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Probably the most inaccurate page on Wikipedia, with probably the longest list of dubious references. 90% of the inventions on that list were invented by someone else, in a different country, years, decades or in some cases even centuries before.
Most discoveries have precedents. But the US has a solid history of doing things that work. Maybe Edison didn't invent the first electric light, or Ford didn't invent the car, but they sure made them available to the world.
But vacuum tubes, transistors, electronic television, ICs, lasers, microprocessors, LEDS, FPGAs, fiber optics, internet, the majority of electronics stuff is American.
The claim that the US is somehow lagging Europe technologically is just silly. We are stuck with some older technologies, simply because we invented and deployed them first.
John
Come on, now, John, You know everything was invented by the French... while they were out on strike ;-)
...Jim Thompson
I thought he was talking about you, Jim :) Couldn't help myself...
If it ain't broke, don't fix it ;-)
...Jim Thompson
How do you fix the French? "Fix" 'em? ;-)
Actually, when ignored at an ice cream stand in Strasbourg, I said to Naomi, "Let's take our business elsewhere"... instant service and kiss-um-up ;-)
...Jim Thompson
"Patently" untrue.. The Russians invented everything; back when i was a kid (rughly 60 years ago), a lot of equipment advertised that fact: "Reg. U.S. Pat. Off" meaning Reginald US vonPatOff (senior? his magisty?).
While much is easily disputed, the 90% claim is seriously overblown. I, as an american, had problems with about 15% of the claims, ans i know that at elast 2% to 5% simply ain't so. Classic example, Charles Babbage and the need for interchangable parts. .
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