In the 40 years since the one-small-step on the moon, the sentence "If they can put a man on the moon, they should be able to ..." has become part of our culture.
Pick something: Cure cancer, ensure that every American has health care, produce solar and wind energy, manufacture a mattress that outlives its warranty, improve high school graduation rates, snuff out the common cold, design seat belts that don't choke and cup holders that work.
The sentiment is usually directed at "them" - either the government or corporations with the resources and power to innovate and get stuff done.
Of possible endings to that sentence, "build a nano spy vehicle and weapon system that looks and flies like a hummingbird" never made my top 10. How about you?
It is a priority for DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, research and development office for the U.S. Department of Defense. According to its Web site, "DARPA's mission is to maintain the technological superiority of the U.S. military and prevent technological surprise from harming our national security. We also create technological surprise for our adversaries."
Imagine my surprise: the backyard hummingbird garden could be Top Gun for the world's smallest spy plane. The garden is now at the height of its modest splendor. Funneled blossoms of salmon-hued gladiolus attract one tiny flying speed-demon with a needle beak. Magenta agastache, tangerine nasturtium and bee balm's disheveled crimson headdress are sweet treats for a hovering hummingbird. Or is it the nano-spy? Nan-0-07: Goldwinger.
Actually the tiny "ultra-light air vehicle system with the potential to perform indoor and outdoor military missions in challenging environments" is still under development, according to a May 2008 DARPA fact sheet. "The flapping wing control scheme is critical since it provides all of the control for the aircraft." No kidding. They will build a prototype to test remote-controlled flying, hovering and delivering a 2-gram payload inside a building (in 20 minutes before the batteries die.)
Unlike sparrows at the big box stores, hummingbirds don't live in buildings. Our adversaries are likely on alert for indoor hummingbirds with 2-gram payloads. The element of technological surprise may be ruined.
Since the giant-leap-for-mankind we have moved forward, but in contrast to all that we have the potential to do, it has been in nano-steps. We'll know we've taken a giant step when the sentence is, "If they can cure cancer, they should be able to design seat belts that don't choke and cup holders that work."
• Abby Johnson is a resident of Carson City, and a part-time resident of Baker. She consults on community development and nuclear waste issues.