Let's say that most things aren't invented specifically FOR the military, but the military is usually the first buyer, which in turn, provides that capital for a commercial launch of the technology.
The face of gaming in the future?
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There is a big difference between invention and refinement, as you noted.
I'm just taking issue with the agreement to "almost almost all major technological innovations been rooted in early military usage." Yes, many technological advancements have been primarily designed by and for military usage. However, many, including some of our most important technologies, have not. The printing press is probably the most important technology of the second millenium, and it was a purely social project -- designed to make the Bible easier to reproduce.
The internal combustion engine was, to my knowledge, first designed for use in mining operations. The telephone and audio recording were scientific inventions that had nothing to do with the military at the time of invention. The understanding and ability to harness and use electricity were similarly scientific discoveries.
While the computer is often credited to the military (for work on early vacuum-tube technology used for ballstics trajectory), it goes back to Charles Babbage and mathematics. The military refined it, but did not have a hand in inventing the technology.
In fact, I would stress the military's role in refining technologies over its role in creating them. The military is excellent at finding promising technology and pouring the necessary funding and manpower into it to make it viable, something that the inventors, who are typically individuals or small groups, can't do on the same scale. So the viability of many technologies can be credited to military research, but not necessarily the creation or invention in all instances. Even so, there are many inventions and discoveries which owe little or nothing to the military at all.
I'm just taking issue with the agreement to "almost almost all major technological innovations been rooted in early military usage." Yes, many technological advancements have been primarily designed by and for military usage. However, many, including some of our most important technologies, have not. The printing press is probably the most important technology of the second millenium, and it was a purely social project -- designed to make the Bible easier to reproduce.
The internal combustion engine was, to my knowledge, first designed for use in mining operations. The telephone and audio recording were scientific inventions that had nothing to do with the military at the time of invention. The understanding and ability to harness and use electricity were similarly scientific discoveries.
While the computer is often credited to the military (for work on early vacuum-tube technology used for ballstics trajectory), it goes back to Charles Babbage and mathematics. The military refined it, but did not have a hand in inventing the technology.
In fact, I would stress the military's role in refining technologies over its role in creating them. The military is excellent at finding promising technology and pouring the necessary funding and manpower into it to make it viable, something that the inventors, who are typically individuals or small groups, can't do on the same scale. So the viability of many technologies can be credited to military research, but not necessarily the creation or invention in all instances. Even so, there are many inventions and discoveries which owe little or nothing to the military at all.
Microchips or potato chips? Either way, they just contribute to higher rates of gamecude spread.
Microchips. The mind-controlling potato chips are being handled by the Organization Against Marijuana Legalization. They're hitting the potheads where they like it most...the munchies.
its already gone.
barbed wire was invented in dekalb, illinois. to keep cows out. and then they used it to keep people from crossing fields during the trench warfare of ww1. so then naturally we had to invent tanks to roll over the barbed wire. and then we had to figure out ways to blow up the tanks. and then we figured, hey, planes can do it better. blah blah blah etc etc.
military fucks up everything it touches.
barbed wire was invented in dekalb, illinois. to keep cows out. and then they used it to keep people from crossing fields during the trench warfare of ww1. so then naturally we had to invent tanks to roll over the barbed wire. and then we had to figure out ways to blow up the tanks. and then we figured, hey, planes can do it better. blah blah blah etc etc.
military fucks up everything it touches.
Oh no, I didn't catch the ball in a cup. Oh, it's ok. Because the ball is on a string that's attached to the cup!