Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would Writ
- Thread starter JoeZhang
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Re: Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would
Which is the point of the article and why it is silly to use this as an example of waste.
Which is the point of the article and why it is silly to use this as an example of waste.
Re: Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would
I've been using Fisher pens for years and love them. I have the AG7 "Apollo" design and several others. My favorite design is the X-750.
It is amazing, though, how many self-proclaimed space aficionados subscribe to this urban legend of NASA wasting so much money on pens, while the practical Russians just used pencils.
On that note of pencil debris, one of my favorite gaffes from JURASSIC PARK is the lab tech in the hatchery, dressed in a "clean" suit, brushing his eraser crumbs on the floor. If the frog DNA didn't bring down the park, a "Pepsi syndrome" eventually would have.
I've been using Fisher pens for years and love them. I have the AG7 "Apollo" design and several others. My favorite design is the X-750.
It is amazing, though, how many self-proclaimed space aficionados subscribe to this urban legend of NASA wasting so much money on pens, while the practical Russians just used pencils.
On that note of pencil debris, one of my favorite gaffes from JURASSIC PARK is the lab tech in the hatchery, dressed in a "clean" suit, brushing his eraser crumbs on the floor. If the frog DNA didn't bring down the park, a "Pepsi syndrome" eventually would have.
Re: Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would
Cute urban legend but the actual story is more interesting. Funny that the pencil-pushing Russians of legend used the pens as well.
Cute urban legend but the actual story is more interesting. Funny that the pencil-pushing Russians of legend used the pens as well.
Re: Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would
I think this is an urban legend, but it is a known fact that when the Americans landed on the Mars and tried to proclaim themselves as the first visitors, the natives took out bottles of vodka and said “true, it was stupid of them to re-soldier their re-entry guidance... during re-entry... with a blowtorch, but if you think you were the first, you've got our decades-old stash to argue with”.
I think this is an urban legend, but it is a known fact that when the Americans landed on the Mars and tried to proclaim themselves as the first visitors, the natives took out bottles of vodka and said “true, it was stupid of them to re-soldier their re-entry guidance... during re-entry... with a blowtorch, but if you think you were the first, you've got our decades-old stash to argue with”.
Re: Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would
You don't expect Martians to know to how to spell in English, do you? Kepler was German, after all.
You don't expect Martians to know to how to spell in English, do you? Kepler was German, after all.
Re: Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would
Plus graphite (which most pencils use) is conductive and could conceivably cause short circuits. Breathing in graphite dust is probably not conducive to health either.
Plus graphite (which most pencils use) is conductive and could conceivably cause short circuits. Breathing in graphite dust is probably not conducive to health either.
Re: Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would
But more importantly, owning a space pen is so much more awesome than owning a pencil. If we always went for the boring, simple solutions, how would us regular folks share the feeling of using the same device they use up there in space? It just doesn't have that ring to it. "Oh, it's a pencil..." When I was 5, I dreamt of eating space food, that old dried one in packs and cans and whatever looked like chocolate bars.
As far as criticisms go, space pens can't be one. Fisher actually make money by building them, did they not? I need to order a couple some time soon.
But more importantly, owning a space pen is so much more awesome than owning a pencil. If we always went for the boring, simple solutions, how would us regular folks share the feeling of using the same device they use up there in space? It just doesn't have that ring to it. "Oh, it's a pencil..." When I was 5, I dreamt of eating space food, that old dried one in packs and cans and whatever looked like chocolate bars.
As far as criticisms go, space pens can't be one. Fisher actually make money by building them, did they not? I need to order a couple some time soon.
Re: Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would
Great article. Leo McGary on the West Wing also famously misuses this anecdote as an example of government waste.
Great article. Leo McGary on the West Wing also famously misuses this anecdote as an example of government waste.
Re: Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would
Then the writers should have researched a real example. But expecting truth or realism out of Hollywood would be impossible. No one would believe it—we're talking twin I-beam suspension of disbelief. Real off-roading.
Still, not all government waste is due to politicians and federal employees. There are plenty of contractors only too willing to gouge their fellow man (other tax-payers) because they know they can get away with it.
Then the writers should have researched a real example. But expecting truth or realism out of Hollywood would be impossible. No one would believe it—we're talking twin I-beam suspension of disbelief. Real off-roading.
Still, not all government waste is due to politicians and federal employees. There are plenty of contractors only too willing to gouge their fellow man (other tax-payers) because they know they can get away with it.
Re: Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would
There was also an episode of the West Wing where they portrayed missile defense as ineffective, where in fact the sat shootdown and Iron Dome show success
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_...le_Warhead_In_Pacific_Test_Says_Military.html
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/bmd.htm
There was also an episode of the West Wing where they portrayed missile defense as ineffective, where in fact the sat shootdown and Iron Dome show success
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_...le_Warhead_In_Pacific_Test_Says_Military.html
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/bmd.htm
Re: Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would
I got one of those pens from the Air & Space museum when I was a kid. Later on, IIRC, PamerMate made erasable ink pens (EraserMate) based on the same technology, by encapsulating compressed air in an enclosed capsule to push the ink out instead of relying on gravity to pull the ink downward. I discovered this by accident one day, when I broke the tip off one of my pens (unintentionally) and all the ink came spurting out like a long blue snake, followed by a quick "pssssst" sound. Made quite a mess, but it was still pretty cool stuff.
I got one of those pens from the Air & Space museum when I was a kid. Later on, IIRC, PamerMate made erasable ink pens (EraserMate) based on the same technology, by encapsulating compressed air in an enclosed capsule to push the ink out instead of relying on gravity to pull the ink downward. I discovered this by accident one day, when I broke the tip off one of my pens (unintentionally) and all the ink came spurting out like a long blue snake, followed by a quick "pssssst" sound. Made quite a mess, but it was still pretty cool stuff.