You know, I’m still amazed at how badly people can miss the point of a statement. I do it too, but seriously, sometimes it gets a little ridiculous.
Anyway, Syntax, what Tim so blatantly stated was that Canada isn’t exactly known for pioneering new fronts. If you do have the best Nuclear Reactor in the world, good for you. There’s just a couple problems with that. 1. Canada hasn’t exactly said “We have the best Nuclear Reactor ftw!!!1!” so nobody really knows nor cares. 2. Even with the best Nuclear Reactor in the world, accidents can still happen, so bragging about something like that is like saying “I have a virtual reality helmet, but if you plug it in wrong, it’ll electrocute you to death.”
Canada may have the best Nuclear Reactor, but they sure do a good job of not making anyone care.
EDIT: Dang! I knew that eating would give others a chance to post!
Bah… who cares about who wins the Nobel prizes?
The important thing is that Alfred Nobel was a swede. And that he was insane. That made him cool and famous.
i would like to point out that we aren’t know for pioneering new fronts becasue all our really bright students get lured away to american universities by cash. Although they seem to still be a big deal you could say that right now; nobel prizes are a big lot of horah for nothing
Funding for scientific ADVANCEMENT, which Canada lacks.
Also, Nobel Prizes are pretty cool. Most of the prizes awarded are for pretty valuable things. Nobel Peace Prizes, for instance, are awarded almost exclusively to people who have done a great deal for society. Nobel Prizes in Physics get awarded for things like describing the nature of elementary particles. Useful! And I think you can figure out what the Nobel Prize in Medicine gets awarded for.
But you do know WHY people are given the Nobel prize?
And where the money comes from?
Alfred Bernhard Nobel wrote in his will that a foundation should be established with his fortune. And the interest from this foundation should every year be awarded to people that has done something good for mankind.
How did he earn the money?
Dynamite, cannons, Spr?nggummi (I think it’s called ‘Gun cotton’ in english), Spr?nggelatin (I have no idea what is’s called in english. It’s a kind of jelly that you can blow up.)
He earned his money be inventing weapons the people use to kill each other.
He earned his money by inventing explosives. If you want to be pessimistic, the internet was originally a military system. Wheels go on tanks. Jet engines propel bombers and fighters. And so on, and so forth. Doesn’t mean they’re useless advances, it just means we like to use our advances everywhere that they are applicable.
I’m pretty sure Alfred Nobel had nothing to do with napalm… I’m thinking nitroglycerin, but that shouldn’t have its own name in any language. looks up
Aha. Gelignite.
