Forbes.comJoshua Levine, 12.20.04Since independence in 1991 little Estonia has used a knack for technology and a ravenous appetite for change to make itself a largely wired e-republic.
It proved to be a lucky break for Estonia that the Soviet Union took such pains to dampen any yearnings for freedom in the Baltic States. It meant that Estonian universities were not allowed to offer too many courses in philosophy and the social sciences. Philosophy is a dangerous thing among a patriotic people longing for the brief independence they lost.
What did the Soviets want Estonians to study instead? Computer science, cybernetics, artificial intelligence and information technology. Estonians did much of the software programming and development for the Soviet space program, not to mention the KGB. The Soviets placed one of their most important centers of AI research near the capital city of Tallinn.
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http://www.forbes.com/home_europe/global/2004/1220/016.html 