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Thinking outside the box?
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that
ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity.
To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion
developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on
almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below
freezing to over 300 C.
The Russians used a pencil.
And people wonder why there are protests about capitalism, globalisation, and America Ltd!!!!
ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity.
To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion
developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on
almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below
freezing to over 300 C.
The Russians used a pencil.
And people wonder why there are protests about capitalism, globalisation, and America Ltd!!!!
16 Replies and 2784 Views in Total.
LOL at America
Posted: 17:39 Mar 22 2002 There are things called progress, invention, science and discovery, all occuring in tiny little steps, each step imperceptably small and indivdually irellevant, that have taken humans from living in caves and afraid of the dark, to sitting in front of computers (albeit still afraid of the dark).
by Green_Amber
And people wonder why there are protests about capitalism, globalisation, and America Ltd!!!!
The waste you chose to highlight is no greater or lesser than other waste that goes on, and anti-capitalisation and anti-globablisation movements are hardly going to improve things.
Besides all this, you're completely wrong about your basic facts - 12billion USD is a total fallacy, the pens were developed at no cost to NASA or the US Govt by Fischer (who spent about 1million dollars), NASA bought the pens at about 3 dollars a piece. NASA initially used pencils, however the health hazards were too great (fragments of graphite in zero-g are dangerous, plus a requirement to minimise the amount of material on board that is flamable), and pens are far more reliable (pencils break, need sharpening, etc).
Your combination of dis-information and propaganda is very unimpressive.
Posted: 18:06 Mar 22 2002 
$3?? Damn! I paid £14 for mine 
Posted: 18:11 Mar 22 2002 I think NASA buy them in boxes of a few thousand, so they maybe get a discount!
by Stoo
$3?? Damn! I paid £14 for mine
Posted: 18:13 Mar 22 2002
LOL, I hope so 
Posted: 18:17 Mar 22 2002 Someones missing the point.
by Callum
(quotes)
Your combination of dis-information and propaganda is very unimpressive.
Mind you these Pens may be like the Impact devices(hammers) and toilet seats that the US buys for a few million and really for Black ops
Posted: 18:27 Mar 22 2002 She was saying something false (NASA wasting USD12B on pens) to support a position (statism, anti-capitalism),
by JtB
(quotes)
Someones missing the point.
where in "dis-information and propaganda" was I missing the point?
Posted: 18:38 Mar 22 2002 The point on the pencil
by Callum
(quotes)
She was saying something false (NASA wasting USD12B on pens) to support a position (statism, anti-capitalism),
where in "dis-information and propaganda" was I missing the point?
Posted: 18:48 Mar 22 2002
*boom* *boom*!
Posted: 18:51 Mar 22 2002