Slashdot Mirror
Computer Analysis Sets NASA History Straight
Ellis D. Tripp writes, "A computer analysis has upheld Neil Armstrong's version of the first words spoken on the lunar surface. The word 'a' was dropped due to a communications glitch, and Armstrong has been accused of flubbing his words since the historic 1969 landing. The corrected statement was 'That's one small step for *A* man, One giant leap for mankind.'"
You're right. "One small step for man" will be remembered, just like "Beam me up, Scotty", and "Play it again, Sam".
However, I just listened to it, and here's my take:
Armstrong has the "One small step" speach properly memorized and ready to go. He knows he has to do it right, because it will be broadcast live to the entire planet. He describes the lunar surface, then steps off the landing pad, and says, "That's one small step for man... One..." Damn! I goofed. "giant leap for mankind".
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
Yeah.. that's the only to get moderated +5 troll... One moderation for troll followed by 4 'underrated' moderations.
Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
In this context, man would be short for mankind, so in effect Neil would have been saying "That's one small step for mankind, one giant leap for mankind". Which is totally stupid. What he thought he was saying was: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind", which means that Neil (personally, aka: A man) took one small (1 ft or so off the ladder) step to reach the moon, but it took a giant leap in mankind (Engineering: physical and social) to put a man on the moon.