I heard (somewhere) that Neil was using a voice activated microphone. If so, then the sound of the letter “a” would have activated the mic but would not have been transmitted. I think those microphones work best for people who start their sentences with “uh” (uh, like I do).
LINK TO COLUMN: Did astronaut Neil Armstrong muff his historic “one small step” line? - The Straight Dope
I just listened to the youtube; there’s no evidence of a pause long enough for a voice activated mic to drop the word.
Armstrong says he remembers saying “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” but he’s not adamant about it; that he might have left a word out. Gee, I doubt he had much on his mind that might have distracted him.
In any case, I feel that those who quote him should include the “a”, because it doesn’t make sense otherwise. Give him the benefit of the doubt.
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, miltone, we’re glad you found us. For future ref, when you start a thread, it’s helpful to other readers if you provide a link to the column in question. Saves searching time, and keeps us (mostly) on the same page. I’ve added the link at bottom of your post. No biggie, you’ll know for next time. And, as I say, welcome!
… and coincidentally, I see that Neil Armstrong died today. Sad, very sad, and the passing of an era.
By coincidence, Neil Armstrong died today. Of course, they played his words from the moon on the news.
I was listening closely just for this. I’d say that the “a” was definitely omitted. Life is like that.
I just listened to the restored version on the NASA site, and I can hear a breath, like “uh” at that point that makes it sound to me like he did say it. I think this is a subjective thing that will never be completely resolved.
There’s also a theory that static in the transmission obscured the ‘a’.
Armstrong was not adamant about it; he’s said that he intended to say it with the ‘a’ (he worked out the phrase beforehand), but he might have missed it when speaking.
He said that he prefers the quote given this way:
The VERY LONG pause he makes after the second “one” is probably where he realized “Crap, I blew my line!”.
Am I the only one who thinks that ‘one small step for man’ is more aesthetically pleasing?
It’s got a better rhythm, certainly.
Why are you small minds arguing over a missed syllable when there is Truth to be found? Neil Armstrong’s death may allow the secrets that he had to hide to be revealed!
It is all explained in Did Neil Armstrong leave a “Dead Man’s Trigger”?
That thread is beyond wonderful. Beyond many things, actually.
from page four
Why, yes. Yes he did.
Next?
No. He did not muff his line.
This is according to a scientific study done that I don’t have in front of me right now,
But to be truthful, it sure sounds like he missed it.
Who cares? I knew what he meant. It was a great first sentence from the moon. I will chalk it up to a transmission delay that Houston didn’t get quite right because he said "that’s one small step for [a fucking] man, … NASA tried to seamlessly cut out the word “fucking” and obviously cut “a” also.
A little humor on the subject via Eddie Izzard
How is that more aesthetically pleasing? That makes him say “That’s one small step for humanity, one giant leap for humanity.” Erm, what?
My IP address is apparently banned from viewing that site. WTF? Apparently, I can register and upgrade to get past banning. Yeah, I’ll get right on that. :rolleyes:
Seriously? You need the difference between grammatically correct and aesthetically pleasing spelled out in greater detail, seriously?
You’re free to believe this, because aesthetics are subjective. But it’s just crazy talk in my subjective opinion.
In the sense that aesthetics are subjective, you’re welcome to your opinion. My opinion differs.
Looking at the sentence from a phrasing and pacing context, it is jarring. The first phrase comes along
“That’s one small step for man,…”
That’s one small step for mankind, okay, he paused, what’s next?
“… one giant leap for mankind.”
Erm, what? How can it simultaneously be a small step and and a giant leap for mankind?
The first phrase sets the expectation. It defines the scope. The contrast of “small step” and “giant leap” set up the need for a contrast in the object. The parallel phrasing of “man” and “mankind” is much more poetic than using “humanity”, but it only works if you contrast meanings, i.e. use “man” to mean one person, Neil himself. He could have tried
“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for man.”
Using the singular “man” as the generic for humanity in the second part, while technically passible, would have been awkward. Mankind is smoother. He could have tried
“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for all men.”
But that would have sounded too sexist, almost deliberately exclusive of women. Mankind is more inclusive, though perhaps still a bit male centric to the uberfeminist.
Seeing as how he was talking explicitly about the small step he made off the lander foot to the dirt, and seeing how he was contrasting his small step to the cummulative effort of the nation that made taking a step onto the lunar regolith possible and what it implies for humanity’s future, it just really does need the “a” in there.
But that’s my personal overanalysis of how the aesthetics of the phrase works. What I can say from my personal experience, I recall being a child and being told or hearing the recording of what he said. Note I was not alive in 1969, so this was all well after the fact. I just recall hearing the “for man” and then the proceeding to “for mankind” and getting confused. It took deliberate effort to back correct the meaning of the first part of the phrase.
While part of me has a preference for what my ears actually hear, my overall sympathies lie with the version that is actually coherent and artistically flowing.