a funny

[bethanial]

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 Billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300C.



The Russians used a pencil.

 

[chris68]

         That was good,  I figured that is where this was going.



Needed the laugh, thanks!



Chris68

 

[bethanial]

you're welcome . . . it gave me a real good laugh this morning, too.

[laundryhater]

With all those smart NASA scientists, you'd think one of them would have suggested the pencil!



Some people are just too smart for their own good!

My cousin has a really high IQ (aunt had it tested) she's considered a genius. But she has no common sense, street smarts, or sociable personality. Aunt has to home school her because she couldn't get along with the other kids. She has no social skills and she's a big tattle tale. Also, she knows she is smart so when she can't figure something out she throws temper tantrums. It's really sad.

[radaro]

I guess the pencil was to low-tech!

[mcbethers]

Actually, there was a reason for developing the pen: the pollution caused by pencils.  Shavings, and for heavy-handed writers like me, lead.  I routinely snap off the exposed lead on my mechanical pencil at least once a day (and I'm not allowed regular pencils because of the abuse I put those through). I don't even want to consider trying to chase pencil lead in 0-gee.  It's bad enough trying to figure out where it went as it is.



I also own a Fisher space pen.  They reallly do live up to the company claims.  I even stuck it in the freezer for two weeks to see if it would still write when cold - it did.