Why can't the Spanish invent?

[frank]

I was intrigued by a headline in the Spanish press today,
¿Sabe su hijo que el chupa-chups, la fregona y el submarino son inventos españoles?
Does your child know that chupa chups, the mop, and the submarine are Spanish inventions.
Given that the submarine is contested, it's not much of a list, is it? They do have some minor inventions, but never sure why they have come up with so little in the past. The Brits, the French, Germans, Americans etc have a huge list of important scientific inventions, but the Spanish, almost zilch! The Spanish philosopher Unamuno was asked a similar question, and he said, !Que inventen ellos! Let them (foreigners) invent! Summed it up nicely!
During their stay in Spain, the Moors made a lot of valuable contributions in all fields, chemistry, mathematics,astronomy, agriculture, medicine etc, but the Spanish themselves, very little. They do seem to be coming up with some ideas in medicine lately, but it's a bit of a mystery why they never really matched the other countries.
http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/272184/ ... s/vaguada/

[Julie]

Probably saving thier money

[Bongtrees]

Apart from the obvious they never write anything down!

With the exception of a mop and a chupa chup which fitted on back of a fag packet.

No way did they invent a submarine.

[hillybilly]

Apart from the obvious they never write anything down!

[frank]

No way did they invent a submarine.

Agree, but they seem to think they did. Clutching at straws methinks!

[Lavanda]

Probably too busy inventing architectural styles and inventing new artistic concepts. They're an artistic, emotional lot rather than scientific, cool customers.

[pete_l]

On the other hand, the brits create a lot of technical innovations - then completely fail to develop or take advantage of them. The only thinks we seem to be good at inventing these days are cr@ppy TV show formats: millionaire, come dancing etc.

[crazyred]

The Autogiro was invented by a Spaniard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autogyro
I think it's because the Spanish are far too busy drinking coffee and enjoying life to be stuck indoors inventing things. Necessity being the mother of invention - they obviously have no need... apart from delicious paella

[frank]

The only thinks we seem to be good at inventing these days are cr@ppy TV show formats: millionaire, come dancing etc.

I agree with them being cr@ppy, never ever watch any of them, but I did see a programme recently that showed how sucessful and profitable they are. Some Brit was setting up Millionaire in some Eastern Eurpoean country, it's now seen in over 100 countries. Sad, innit! But profitable! Over 50% of these shows throughtout the world come from UK, even the Yanks can't get enough seemingly. Loads of Spanish TV is licenced from UK companies, Mira quién baila, Gran Hermano, Quién quiere ser Millonario etc, but looking at their offerings I don't think many will be sold abroad.

[frog]

the spanish invented the sun,thats all they needed

[K chameleon]

Sun, and tapas and a good glass of Rioja, and "manana" (with a squiggle)

[Jennifer]

Hi K,
Don't let the "word police" pick you up on that lapse "mañana " use the XP charater map for the odd one off

J

[K chameleon]

Thanx for your concern Jennifer Haven't got a clue what an xp charater map is ...(no, don't tell me, really, I've got broad shoulders..)
ITV's playing up again, even Channel Isles.

[sunkissed]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/98075/Notable ... iscoveries

[frank]

I did say that they had "some minor inventions" (the autogiro never really took off, did it? ), if you look hard enough you may find more. In the lists of all the most important discoveries in the world, the autogiro is about the only Spanish invention that makes the list. I'm not knocking it, just asking the question, why have they been so woefully short of inventors? And the headline that I quoted, which seems to say that they are proud and content to have invented chupa chups and a mop!

[pete_l]

I'm not knocking it, just asking the question, why have they been so woefully short of inventors?

Well, getting back to your original question. ISTM most of the significant inventions (i.e. ones that make a difference to us, now) were invented during the 20th century - before that, it's pretty much just steam engines, the car and radio.
However, Spain was under a dictatorship for a large chunk of that time and didn't develop anything in the way of heavy industry (plus, having a civil war doesn't help). That sort of knocks away both the need for and incentive for innovation and invention.
Mystery solved?

[frank]

Well, getting back to your original question. ISTM most of the significant inventions (i.e. ones that make a difference to us, now) were invented during the 20th century - before that, it's pretty much just steam engines, the car and radio.

Disagree entirely. Have a look, there is a list as long as your arm. I´d have thought electric light, pneumatic tyre, photography, film, radar, anaesthesia, vaccines against cholera, tetanus, pneumonia, the plague etc make a significant difference to us now. Could you imagine Spain without Portland cement!
http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines ... teenth.htm

However, Spain was under a dictatorship for a large chunk of that time and didn't develop anything in the way of heavy industry (plus, having a civil war doesn't help). That sort of knocks away both the need for and incentive for innovation and invention.
Mystery solved?

No, not at all. Russia was pretty much a dictatorship for quite some time, it never held them back. The Civil War was 3 years? America, Great Britain, France, Germany, all spent much longer at war than that.

[Lavanda]

Errrrrrrr, Frank, some of your list was invented in the 19th and not the 20th century.

Anyway, the most prolific inventors of the 20th century have been the Germans - that includes the Americanized Germans.

[frank]

Errrrrrrr, Frank, some of your list was invented in the 19th and not the 20th century.

Errr, that's because he said, "most of the significant inventions (i.e. ones that make a difference to us, now) were invented during the 20th century - before that, it's pretty much just steam engines, the car and radio". The point being that IMHO there were many very significant discoveries in the 19th century.

Anyway, the most prolific inventors of the 20th century have been the Germans - that includes the Americanized Germans.

My point exactly, they were not Spanish!

[Lavanda]

Oh Frank. We agree. How wonderful.