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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hello SIGCIS,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This being the anniversary year for Apollo 11, I have used my latest piece in Communications of the ACM (Jan 2019) to contrast the actual scope, cost, organization and impact of the Apollo program with the smug and historically ignorant misappropriation of the “moonshot” concept by Google/Alphabet in its “moonshot factory” branding. Thanks to Paul Ceruzzi and Matthew Hersch for checking over the space history side of things for me (though as always any errors are mine).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2019/1/233518-hey-google-whats-a-moonshot/fulltext">https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2019/1/233518-hey-google-whats-a-moonshot/fulltext</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In a way this is parallel to the “maintainers” critique made by Lee and Andy but approaching from the opposite direction. Even if you think that radical innovation is the most and only important thing society needs, the problem is that the federal government and tech industry are no longer willing to spend the kind of money needed to deliver it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I’m working on a talk version of this, if anyone wants to invite me to deliver it….<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Best wishes,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><br>Tom<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>