JRS: In article , seen in
news:sci.space.policy, Christopher M. Jones
posted at Mon, 30 Jun 2003 19:47:02 :-

Something could have been built in Europe, and possibly used as a way of
getting to India or China, though not of getting back. But it would
have been a fair-sized project, and there was not the "social
technology" to expend such effort on complete innovations.

In case you hadn't noticed, we're fantasizing here about
what was conceivably possible in 1500, not about whether
it would actually *be* possible for such a project to
have been carried out.


The U.S. space programme, 1953-2003, has amply demonstrated that the
second is of no less importance than the first.

If a prosperous King of the 15th century had wanted to build a modest
Montgolfiere, on the scale of 1783, he could no doubt have done so. But
the project management for research, design and construction of a
transatlantic balloon would have been out of reach.

Just because *someone* had understood, and published, an aspect of
science or technology did not mean that society as a whole had that
understanding to a degree giving the capability of using it. The
Copernican system was published in 1543 (and was publishable 25 years
earlier); but it was not allowed to be believed, by those with authority
and power, in Galileo's time.

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links;
some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c.
No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.