented, and launched him into sky. He was not seen since.

I have great respect for such cunning scientist

[deccan]

Here's an addition to Cyrien's list: international telecommunications (though not in the way that you hink. Also excerpted from The Economist:

IT ALL started with a ball hoisted up a flagpole. International telecommunications began in 1801, when the first link was established between the optical telegraph systems of Sweden and Denmark. Both networks consisted of lines of towers, each with a set of moveable panels on top. By replicating the configuration of panels at the next tower along the line, it was possible to transmit message over great distances with unprecedented speed. Such were the military benefits of this technology that a telecoms boom ensued.

Faced with the threat of an attack by the British fleet under Admiral Nelson, Sweden and Denmark had linked their telegraph networks to give them early warning. When Nelson attacked Copenhagen on April 2nd 1801, the news was transmitted to Sweden using the first ever network-to-network (or "internet") protocol. The panels on the Danish telegraph tower at Kronborg were configured to indicate that Copenhagen had been attacked. Across the Oresund strait, the Swedes hoisted a flag to show that they had received the message. The system worked flawlessly - except that the Swedes did nothing to aid Denmark, and the Danish fleet was defeated. Not for the Lasttime, the expectations raised by international telecommunications were disappointed.

[Cyrien]

Yes I am sure that SPAM was created before WW2. Here is a link with abit of a timeline on SPAM for you.

http://www.spam-uk.com/info/timeline.html

There is a little bit of incorrect information on it though I think. I believe that Hawaii not Guam eats more SPAM than any other region of the world. But I could be wrong.

Oh... and SPAM was originally developed by Hormel as a way to find something to do with the Shoulder pork which is a very tough piece of meat that normally would sell for only pennies. So they ground it up and put it in a can with spices and cooked it in the can and SPAM was born. SPAM being a play on Shoulder Pork and hAM. It was developed by a French Chef working for Hormel foods.

So you can blame the French for SPAM!

[ November 06, 2003, 14:16: Message edited by: Cyrien ]

[geoschmo]

Ah Spam. The thing that keeps me from enjoying Spam isn't the meat, but the nasty slimy stuff that is in the can with it. If someone else opened the can and prepared it for me I would probably enjoy eating it as well as any other meat.

[Cyrien]

Oh... you mean the stuff that Jell-O is made out of?

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Cyrien:
Oh... you mean the stuff that Jell-O is made out of?

Oh great. Now I can't eat Jello anymore.

[TerranC]

Originally posted by Cyrien:
Yes I am sure that SPAM was created before WW2. Here is a link with abit of a timeline on SPAM for you. http://www.spam-uk.com/info/timeline.html

*In a gruffy viking voice*

Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spaaaaaaaaaaam!

[ November 06, 2003, 20:38: Message edited by: TerranC ]

[Wardad]

Some people even celibrate SPAM. Austin Texas knows how to party.

SPAMARAMA™ Not just another excuse to have a party!
http://www.spamarama.com/