The Wright Brothers, Space and The Germans

How did we get to the moon? On a balsa wood and paper kite. Back up.

A long time ago, people found out that stuff lighter than water floats. Then, people found out that stuff lighter than air flies. But but... birds aren't lighter than air! They fly! WHAT THE FUCK??? Oh... Air is a substance we can push on...

Yeah. Wind pushed us. If you shoot air out the end of a balloon, it flies off. Rockets. pressurized gas pushing on the earth and the air beneath... lifting...

The Wright Brothers got it. Make a large surface. Raise the air pressure beneath. It will lift heavy objects. From their we thought about space. But wait. There's no air in space. No problem, bro. See, the germans were sickos during WWII and didn't mind running crazy experiments on people. They made expensive pressure chambers and tested them on humans to see... well, what would happen. Also, they had rockets. Rockets went very high up into the air... to the edge of space.

But sooner or later, the smart people (scientists) in germany realized that the Nazis were going to kill almost everyone and so they left and went out into the US desert. First, they applied their huge brains to winning the big war. Then, they all went to NASA and the Air Force.

Next thing you know, we're in space.

Backstory:

The idea of going into space was contemplated by scientists for a very long time before we became technichally advanced enough to do so. Literally, our ability to manipulate had to catch up with our ability to think. The theories were there and ready to be tested as soon as the machinists could make the instruments precise enough to build the devices. Let's put it this way, the theory was ready around 1923. It took 40 odd years to get the devices to implement the theory.

The same is true of our technology today. We are living in a world designed 40 years ago. In 1969. The theory of 1969 is the reality of today. And in 1969 humans landed on the moon based on theories from 40 years before that.

Now, look at the theories scientists are working on today. Set your watch. And wait 40 years. You think we've got weird shit going onin 2009? Oh. Just wait.

By the way, you might live a lot longer than you think. Just ask the people from the 1920s that are still around...