3 ms·
Your snarky comment made me wonder how big a gap there is between copying the most advanced tech of the number 1 country, and innovating to actually become the
by bsaul 9y ago
Your snarky comment made me wonder how big a gap there is between copying the most advanced tech of the number 1 country, and innovating to actually become the number 1.
Judging by the effort of so many countries to build their own "silicon valley", and the lack of any kind of result, i'd say copying is already a huge feat. I'm also ready to bet that china has done the hardest part and that we shouldn't wait too long until we're the ones trying to copy them.
- kolbe 9y agoMaybe. But You could have said that 10 years ago, too. It could be that a society that doesn't even try to reward its most ambitious and brightest people, and instead focuses all of its government's efforts in protection of second/third generation deep power structures, that they will never cultivate a innovation oriented of intellectual culture. Who knows, though.
- Symmetry 9y agoSuccessfully copying another country's technology is very hard and if you can do that you can usually start innovating when the vein runs out. The US got its industrial start by stealing British power loom designs. For many years Japan had a reputation as a bunch of copycats who couldn't innovate. I can think of lots of examples where one country tried to copy another's technology and failed to produce a successful industry. And I can think of a number which copied successfully then went on to innovate. But I'm not sure I can think of any countries which did a good job at copying technology then failed to go on to start innovating.
- photojosh 9y agoAnd IIRC the USA's printing presses got their start by doing copyright-violating runs of European popular literature.