Posted - 2010.10.26 14:34:00 - [1]

 

Ok I was thinking about this the other day, yeah odd I know :)

The one that jumps out at me is a strange one but true I think, have a little read and tell me what you think.

Microchips/microelectronics destroyed manned space travel.

Now the explanation, we as a race went to the moon without all the new fangled tech we have now, ok it was shoestring and dodgy in places but it worked. Now if you remove the invention of microchips in the 1970s from the space industry then cheap disposable satelites become impossible, therefore global communications dont work, right?

A global communication system relying on analoge computors becomes an interesting idea because you cant pack them up in a small satelite and throw them up 50 at a time and expect them to work for 30+ years, they need maintenance, they need human attention.

Enter the solution of a few large manned satelites as per Arthur C Clarkes initial idea for communication satelites from the 50s. When you have a world relying on a human population in space for such a basic modern "neccessity" as international phonecalls or the intereb tubes, then space travel becomes common and regular.

This leads to greater ability to go further, having the technology to regularly support a human population in orbit makes travel to the moon and beyond easier and more acceptable to the public.

Damn microchips, damn them all to hell, (in the past ofc)

I'm sure you OOP types have other inventions that destroyed the world type ideas, tell me about them :)