Greatest Spanish contribution(s) to the world ?

What is/are the greatest Spanish contribution(s) to the world?

  • Spanish food (tapas, paella, tortilla, Iberian pork, churros, etc.)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The classical guitar

    Votes: 1 100.0%
  • Spanish painting (Goya, Velásquez, Dali, Picasso, Miro, etc.)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The invention of cigarettes

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The epidural analgesia

    Votes: 1 100.0%
  • Other (please specify)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    1
Well, I think your contribution very interesting... so let's see if we can make somthing interesting for others too...

Radio :
Julio Cervera was a Spanish engineer, pioneer in the development of radio,

"Pioneer" in development of Radio... I think that (I have not read the article yet) he could have made great contributions to the development of Radio... just like other many inventors contributed to the final step... the actual and delivererate transmission of information by means of electromagnetic waves, by Marconi or Tesla... but then...

Was not really James Clerk Maxwell, the one that created the basic fundamental theory for that? Is he the "real inventor of Radio"?

Or should we go to as far back to Greeks, that were problably the first to say something called "Electricity"...

See what I mean?

Telescopy :

El telescopio podría ser invento de un español y no de un holandés como hasta ahora se creía, según una investigación realizada por el historiador británico Nick Pelling, que publica la revista "History Today".
El holandés Hans Lipperhey, patentó en octubre de 1608 su telescopio que pronto se difundió por toda Europa. Sin embargo, según la investigación de Pelling, el primer telescopio podría ser obra de un óptico español llamado Roget, que podría haber vivido en la provincia de Gerona o Barcelona.
El historiador británico toma como base para su teoría una investigación realizada en 1959 por el investigador español José María Simón de Guilleuma, quien encontró las primeras menciones al aparato en testamentos realizados en Cataluña en 1593.
Esta teoría es confirmada por el reciente hallazgo del legado de Pedro de Carolona, que se hizo efectivo en 1593 en Barcelona a favor de su viuda, y en el se incluía un telescopio de latón decorado entre los bienes heredados.

I think this is shameless, and part of the explanation why there has really few REAL inventions of Spaniards (and Latin Americans) to point at...

How could a story of a man that could have lived somewhere in Spain... How could this compete with strictly well recorded and recognised deeds and observations from the the Dutch, like Hans Lipperhey or Huygens?

Is this History at all... ?

The submarine :
En 1887, el teniente de la Armada e Ingeniero Isaac Peral diseñó y construyó el primer submarino de la historia (sin embargo, oscuros intereses dentro de la Armada Española hicieron que los altos estamentos desecharan el invento y dijeran que era un fraude y que un vehículo así no podía valer para nada). Este, ya tenía todas las funcionalidades básicas que se pueden observar en submarino militar moderno (motores eléctricos, sistema de navegación, torpedos capaces de alcanzar a un buque de superficie, periscopio, etc...), y supuso un avance científico y militar sin comparación para la época. Peral, vilipendiado y humillado, enfermó de cáncer, que se complicó con una meningitis que le produjo la muerte con 44 años, sin haber recibido ningún tipo de reconocimiento.

If thinking about a submarine is to be the "father of the submarine"... why not to say that Jules Verne is the "real" father of the Submarine?

Besides, even when botched, the "USS Alligator" of the US Civil war was, I think, the first actual attempt to use a submarine in war (and obviously, it passed before by the process of "thinking of", "designing", and "building".


Digital Calulator :

Leonardo Torres-Quevedo dedicó grandes esfuerzos a estudiar las nuevas posibilidades que ofrecía la electromecánica. Comprendió que las máquinas podían desarrollarse mucho más de lo que se suponía, con la integración de diversas técnicas, para alcanzar fines totalmente novedosos. En 1914 escribió una obra fundamental en el campo de la Automática, palabra que él mismo introdujo en España. Esta obra, publicada tanto en nuestro país como en Francia, se tituló “Ensayos sobre Automática”, y en ella Torres-Quevedo entroncaba con los importantes trabajos de Charles Babbage (el verdadero precursor de la computadora).
Desde el punto de vista práctico, nuestro Leonardo diseñó una máquina de calcular capaz de almacenar dígitos decimales, realizar operaciones binarias y comparar cantidades. Esto lo hacía gracias a elementos electromagnéticos, y estaba controlada por medio de un programa de sentencias fijas. Este programa estaba almacenado sobre un conjunto de regiones conductoras en la superficie exterior de un cilindro rotante. Esta “memoria”, tal y como la podríamos denominar hoy, incluía la primera formulación mundial de la aritmética de coma flotante. Con esta invención, Torres-Quevedo se adelantaba veinte años a la computadora digital electromecánica. Otro derivado de sus estudios fue un aparato que se conoce como “jugador automático de ajedrez”, que pasó por varias versiones y se considera la primera contribución al campo de la inteligencia artificial. En un sentido menos ambicioso, en 1920 se construyó en Francia una máquina de calcular, a la que se llamó “Artimómetro electromecánico”. Consistía en una máquina de escribir eléctrica mediante la que se introducían los números y las operaciones a realizar en el orden en que iban a ser ejecutadas. Cuando el cálculo terminaba, la máquina de escribir tipografiaba el resultado automáticamente. Capaz de realizar operaciones aritmético-lógicas, el “Aritimómetro electromecánico” es la primera calculadora digital que se conoce.


