4 ms·
This feels reminiscent of the American Billion Dollar Space Pen vs Russian Pencil. Silly Americans, just drink urine! - Bear Grylls, probably.
by hahahacorn 2y ago
This feels reminiscent of the American Billion Dollar Space Pen vs Russian Pencil.
Silly Americans, just drink urine! - Bear Grylls, probably.
- js2 2y agoUrban legend. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Pen#Uses_in_the_U.S._and_Soviet_space_programs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Pen#Uses_in_the_U.S._and... https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-nasa-spen/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-n...
- hahahacorn 2y agoYes I'm aware. You'll notice my hardly coherent comment makes even less sense if you're not aware of the totality of the circumstances surrounding the pen/pencil story and the ludicrousness of Bear Grylls drinking his own urine. (Comparable to loose graphite shavings in a space station!) This is a really cool development, but there is a certain slice of the population who have watched Bear Grylls who believe you can simply drink your own urine and it's good for you. Similar to how a certainly slice of the population truly believes the US Govt spent $1B developing a pen, while the Russians simply used a pencil.
- mrguyorama 2y agoThe space pen was made completely privately, with completely private investment, by a pen company that saw on opportunity. They privately built a pen that would work in space, gave it to NASA for clout, and then sold to the public. They spent a few millions on it, not billions. The Soviets bought a hundred of them a few years after. Because "Just use a pencil stupid" is incredibly stupid in fact. Lose graphite particles or scraps are a terrible thing to have in your space craft in zero gravity. They cost about $30 each in today's dollars.
- preisschild 2y agoDidn't the soviets use at least grease pencils? No graphite in them, just non-conductive wax.
- jimnotgym 2y agoOr a biro? Don't they work by capillary action rather than gravity?
- extraduder_ire 2y agoYes. The only advantage of the "space pen" is that it works upside down. Ballpoint pens work fine in microgravity, but not directly inverted.