Author: Robert Hyatt
Date: 11:54:08 06/14/99
Go up one level in this thread
On June 14, 1999 at 13:46:18, James Robertson wrote: >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 > > actually it was just a continuation of a thread from last week. More data just happened to appear in the Sunday news paper and I thought it worthwhile to pass it along... since at least a couple of people thought that NASA funding was money down a deep dark pit... My contention was that foreign aid is money down a deep, dark pit. Money into NASA helps everyone technology-wise.. >> >>>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.
This page took 0 seconds to execute
Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700
Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.