I have recieved a reply which the author could not post for some
reason.  He may have some points, but i am dubious:  Many of my
steadiest, and two of my most freely-spending customers are the
scientific types from these two countries which have more in common than
they like to admit (all of it good, that i know of, by the way!!) .
Perhaps their educational systems are more successful than most, at
interesting  students (which become adults!) in the more scientific
aspects of nature??
                                                                                -Ross Mayhew.