Why do the British hide the fact that we made the first progr. computer and most

Question: Why do the British hide the fact that we made the first progr!. computer and most other original inventions!?

Ask around and I think you will find that even British people are unaware of how Britain built the modern world!.We were industrialised 50 years before Germany and 250 years before Japan

http://news!.bbc!.co!.uk/1/hi/technology/74!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

The British have never been much to brag about our successes, where-as other countries are happy to, that might be a reason why, industrially, we are falling behind other nations!. We are one of the oldest, stable, civilizations in the world and maybe that has lead to better maturity and the need not to boast!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Take for example Whittles revolutionary jet engine!. What happened with it!? Frank Whittle was ready to lead Britain into the fore of jet propulsion at the end of the war but the government decided to start meddling around with nationalisation etc!.

So whilst you've got geniuses you've got your fair share of dummies to cancel them out!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The reason for some of the lack of acknowledgement for wartime discoveries and inventions is due to the Lend Lease Agreement!.
America demanded that all important and useful wartime discoveries and inventions had to be handed over as part payment for their "help" during the early days of WW2!.
Prior to America entering the war!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

There is no conspiracy!.
It happens only because people are aware about what other countries also did instead to look to their feet!.

Talking about better inventions: Press, Compass, Architecture, Democracy and amazing people like Santos Dummont, Kant, Volta, Nietzsche, !.!.!.!.

By the way, Japan had the largest wolrd's weapons industries around the XVI century!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

http://inventors!.about!.com/library/inven!.!.!.

We are a very clever race!. Above is a list of all the British Inventions patented!.
But you see, this country is never promoted!. the government has forgotten how to!.
They just don't blo*dy care!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

We're just too modest!.
Sometimes I wonder if that is a plus or a negative in our psyche!.
And we often don't follow through with our brilliant inventions, unlike, say, the Americans or Japanese or Germans or Koreans or Chinese or!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.well, you get my point, lol!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Proto-Steam engine,was invented by Hero of Alexandria!.
Battery and Electro-plating device,by the Ancient Greeks!.
Lightbulb - Joseph Swan!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I dont think we are hiding the fact!. Its just we dont go round boasting about it!. Whats the point!? Who cares!?

Leave the boasting to the Americans :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

I agree, The Computer, Web, Jet Engine, Trains, Television, Power Loom, Vacuum Cleaner, Photography,Telephone, Radar, Vaccination, Penicillin, Antiseptic, Cloning, Test Tube Babies, Bicycle, Hovercraft, Supersonic Airliners, Gas Lighting, Steam Pump, Underground Railways, Chronometer, Matches, Portland Cement, Tarmac, Tyres,Lathe, Exploding Shells, Battle Tank, Air Forces and many more, all invented by the British, along with the Theories of Evolution and Gravity, and starting the Industrial Revolution!.

None of this was the work of Americans, Japanese, French or Germans!.

Mind you, the Mesopotamians(Sumerians, Assyrians,Babylonians) also made some pretty original inventions - The Wheel, Writing, Mathematics, Astronomy, Beer, The Chariot, Libraries, Zoos, Heavy Cavalry, Seige Engines, Coinage, The Calendar, Civil Service etc!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Of course you are right, I dislike anti British "British " people most who run down their own country!.

Michael Faraday mentioned above was an interesting guy and my favourite of many great British scientists/Physicists!. He had no qualifications, worked in a library when young and was said to,have read the WHOLE LIBRARY!.Not just the books he worked on, the whole libraryWww@QuestionHome@Com

Tommy Flowers built the first programmable computer, Charles Babbage designed the first programmable computer, although he was never able to build a complete model!.

http://www!.fpp!.co!.uk/online/98/11/Flower!.!.!.

Basking in the reflected glow of other's achievements is one of the refuges of nationalists – jingoism achieves nothing!.

‘In every part of the world the good desire of men for peace and decency is undermined by the dynamite of jingoism!.’ – Robert E!. Sherwood, Idiot's DelightWww@QuestionHome@Com

So What!?!?!?
As long as there are people like you prepared to brag about it, who cares!.
By the way British people are not as ignorant of their illustrious History as you like to think!.
It is amazing what one can learn by way of a computer!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
God save the Queen!.
Cathorio!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

What do you want!? A round of applause!? The thing that makes me sick is that none of these great inventions were produced by people like Mike Ingham!. It′s like when you see National Front footabll supporters singing about WWII when, those brave British men who gave their lives to fight fascism 1939-45 would have been the first to kick such pondlife down the street!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The British started into the Computer age way back during the Regency period (1800-1830)!.

It all starts with Mary Shelly!. !. !. !.

Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron - Frankenstein !.!.!.Today in Literature presents Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley, !.!.!. world's first computer, and her contributions were such that the programming language !.!.!.
http://www!.todayinliterature!.com/todayyy!.!.!.

The first working baby computer was built in Manchester by the British in c1948 - it had a pin-head memory but it was able to operate without being re-programmed from outside!.

50th Anniversary of the Manchester Baby computerMost importantly it was the first computer that could store not only data but !.!.!. The highlight of the 1998 Celebrations was the construction of a working !.!.!.
http://www!.computer50!.org/

Yes, well you see, the British people are not really very interested in 'science' and are much more focused on the arts and it really is here where we score as a nation!.

No one has this, but everyone can share it, if they like!.

Laurence Olivier - Richard III - "Now is the winter of our disconent made glorious summer by this son of York"!.
http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=thz2EUizC!.!.!.

We're also much more interested in this sort of thing too : !.!.

Rich Hall (an American Londoner) at the Comedy Store
http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=Ak_eq1v0g!.!.!.

The other thing about us Brits is we all want to know why the hell our town is not posted in the Crap Towns of UK book!. So much so in fact that publishers had to bring out Vol!.2 to include towns not included in Vol!.1!.!.!.!.etc!.

Science, isn't that something to do with chopping up babies to make other babies or something!?

You see, if scientists could do something about the weather, we might pay some attention!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

A!.great history does not say anything about the present!. Maybe your education should be more effective, maybe the british are not interested in what happened 250 years ago, maybe they are more worrying about the present like how they are going to pay off their debts etc!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

chutia haiWww@QuestionHome@Com