this post was submitted on 12 Jan 2024
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Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one. Sometimes you're just stupid. (lemmy.world)
submitted 10 months ago by Stamets to c/tumblr
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[–] UnderpantsWeevil 10 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Is this the old joke about American astronauts spending $1M to invent a pen that writes in space while Russian cosmonauts just used pencils?

There's technically a reason why you wouldn't want to use graphite in space (the particles don't just fall to the floor, they float around in the air and get into places they shouldn't), but also NASA is notorious for going through ten different private contractors to do what a proper public sector organization would internalize.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Also, Pilot created that pen as a marketing ploy without having an official contract. NASA did pick it up, but IIRC, Pilot technically lost money on the project. Of course, marketing costs money, so they were fine with that.

[–] Chobbes 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Do you mean Fisher? Pilot is a Japanese pen company who doesn’t have anything to do with the space pen, as far as I know.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Yes, mixed them up.

[–] jaybone 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yeah imagine trying to sharpen a pencil in space.

In my fourth grade computer lab, they didn’t even allow pencils around the Apple IIe’s. (Yeah I’m old lol.)

[–] UnderpantsWeevil 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yeah imagine trying to sharpen a pencil in space.

You just click the little eraser on the back to extend the graphite.

[–] jaybone 4 points 10 months ago

What is this future black magic wizardry?