> It's not surprising, though, really. American success in that
> endeavor is largely a product of our entreprenurial culture. That's
> still quite unique - more than 90% of venture capital, for example, is
> American.
Something that is changing, slowly. That's not to say America is investing
less, more that investment capital is starting to come from other places too
(in my experience of the venture capital business, can't cite papers on
that...)
> Inventors would go off, found companies, and become
> astonishingly wealthy. Like...Bell, for example ;-)
Yes indeed, he had to move to the States to do that, because that's where
the market was. And the most recognised patent office in your hemisphere...
> But there was no
> perceptible market for rockets,
Lack of vision from everyone else. It still astounds me that the US Army
didn't spot this as a way to blow people up from much further away.
> and indeed, I do not believe there was
> any significant civilian market for space-based technologies until the
> 1960s, right? Almost 40 years later.
That's very true. If only Arthur C Clarke had invented the commsat at the
turn of the last century...
Although the US Carrier Pigeon Service could have been speeded
considerably... ;o)
> So that cultural attribute
> didn't help in the development of rocket technology and Goddard
> remained a rather eccentric hobbyist.
Still a tremendous shame. :o(
Charlie
