Thursday, July 28, 2005
A small step for a man ...
... a giant leak for mankind.
Apologies to Henry Ford for the visual metaphor. Henry was criticized for producing his beloved T after it was hopelessly out of fashion. But NASA beats Henry. The T was made from 1908 to 1927 = 19 years. The Shuttle has been flying from 1981 to 2005 = 24 years, and no sign of stopping.
Irrelevant sidebar: As with gas prices, it's easy to get nostalgic about the low price of a Model T. Well, let's do the numbers. A four-door sedan in 1925 listed for $750. This included an engine capable of 40 MPH in a tailwind, but didn't include windshield wipers, heater, or instrumentation, which most other sedans of the time had. (You could get a 'base' T for less, if you wanted to crank-start.) Inflation from 1925 to now is about 12. So this price is about $9000 in modern dollars. For that same price, you can get a Kia Rio four-door, which gives you (to say the least) a bit more performance, safety, and luxury. ¶ 11:17 AM
... a giant leak for mankind.
Apologies to Henry Ford for the visual metaphor. Henry was criticized for producing his beloved T after it was hopelessly out of fashion. But NASA beats Henry. The T was made from 1908 to 1927 = 19 years. The Shuttle has been flying from 1981 to 2005 = 24 years, and no sign of stopping.
Irrelevant sidebar: As with gas prices, it's easy to get nostalgic about the low price of a Model T. Well, let's do the numbers. A four-door sedan in 1925 listed for $750. This included an engine capable of 40 MPH in a tailwind, but didn't include windshield wipers, heater, or instrumentation, which most other sedans of the time had. (You could get a 'base' T for less, if you wanted to crank-start.) Inflation from 1925 to now is about 12. So this price is about $9000 in modern dollars. For that same price, you can get a Kia Rio four-door, which gives you (to say the least) a bit more performance, safety, and luxury. ¶ 11:17 AM
