Author: James Robertson
Date: 10:46:18 06/14/99
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On June 14, 1999 at 02:23:07, Charles Unruh wrote: >Will i get in trouble for posting totally off topic? Well i guess nasa could >develop the next deep blue, or perhaps extra terestrial computer chess software >could be discovered some day? I wonder why if anyone else had posted this they >would have practically had their heads chopped off? The reason why this didn't cause a ruckus was because only about 2 or 3 people replied. If it had spawned 50 posts, a warning would definately have been posted.... Also, if Robert Hyatt posted an off-topic post such as this every other day, he would get his head chopped off. This is just a singe post, so no big deal. :) James > >>Today's paper had an interesting article on NASA 'spin-offs'. Since some >>thought that NASA represented 'wasted spending' I thought I would point out >>just a "few" of the documented 1,200 commercialized 'spin-offs'... >> >>1. smoke detectors, developed for skylab/spacestation. >> >>2. cordless tools were developed by black and decker under a NASA contract. >> >>3. water filters (the kind on the kitchen faucet, etc) for the space >> program to recycle water products. >> >>4. newer home insulation materials with higher R-values. >> >>5. battery testers on the package/battery >> >>6. A new bathtub faucet using 'memory metal' technology to prevent filling a >> tub with dangerously hot water. >> >>7. A memory metal called "zeemet" used in golf clubs and other metal devices >> that have to endure 'impact' and then return to their original shape/form. >> >>8. flame-retardent fabrics >> >>9. sunglasses that block blue and UV radiation. >> >>10. pens that write upside down. >> >>11. semiconductors (miniaturization) >> >>12. digital image technology >> >>13. satellite communication >> >>14. airplane collision-avoidance radar >> >>15. devices to prevent aircraft wing icing >> >>16. fiberglas fabric such as that used to cover the Georgia Dome in atlanta. >> >>17. lightweight plastic used in airplane seats, football helmets and shoulder >> pads was developed at Ames. >> >>18. cool suits (water flowing thru them) used by race car drivers and people >> working in very hot environments. >> >>19. the shiny 'thermal' metal blankets used in all survival kits today. >> >>20. CAT scan algorithms came from NASA signal processing/space observation >> programs. >> >>21. Hubble technology has improved early breast cancer detection. >> >> >> >>there are another 1179 _documented_ spinoffs, plus thousands more that were not >>documented by NASA/fed government. >> >>I think most would agree that _all_ of the above have added to the quality of >>life... >> >>And that money invested in NASA returned a lot more than money invested in >>(say) foreign aid, which is _far_ more than the money ever spent on NASA.
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