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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.'"

25 of 278 comments (clear)

  1. Good news by Linker3000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, I am glad that's finally sorted - I've been losing sleep over the issue for years.

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    AT&ROFLMAO
    1. Re:Good news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      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.

  2. 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.

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    Business Voyeur
    1. Re:Well by Alien+Being · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "and surely the communications glitch was a part of history too, so it should be remembered that way IMHO."

      I remember it as a quote that didn't make sense. In context, "man" == "mankind". It would have been silly to say "That's one small step for mankind, one giant leap for mankind".

      Ever since I learned that Armstrong contended that the "a" was lost, the quotation made sense and IMHO it's one of the most profound statements ever uttered... unless you drop the "a". Let's try to correct the error and remember what he REALLY said.

      The fact that the record was incorrect for 40 years should be a footnote.

    2. Re: Well by Black+Parrot · · Score: 4, Insightful

      > 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.

      What's sad is that it hasn't turned out to be a giant leap for mankind after all, but rather the high-water point of a short-term venture we haven't had the will to follow through on.

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    3. 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.

      --
      For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
  3. And in other news... by techno-vampire · · Score: 5, Funny

    This just in: computer analysis has revealed that Han Solo did, in fact, shoot first!

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    Good, inexpensive web hosting
    1. Re:And in other news... by wrook · · Score: 4, Funny

      Damnit! I *swear* I typed the "if". Must be a communications glitch...

  4. Re:*Ahem* by ianejames · · Score: 4, Funny

    mod parent "funny troll"

  5. 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.
  6. What he really said: by Tablizer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Actually he said:

    "Ah shit! I pissed my pants!"

    because he was so nervous. Remember, he is an engineer, not a spokesman. But it was covered up.

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    Table-ized A.I.
    1. Re:What he really said: by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      I would be pretty nervous to. Who hasn't had something come out wrong, when they were making a presentation,

      Indeed. If they sent me, it probably would have gone down something like this:

      That's one sman, uh, that's one step for a small man, I mean one man for a small, I mean one step on a small, I mean one man is a small....Oh fuck! People of Earth, I'm on the goddam fucking moon, okay? And, hey, fuck those ruskies, eh?

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
  7. NASA Alzheimers by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

    First NASA loses Apollo TV master tapes, and now it loses pronouns. At this rate it will lose a planet within a decade such that we'll have only 8.

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    Table-ized A.I.
  8. The Straight Dope by aktzin · · Score: 4, Funny
    This story reminded me of a "Straight Dope" article I read years ago regarding something Armstrong allegedly mumbled right after his famous first words on the moon:

    http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a951117.html

    While searching for this in the web site's archives I also found an entry from 1990 discussing the "small step for a man" argument:

    http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_362.html

    My parents tell me that I actually saw the moon landing, but since I was a baby at the time I really can't comment on what I heard him say.
    --
    Quantum mechanics: the dreams that stuff is made of.
  9. Tranquility base by trewornan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Weren't the first words spoken on the lunar surface:

    "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

    I always prefer it anyway - it doesn't sound like some crap written by a PR wanker.

  10. Government vs. commercial by whyde · · Score: 4, Funny

    All I can say is thank goodness the first person on the moon wasn't put there by a commercial entity. I'm sure the first words would have been something like, "That's one small step for a man, but a Taco Bell Gordito(tm) is much bigger!"

    Either that, or some other government making a political sound bite that promotes a specific ideology or theology instead of something referencing the accomplishments of mankind in general, would have been equally disturbing.

    I'm really proud that the folks at NASA took time to plan what would be said, realizing that it would be a historic moment.

    1. Re:Government vs. commercial by windowpain · · Score: 4, Funny

      The comedian Robert Klein actually did a bit about this. How Armstrong could have made a fortune by selling out before he left Earth and then saying, "COCA-COLA!" as he put his foot out on the moon.

      --
      Insert witty sig here.
  11. 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!
  12. Re:*Ahem* by Kahless2k · · Score: 5, Funny

    Would you people stop modding my parents; They're starting to complain.

    *ducks*

  13. 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.

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    Error: Sig not found.
  14. Greedo by SeaFox · · Score: 5, Funny
    Well, I am glad that's finally sorted

    Yup, the Moon spoke first! No, wait...
  15. According to the HBO miniseries... by Ellis+D.+Tripp · · Score: 4, Funny

    "From the Earth to the Moon", command module pilot Mike Collins suggested that if Neil "...had any guts, you would say "What the hell is that?!", then scream and cut your mike." :)

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    Remember "News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters"? Help make it a reality again! http://soylentnews.org
  16. Re:Ingrained Quotes, and hearing what you think by AJWM · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Nope, it's a noisy channel, and good ol' midwest boy that Neil is, he slurs it a litte:

    "That's one small step f'r a man" etc. And then Walter Cronkite tells everybody he said "for man", and everyone believes it.

    If the channel is slightly noisy, you can "hear" whatever you think you're going to hear in it. Consider how often people misperceive song lyrics into something totally different. Once Cronkite told them that - and it hit the headlines that way - that's what people think they hear. Try hearing it as "step f'ra man".

    --
    -- Alastair
  17. Han by SeaFox · · Score: 4, Funny
    No, wait...

    Armstrong desended the ladder and was about to step on the surface when it was Aldrin that spoke first...

    "Wait, Neil! That's no moon..."
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    (I know it's not kosher to reply to yourself but I accidentally set this set up with the "No, wait...")
  18. His REAL first words by Spackler · · Score: 4, Funny

    In 1972, Armstrong cleared up his first words were actually:

    Holy Shit! I'm on the fscking moon!