# What Is the Most Technologically Advanced Country in the World? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 5, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401 "2011-06-05T15:43:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/1 "2011-06-05T15:43:33Z")
What country, in your opinion, is the most technologically advanced in the world? I would say in the “big” technologies such as space exploration for instance the US takes the lead while perhaps in some areas of consumer technology Japan probably takes the lead, ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/2 "2011-06-05T16:02:02Z")
You might want to make your question more specific. It’s so vague that I can probably present and logically defend ten different answers. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/3 "2011-06-05T16:17:59Z")
Wakanda. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/4 "2011-06-05T17:37:43Z")
I can’t figure out what the question really is either. I vote for Djibouti because I hear they have planes, trains, cars, hospitals, computers, and cell phones there. Then again, Iceland is a real contender obviously because of their wide-spread geothermal energy. Antarctica is a continent and not a country but it is a clear leader in per capita scientific spending and has the best educated population of any continent by a huge margin. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/5 "2011-06-05T17:47:44Z")
Pretty confusing question as it’s framed. I don’t see space technology as ‘big’ necessarily. Sucks up big money to be sure, but benefit to the average citizen is minimal so I’d discount it right off. Lots of prestige, sure. I vote for Singapore. Very modern and advanced. An island nation which runs it’s economy at a surplus and has for decades. In two generations they went from ruin to the tiger economy of SE Asia. They have even overcome not having a freshwater source. It’s clean, it’s safe and it’s citizen’s are happy and proud without being arrogantly so. They have cutting edge education and health care. If you’re looking at the big picture, I vote Singapore. (And yes, I’m aware their democracy is slightly different from America’s but then so is their culture, so that’s as it should be, in my opinion.) ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/6 "2011-06-06T03:34:33Z")
Does having better capabilities to use your cell phones as smart money or to check in on your flight make your whole country the most technically advanced, then if so, Japan may win, but their professors still write on _blackboards_ so knock off points for that. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/7 "2011-06-06T03:45:16Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > Wakanda. Indeed, they have wisely invested their profits from sales of vibranium. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/8 "2011-06-06T04:46:25Z")
Space technology is one of the few technologies that really matter in the long run, nobody is going to care one thousand years from now what functions a cell-phone or I-pad had but people will never forget when men landed on Luna or Mars or indeed actually colonzied it. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/9 "2011-06-06T05:47:28Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > Wakanda. _ **DOOM** _ is offended at your lack of appreciation for the glorious state of Latveria! ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/10 "2011-06-06T06:00:32Z")
Bulungi. ---
**Author:** ![IMfez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f07891/32.png) [@IMfez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IMfez)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/11 "2011-06-06T06:57:50Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Space technology is one of the few technologies that really matter in the long run, nobody is going to care one thousand years from now what functions a cell-phone or I-pad had but people will never forget when men landed on Luna or Mars or indeed actually colonzied it. But what is more important–raising our living standards or reaching milestones that future generations would study about? ---
**Author:** ![akbar7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@akbar7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akbar7)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/12 "2011-06-06T08:10:14Z")
Bulungi. ? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/13 "2011-06-06T09:02:03Z")
Having lived abroad a bit, I’m going to have to vote the USA: Clothes Drying Machines Central Water Heaters Central A/C Garbage Disposal Systems In-Wall Wiring Dish Washing Machines These are things that almost every single low-rent apartment has in the US, and yet they’re rare even at nice places in the EU, Japan, and elsewhere. (Admittedly, a lot of that can be said to come from smaller living spaces and a culture of living in centuries-old buildings.) ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/14 "2011-06-06T10:40:28Z")
> [@akbar7](#): > > Bulungi. ? [Bulungi](http://www.theonion.com/articles/us-ambassador-to-bulungi-suspected-of-making-count,790/) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/15 "2011-06-06T10:46:44Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Having lived abroad a bit, I’m going to have to vote the USA: > > Clothes Drying Machines > Central Water Heaters > Central A/C > Garbage Disposal Systems > In-Wall Wiring > Dish Washing Machines > > These are things that almost every single low-rent apartment has in the US, and yet they’re rare even at nice places in the EU, Japan, and elsewhere. (Admittedly, a lot of that can be said to come from smaller living spaces and a culture of living in centuries-old buildings.) Every place in the UK and Ireland I’ve ever lived has had all of these except A/C - and that’s because we don’t need it. To properly distinguish the US from those, I think you’d need to look at other technological conveniences such as drive-thrus (still rare here), superfast oil changes, cheap and excellent consumer electronics (e.g. iPhone, iPad). That said, Japan takes the crown for early adoption. Even in the early 90s, when I left Japan after living there a few months I kept walking into glass doors as I was so used to them opening for me. Best public transport I ever saw. And those vending machines on the street were awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/16 "2011-06-06T13:48:32Z")
> [@IMfez](#): > > But what is more important–raising our living standards or reaching milestones that future generations would study about? The reason we have personal computers today is because of the need for smaller computers for space exploration. The internet is due to Department of Defense spending. Neither of those were immediately intended to raise our living standards. That said, Japanese toilets put American bathrooms to shame. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/17 "2011-06-06T14:07:30Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Every place in the UK and Ireland I’ve ever lived has had all of these except A/C - and that’s because we don’t need it. By garbage disposal system do you mean a wheely bin? I’ve never seen a US style garbage disposal in an Irish or British kitchen. Otherwise, I agree with your point. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/18 "2011-06-06T14:18:49Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > By garbage disposal system do you mean a wheely bin? I’ve never seen a US style garbage disposal in an Irish or British kitchen. Otherwise, I agree with your point. Ah, I overlooked that. Yes, I concur, those muncher things don’t exist in most normal places here. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/19 "2011-06-06T14:25:55Z")
> [@](#): > > The reason we have personal computers today is because of the need for smaller computers for space exploration. The internet is due to Department of Defense spending. Neither of those were immediately intended to raise our living standards. While true, I think it’s pretty obvious that smaller computers would have happened regardless, and the internet came to pass with the help of universities and so, I believe would have arisen anyway. Perhaps not in the same time frame, but it would have. In this day and age, I should think that not crapping up your environment should count very highly. Crapping up outer space with garbage loses you huge points, to my mind. Again, Singapore is way, way ahead, on the things that really matter. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401/20 "2011-06-06T14:46:54Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Space technology is one of the few technologies that really matter in the long run, nobody is going to care one thousand years from now… A thousand years from now people might be largely concerned with getting the oxen to pull the plow. You asked what countries are the most advanced NOW, not in 3011. And things do not always progress. If you’re now limiting your question to “what country is the most advanced in space exploration” then the answer is the USA but if that’s the question you’re asking, you clearly asked it to ensure the answer would be the USA. [QUOTE=Sage Rat] Having lived abroad a bit, I’m going to have to vote the USA: Clothes Drying Machines Central Water Heaters Central A/C Garbage Disposal Systems In-Wall Wiring Dish Washing Machines [/QUOTE] We gots that fancy stuff in Canada too, though garbage disposals are less common in part because, frankly, people don’t want them. They look dangerous. I’ve never really understood the appeal of having a thing in your sink that chews stuff up, could cut your fingers off, and seems prone to frequent breakdown. I guess you get used to them, but I always find them kind of alarming when I’m visiting my friends in California and all of a sudden there’s this awful racket in the kitchen when they decide to dump a bunch of food into the sink. Canadians are by some measure the world’s most heavy Internet users, so I could argue that makes us more advanced. Or I could argue for Singapore, the USA, Japan… I could argue for France, too. It’s an unanswerable question. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-technologically-advanced-country-in-the-world/584401.md?page=2)