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Computer Analysis Sets NASA History Straight

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the darn-it-i-said-it-right dept.

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.'"

9 of 278 comments (clear)

  1. Well by Sv-Manowar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I doubt this will ever become realised in the mainsteam concious, it's been ingrained on the entire world and I don't think there is anyone (english speaking) who wouldn't be able to quote it. I don't think it's ever really been an issue of dropping the 'a', the line gains memorability for that. At the end of the day I think this research will end up as a nice section of trivia somewhere, but we will all remember the quote that came through on that day, and surely the communications glitch was a part of history too, so it should be remembered that way IMHO.

    --
    Business Voyeur
    1. Re:Well by Dausha · · Score: 3, Interesting

      "I don't think there is anyone (english speaking) who wouldn't be able to quote it."

      What's funny is I always thought there was meant to be an 'a' in it. When you hear the audio, it sounds like something is missing before the man based on how 'man' was said (to me, it sounds like m-man, which lead me to believe it was a-man). So, whenever I said it, I put the 'a' in there.

      So, while you may not think there's anyone, I'm one who would quote with the 'a.'

      In other news, "Take the 'L' out of lover, and it's over."

      --
      What those who want activist courts fear is rule by the people.
    2. Re:Well by istartedi · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It doesn't make sense, so you have to give it your own sense. Here's how I've always done that:

      If the "a" had come through, then we would have got the original meaning. It was Armstrong representing mankind. Without the "a", it becomes all of us. This is not to imply that Armstrong was overestimating his own importance. AFAIK, he was as humble as anyone can be in that circumstance. Nevertheless, the "divine edit" of the "a" makes the two parts of the utterance into a nonsequitur that can be resolved by assuming that Armstrong meant that the "one small step for man" was taken by all of us, to the extent that we were all humans just like him; the small step was the mere physical act of getting there. The "giant leap" was all the implications of having gotten there.

      Besides. Why mess with success.

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      For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
  2. History Re-written by Yahma · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Niel Armstrong did have alot of critics who complained that he changed his story, or was trying to change what he had apparently said in order to make it sound better/different. This computer analysis should quiet his critics, but the unfortunate truth is most of the public will probably never hear about this analysis and life will go on...

    There was an interview several years back where Mr. Armstrong said that he said the word *A* during his famous radio transmission from the moon. Someone could try Voice Stress Analysis on that interview to determine if he is lying or telling the truth, to verify the results of this analysis. =)


    Yahma
    BLASTProxy - A public, anomymous Apache based proxy service.
  3. The other sounds better -- it's iambic. by Etherwalk · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The last foot in the first half sounds better without the `a.' I tried posting the scansion, but the lameness filter found that too dorky. =)

  4. I always liked what Pete Conrad said... by sbaker · · Score: 3, Interesting

    On Apollo 12:

        "Whoopie! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me." -- Pete Conrad

    On Apollo 14:

        "It's been a long way, but we're here." - Alan Shepard

    Hmmmm - not *quite* so memorable.

    --
    www.sjbaker.org
  5. reverse talk by the_Bionic_lemming · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A quick sidetrip - Listen to the reverse audio of his words -

    Man will spacewalk

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    _ _ _ Go for the eyes Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!
  6. Just an analyst? by bherman · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I read this story and wondered a bit about the guy who was involved. Saying he's "a computer analyst" is like saying Bush is just a little slow.

    His work is pretty cool http://www.shann-ford.com/001%20programming.htm

    Oh and he's also a jounalist.

    --
    Error: Sig not found.
  7. in 35 milliseconds??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    According to Ford, Armstrong spoke, "One small step for a man ..." in a total of 35 milliseconds, 10 times too fast for the "a" to be audible.

    Can someone explain this one for me, PLEASE?