Re: A "big" PC (compared to a "smart" phone).

On Sun, 22 Sep 2024 06:54:21 -0400, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:

We're a little past that with the moon landing.
 
But then, Arthur C. Clarke, famed "inventor" of the geosynchronous
satellite and noted science fiction writer, once wrote a story about
human travel to Jupiter in <laughing> 2001.

While I enjoy sci-fi novels involving space travel I sometimes wonder what
we've gotten out of the programs.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/20-inventions-we-wouldnt-have-
without-space-travel/

That entire list seems to me like grasping at straws. We wouldn't have
DustBusters without the space program. Right.

National prestige is one factor. The US does have the manned landing
record, after losing the first satellite, hard landing, and sodt landing
to the Soviets. I suppose I was a beneficiary of Sputnik and the US
decided emphasizing STEM after the 'oh shit' moment was a good thing.

So far China, Japan, India, and the privately owned Odysseus landers are
the latest entries. The Artemis program seems a little haphazard although
we're assured the crew will have a black, a woman, and a non-citizen
(Canadian) makeup.  China and Russian may get there first with the ILRS.
It's interesting who has signed on to that program:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Lunar_Research_Station#Members