The Scientific Flex Gap

The scientific equivalent of "my dad could beat up your dad!" Depicted here is the vast difference between countries actively contributing to scientific advancement (the massive ferry) versus those just riding the historical coattails of their ancestors' achievements (the lone kitesurfer). Scientific progress requires continuous investment, not just bragging rights from centuries ago. The irony is that real scientific nations collaborate globally rather than compete with ancestral scorecards. Next time someone tries to win an argument with "but my country invented [insert ancient discovery]," remind them that science is about what you're doing now, not what your great-great-grandparents maybe figured out!