The contradictions....
What's interesting is what's driving nations into big things, achievements, is most of the time an irrational faith, belief....very unscientific behavior.....but sooner or later, science (reality) catches up and gone is the dream unless too much effort has been devoted into it and getting out would be considered humiliation (which is also irrational) and unless that dream has turned out to be cost-effective and profitable (then it's part of our life and soon taken for granted).