I have to read more about this... could have been... just like the real "paternity" of the fist computer is disputed by USA, the U.K. and Germany (e.g. Conrad Zuse). If this is true, Spain could join to the fray.

But you have to provide more evidence about it. Somehow I don't believe it... but maybe I am prejuidized.


The gyroplane
Invented by the Spanish engineer Juan de la Cierva to create an aircraft that could safely fly at slow speeds, the autogyro was first flown on 9 January 1923, at Cuatro Vientos Airfield in Madrid

I do not dispute this.
 
This article doesn't say that the Spanish mop was invented before 1837. It says 1960 !
In 1837 the mop existed ? You have seen it in english Wikipedia ? Im talking about the modern mop that we have in our homes :
La fregona, entendida como "un todo compuesto por un cubo de material plástico, con un escurridor del mismo material que se acopla al cubo y un palo con un mocho con el que se friega el suelo",[1] fue inventada, en España, por el riojano Manuel Jalón Corominas,[2
 
Other spanish inventions (I don't believe in most anglo-saxon sources)

The space suit :
El ingeniero militar español Emilio Herrera diseñó en 1935 por primera vez un traje espacial que inspiraría posteriormente los utilizados en la carrera espacial.[1

trajeAstronauta.jpg




The telepheric :
El primer transportador de plano inclinado para pasajeros del mundo fue construido por Leonardo Torres Quevedo[2] en la ciudad de San Sebastián (España) en 1907 para permitir a la aristocracia donostiarra acceder sin problemas a la cima del Monte Ulía


Table football :
El futbolín con las piernas separadas lo inventó un gallego, conocido gracias a la leyenda difundida por el mismo creador: Alexandre de Fisterra, quien dijo ser herido durante uno de los bombardeos de Madrid durante la Guerra Civil Española. Viendo a muchos niños heridos como él en el hospital (por ejemplo, incapaces de poder jugar al fútbol), pensó en la idea, inspirándose en el tenis de mesa. Alexandre confía a su amigo Francisco Javier Altuna, un carpintero vasco, la fabricación del primer futbolín siguiendo sus instrucciones.[


The Syringe :
Algo tan simple que ha hecho tanto bien... Manuel Jalón, inventor de la fregona, creó la jeringuilla hipodérmica desechable, algo que hoy en día nos parece tan normal que muchas veces no le damos el valor necesario. Su aparición hizo mucho por la higiene sanitaria y significó un gran avance gracias al uso de los plásticos en la no proliferación de enfermedades.


The radio :

Hace unos cuatro o cinco años, una noticia nos sorprendió gratamente. Un español, Julio Cervera, había inventado la radio 11 años antes que Marconi (con el que colaboró posteriormente. De hecho Marconi nunca se apuntó el tanto, sino que fue reconocido al no haberse encontrado patente previa a su modelo, hasta ahora, cuando se ha restituido a Cervera tan importante honor a nivel mundial). Una vez más, fueron los medios extranjeros los que se hicieron eco del asunto, mientras en España se comentaba de pasada. Julio Cervera fue reconocido justamente como el padre de la comunicación sin hilos. Este militar y científico español, experto en diseño de tranvías, además (aquí comienza una ironía, utilizando un dato supuestamente real pero que me parece bastante cómico, que la gente no pilla) profetizó la "invasión" marroquí de la Isla Perejil (aquí termina una ironía, utilizando un dato supuestamente real pero que me parece bastante cómico, que la gente no pilla). Murió en 1929.

 
Well... I just will say that "who invented what"... is not a trivial matter.

Or should not be considered trivial.

Who invented the airplaine? The Americans and most of the world will say the Wright brothers, but the Brazilians will say it was his country man Santos Dumont... and they have some proof that will make you doubt.

I think is good for them to hold their ground.

Who invented the Computer? The Americans or the British? The Germans have constructed first a computer that from some point of view, more similar to our modern computers. The theory was more British (e.g. Alan Turing).

