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From 1947 to 1957 US media was filled with the idea that all progress in the Soviet Union was from stealing US innovations. Particularly the 1949 A-bomb, but o

From 1947 to 1957 US media was filled with the idea that all progress in the Soviet Union was from stealing US innovations. Particularly the 1949 A-bomb, but other things as well. Then the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. Then they put a dog in space. Then they put a man in space. And the narrative changed.

walrus01 5y ago
> Then the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. Then they put a dog in space. Our german rocket scientists are better than your german rocket scientists! Operation paperclip, and all that.
- krasin 5y ago
  One of the best books about soviet rocketry is "Rockets and People" ([1]). My blood boiled at how badly German engineers were treated on the Soviet side and how inefficient the use of their skills was. They literally landed Germans on an island and gave an important, but a standalone task (multi-channel telemetry). Over time, it became redundant and 7 years later all surviving german engineers were let to go home. It's one sin to steal; it a bigger sin to not use what you have efficiently. 1. https://www.nasa.gov/connect/ebooks/rockets_people_vol1_detail.html https://www.nasa.gov/connect/ebooks/rockets_people_vol1_deta...
  - coliveira 5y ago
    It's even more impressive that the USSR did all that without using German scientists.
    - krasin 5y ago
      To be more precise, without using German scientists to the full capacity. This multi-channel telemetry was enabler; Soviets followed the same approach as SpaceX is doing: lot of launches, lots of explosions and learning something every time. It was telemetry from the German team that allowed this approach to happen. In a sense, printf-style debugging was used before it became prevalent in computers.
  - FpUser 5y ago
    >"It's one sin to steal" Every successful country at some point stole / conquered / forcefully took from others to achieve prosperity. Look at UK for example. They've raped half of the world. Then they were crying a river when the US stole from them. Now they are telling other countries not to do what they have done. Those other countries might listen when they will have "stolen" enough to be well on their own.
    - cycomanic 5y ago
      Also Germany, the "made in..." Label was invented in the UK to distinguish their products from the cheap German knock-offs. Later "made in Germany" became a sign of quality.
      - krasin 5y ago
        Obligatory reference to "Made in Japan" by the founder of Sony: https://www.amazon.com/Made-Japan-Akio-Morita-Sony/dp/0451151712 https://www.amazon.com/Made-Japan-Akio-Morita-Sony/dp/045115... TL,DR: Japanese went through this cycle as well. And I would say Chinese too, by now.

walrus01 5y ago

> Then the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. Then they put a dog in space. Our german rocket scientists are better than your german rocket scientists! Operation paperclip, and all that.

krasin 5y ago
One of the best books about soviet rocketry is "Rockets and People" ([1]). My blood boiled at how badly German engineers were treated on the Soviet side and how inefficient the use of their skills was. They literally landed Germans on an island and gave an important, but a standalone task (multi-channel telemetry). Over time, it became redundant and 7 years later all surviving german engineers were let to go home. It's one sin to steal; it a bigger sin to not use what you have efficiently. 1. https://www.nasa.gov/connect/ebooks/rockets_people_vol1_detail.html https://www.nasa.gov/connect/ebooks/rockets_people_vol1_deta...
- coliveira 5y ago
  It's even more impressive that the USSR did all that without using German scientists.
  - krasin 5y ago
    To be more precise, without using German scientists to the full capacity. This multi-channel telemetry was enabler; Soviets followed the same approach as SpaceX is doing: lot of launches, lots of explosions and learning something every time. It was telemetry from the German team that allowed this approach to happen. In a sense, printf-style debugging was used before it became prevalent in computers.
- FpUser 5y ago
  >"It's one sin to steal" Every successful country at some point stole / conquered / forcefully took from others to achieve prosperity. Look at UK for example. They've raped half of the world. Then they were crying a river when the US stole from them. Now they are telling other countries not to do what they have done. Those other countries might listen when they will have "stolen" enough to be well on their own.
  - cycomanic 5y ago
    Also Germany, the "made in..." Label was invented in the UK to distinguish their products from the cheap German knock-offs. Later "made in Germany" became a sign of quality.
    - krasin 5y ago
      Obligatory reference to "Made in Japan" by the founder of Sony: https://www.amazon.com/Made-Japan-Akio-Morita-Sony/dp/0451151712 https://www.amazon.com/Made-Japan-Akio-Morita-Sony/dp/045115... TL,DR: Japanese went through this cycle as well. And I would say Chinese too, by now.