5 ms·

IIRC, there was a Reddit thread where they asked elderly (or elderly relatives of redditers) what the greatest technological advancement was during their lifeti

IIRC, there was a Reddit thread where they asked elderly (or elderly relatives of redditers) what the greatest technological advancement was during their lifetime, and indoor plumbing was more of a leap than the Saturn V taking humans to the moon and back.

vinchuco 9y ago
A big effect in a small area vs a small effect in a large area [?]. The same volume of water in two cylinders of short and long width. We have prizes for big problems in mathematics and science, but rarely focus on enablers. The tribe rewards the hunter when he comes back with deer, not so much the one that perfects the hunting spears (tools).
- icebraining 9y ago
  Sure we do, they're called patents.
  - sah2ed 9y ago
    The US patent system has evolved into rewarding lawyers mostly.
    - icebraining 9y ago
      I didn't say it was good :)
  - vinchuco 9y ago
    That's a protection, not a reward. It has a cost, and is often abused.
hnlmorg 9y ago
I guess people notice more the changes that directly impact them. As significant as the space programme is, it's often just a newspaper headline. Where as hot running water, central heating and convenient shopping affects people daily.
- tonyedgecombe 9y ago
  Yes, life would be pretty miserable without clean running water and sewerage.
  - wott 9y ago
    ...in cities, towns and villages (any dense area). But in sparsely populated areas with dispersed housing, this is not such a big deal.
    - hnlmorg 9y ago
      You don't think clean running water is a big deal in sparsely populated areas? I think it's probably more of a big deal there than in towns / cities because they at least had communities where utilities could be shared. If you live miles from clean water that's a good percentage of your week wasted walking to and from the nearest well / whatever with buckets.
      - Raphmedia 9y ago
        > You don't think clean running water is a big deal in sparsely populated areas? Depends on the region. Around here for example (rural Eastern Canada), a lot of people are drawing still their water from wells on their lands.
    - dagw 9y ago
      in sparsely populated areas with dispersed housing, this is not such a big deal. Hot water and indoor plumbing you can go without. But the lack of clean running water is a massively big deal.

vinchuco 9y ago

A big effect in a small area vs a small effect in a large area [?]. The same volume of water in two cylinders of short and long width. We have prizes for big problems in mathematics and science, but rarely focus on enablers. The tribe rewards the hunter when he comes back with deer, not so much the one that perfects the hunting spears (tools).

icebraining 9y ago
Sure we do, they're called patents.
- sah2ed 9y ago
  The US patent system has evolved into rewarding lawyers mostly.
  - icebraining 9y ago
    I didn't say it was good :)
- vinchuco 9y ago
  That's a protection, not a reward. It has a cost, and is often abused.

hnlmorg 9y ago

I guess people notice more the changes that directly impact them. As significant as the space programme is, it's often just a newspaper headline. Where as hot running water, central heating and convenient shopping affects people daily.

tonyedgecombe 9y ago
Yes, life would be pretty miserable without clean running water and sewerage.
- wott 9y ago
  ...in cities, towns and villages (any dense area). But in sparsely populated areas with dispersed housing, this is not such a big deal.
  - hnlmorg 9y ago
    You don't think clean running water is a big deal in sparsely populated areas? I think it's probably more of a big deal there than in towns / cities because they at least had communities where utilities could be shared. If you live miles from clean water that's a good percentage of your week wasted walking to and from the nearest well / whatever with buckets.
    - Raphmedia 9y ago
      > You don't think clean running water is a big deal in sparsely populated areas? Depends on the region. Around here for example (rural Eastern Canada), a lot of people are drawing still their water from wells on their lands.
  - dagw 9y ago
    in sparsely populated areas with dispersed housing, this is not such a big deal. Hot water and indoor plumbing you can go without. But the lack of clean running water is a massively big deal.