Cinnema is generally attributed to the Lumiere brothers... but if you read something in German, they will claim that something called "The Magic Box", was something important and fundamental to that.

++++++++++++++

I think that to say that someone "invented" something implies some kind of arbitrariness. In many cases, is just a "cut in time" in which we see what we wanted to see.

Well, Mexicans are usually recognized for inventing color television... although is not precisely the same system that is used now, it was the first successful attempt to commercially record, send, and display images in color. Naturally, the invention is disputed... specifically attacked by Americans in favor of their own people... sadly, also viciously attacked by Spaniards, that couldn't stand things like that, I don't know why.

Well, such is life.
 
Well... I just will say that "who invented what"... is not a trivial matter.

Or should not be considered trivial.

Who invented the airplaine? The Americans and most of the world will say the Wright brothers, but the Brazilians will say it was his country man Santos Dumont... and they have some proof that will make you doubt.

I think is good for them to hold their ground.

Who invented the Computer? The Americans or the British? The Germans have constructed first a computer that from some point of view, more similar to our modern computers. The theory was more British (e.g. Alan Turing).

Cinnema is generally attributed to the Lumiere brothers... but if you read something in German, they will claim that something called "The Magic Box", was something important and fundamental to that.

++++++++++++++

I think that to say that someone "invented" something implies some kind of arbitrariness. In many cases, is just a "cut in time" in which we see what we wanted to see.

Well, Mexicans are usually recognized for inventing color television... although is not precisely the same system that is used now, it was the first successful attempt to commercially record, send, and display images in color. Naturally, the invention is disputed... specifically attacked by Americans in favor of their own people... sadly, also viciously attacked by Spaniards, that couldn't stand things like that, I don't know why.

Well, such is life.

Mexicans did not "invent" color television, per se. However, Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena, a Mexican, is recognized for developing the first technology to effectively transmit color images commercially. This took place in the 1940s. Color television devices have been in existence since the 1920's, in one form or another.
 
For my offering I tender the cyclic pitch control used in helicopters. Designed and patented by the Marquis de Pescara.
 
Mexicans did not "invent" color television, per se. However, Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena, a Mexican, is recognized for developing the first technology to effectively transmit color images commercially. This took place in the 1940s. Color television devices have been in existence since the 1920's, in one form or another.

See what I mean... :LOL::LOL::LOL:
 
Spain gave the world two things ! Corrida and the Inquisition !
 
The telepheric :
El primer transportador de plano inclinado para pasajeros del mundo fue construido por Leonardo Torres Quevedo[2] en la ciudad de San Sebastián (España) en 1907 para permitir a la aristocracia donostiarra acceder sin problemas a la cima del Monte Ulía

The oldest funiculars are Austria (1515), English (1575) and Irish (1777). There are others predating the first Spanish one of 1907.

Table football :
El futbolín con las piernas separadas lo inventó un gallego, conocido gracias a la leyenda difundida por el mismo creador: Alexandre de Fisterra, quien dijo ser herido durante uno de los bombardeos de Madrid durante la Guerra Civil Española. Viendo a muchos niños heridos como él en el hospital (por ejemplo, incapaces de poder jugar al fútbol), pensó en la idea, inspirándose en el tenis de mesa. Alexandre confía a su amigo Francisco Javier Altuna, un carpintero vasco, la fabricación del primer futbolín siguiendo sus instrucciones.[

The invention of table football dates back to the 1890's in the UK and was patented in 1923, 13 years before the start of the Spanish Civil War.


The Syringe :
Algo tan simple que ha hecho tanto bien... Manuel Jalón, inventor de la fregona, creó la jeringuilla hipodérmica desechable, algo que hoy en día nos parece tan normal que muchas veces no le damos el valor necesario. Su aparición hizo mucho por la higiene sanitaria y significó un gran avance gracias al uso de los plásticos en la no proliferación de enfermedades.

Historical timeline from Wikipedia

* The first piston syringes were used in Roman times. during the 1st century AD Celsus mentions the use of them to treat medical complications in his De Medicina.
* 9th century AD: The Iraqi/Egyptian surgeon Ammar ibn 'Ali al-Mawsili' created a syringe in the 9th century using a hypodermic needle, a hollow glass tube, and suction to remove cataracts from patients' eyes, a practice that remained in use up until at least the 13th century and which came into renewed use in the 20th century.
* c. 1650: Blaise Pascal invented a syringe (not necessarily hypodermic) as an application of what is now called Pascal's law.
* 1760: Forms of intravenous injection and infusion began.
* 1844: Irish physician Francis Rynd invented the hollow needle and used it to make the first recorded subcutaneous injections, specifically a sedative to treat neuralgia.
* 1853: Charles Pravaz and Alexander Wood developed a medical hypodermic syringe with a needle fine enough to pierce the skin. Shortly thereafter, the first recorded fatality from a hypodermic-syringe induced overdose was Wood's wife from self administered morphine.
* 1946: Chance Brothers in Smethwick, Birmingham, England produce the first all-glass syringe with interchangeable barrel and plunger, thereby allowing mass-sterilisation of components without the need for matching them.
* 1956: New Zealand pharmacist and inventor Colin Murdoch granted New Zealand and Australian patents for a disposable plastic syringe.
* 1974: First US patent for a plastic disposable syringe received by African American inventor, Phil Brooks, U.S. patent #3,802,434 received on April 9, 1974.


No mention of Spain. I checked up Manuel Jalón Corominas and he "only" invented the two-part disposable syringe, not the syringe itself. That was in 1978, so I guess the credit for the disposable syringe should go to the American Phil Brooks, who patented it 4 years earlier.
 
Spain gave the world two things ! Corrida and the Inquisition !
Bullfighting is also very popular in southern France, specially in Nimes :

The oldest funiculars are Austria (1515), English (1575) and Irish (1777). There are others predating the first Spanish one of 1907.
I didn't talk about funiculars, I talked about telepherics, it's not the same.

Historical timeline from Wikipedia
No mention of Spain. I checked up Manuel Jalón Corominas and he "only" invented the two-part disposable syringe, not the syringe itself. That was in 1978, so I guess the credit for the disposable syringe should go to the American Phil Brooks, who patented it 4 years earlier.
Of course in anglo-saxon sources you won't find any spanish invention, but see these :

http://www.tiempodeculto.com/articulos/cosas/inventosEsp.htm

http://listas.20minutos.es/lista/cual-de-estos-inventos-espanoles-es-el-mas-importante-62347/
 
Spain gave the world two things ! Corrida and the Inquisition !

Another way of saying Spain didn't contribute anything positive to the world. :innocent:

But.. I know some positive ..

Pablo Picasso
Gaudi
Ortega Y Gasset
 
Doma Vaquera is a discipline mainly Spanish, mainly from Andalusia, Extremadura and Leon Castilian province of Salamanca, these regions being the most important with respect to wild herds.

It originated in the work developed in the field with livestock management, such as bulls away for a run, getting the cattle from one place to another or holding corral.

As competition has a significant presence in many rural areas of Spanish, although in recent years is starting to gain importance in France. The exhibition takes place in a smooth and bounded track called rectangular. Its measures range from a minimum (18 m wide and 40 m long) and other maximum (20 m wide by 60 m long), which are the regulations for the competitions of major importance.

The horse used in this discipline must combine a submissive character with a strong dose of speed and agility. Although its origins were used Purebred Spanish horses, are now highly prized horses Hispanic Anglo, Hispanic Anglo Arabs, Anglo Arabs and English Thoroughbreds.

domvaq.jpg
 
Another way of saying Spain didn't contribute anything positive to the world. :innocent:

But.. I know some positive ..

Pablo Picasso
Gaudi
Ortega Y Gasset

Likewise, although very much mentioned already, the Spaniard that I admire most, is again Santiago Ramon y Cajal, and he is recognised as the one that gave the correct interpretation of for neural working, which, undeniably gave birth to Neurobiology and Neuroscience.

(If well, based in his turn in the methods of the Italian Camillo Golgi).

For their works, both received the Nobel Prize in 1906.

(All this, without denying the previous work and contributions of, for example, the French Paul Brocca, or the Germans, Wernieke, Brodmann, etc....)

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9orie_du_neurone

I is the Spaniard I admire most and I don't try to put him down, just because an average Spaniard would do that, in the reverse case.

Regards.
 
Carlitos....
 
Spain gave the world two things ! Corrida and the Inquisition !


The Inquisition was born in France. Please, educated yourself.

Regards.

PS- We all know that this thread is most likely to get locked, ruined by the usual troll(s).
 
The Inquisition was born in France. Please, educated yourself.

The French Inquisition was only in France. Spain gave the word an international dimension with its colonies.
 
If France would have not created Inquisition there would have not been spanish inquisition either. And the spanish inquisition barely acted in Spain's colonies, btw.

Regards.
 
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Spain is renowned for Flamenco music and dance. It is ironically is of mixed Gypsy, Spanish, Byzantine, Sephardic and Moorish origin. Too hybrid to be just Spanish.

Besides the Gypsy influence, that's a bit hard to believe, considering that Flamenco is only about 200 years old.
 

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