Thread: Use a pencil

I'm not sure how true this is, but from memory I beleave that both the russians and the americans used pens in space, not pencils, but it's a good funny joke, and I'm sure the meaning behind it is true.

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

When confronted with the same problem, the Russians used a pencil.

Hm...hm.

I don't know what I mean

Originally Posted by z80

... when confronted with the same problem, the Russians used a pencil.

What is the source of this information?

good question, and one which I don't have a good answer too.

Like I implied, I don't beleave it to be correct, because up until about the late 1960's the Americans and Russians were both using pencils, where as after the early 70's, they where both using pens. Also, one would asume that $12 mill is out a bit.

Those who have $12 mil would find the substitute after spending just a buck for research

I have found some info ....

This debunks the above:-

http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.htm

This is the site for the dues that developed the pen:-

http://www.spacepen.com/

Yes, I've seen that joke before on joke sites so I doubt it was true. But it's not hard to believe. NASA spends like $20,000 a year on pushbroom bristles.

So, that's not true. As the developers of the pen say, "The space race was on, and the astronauts involved in the Mercury and Gemini missions had been using pencils to take notes in space since standard ball points did not work in zero gravity. The Fisher cartridge did work in the weightlessness of outer space and the astronauts, beginning with the October, 1968 Apollo 7 mission began using the Fisher AG-7 Space Pen and cartridge developed in 1966."

From http://www.spacepen.com/usa/history/index.htm

Have you ever tried writing on glass with a pencil??? I would use a grease crayon personally.

I would use a glazier's diamond

By the way, is there such a phrase in English "Is your father a glazier?" It exists in Russian and means "Вы не прозрачны!" or "Что, твой отец стекольщик?"

Why would you need to write on glass?

We had this Mine site manager that use to have a white board marker in his car, and he would write his messages on the front windscreen. That always used to piss me off, but his inivation was admirable.

Originally Posted by Admin

I would use a glazier's diamond

I did that once and never tried it again

[quote:2u9ol06b]By the way, is there such a phrase in English "Is your father a glazier?" It exists in Russian and means "Вы не прозрачны!" or "Что, твой отец стекольщик?"

[/quote:2u9ol06b]
Is that an expression? In what situation do you use that sentence?

Why would you need to write on glass? We had this Mine site manager that use to have a white board marker in his car, and he would write his messages on the front windscreen. That always used to piss me off, but his inivation was admirable.

I also recommend writing messages on your mirror with soap :P

Originally Posted by garmonistka

I also recommend writing messages on your mirror with soap :P

So your the one that does that. i though that was my cat writing "Z80 must die" on the mirror.

Your cat calls you z80?

I stretched the truth there, my cat calls me "you a$$ hole", in the most affectioned way.

Mmm, if your cat doesn't like you I doubt if I will

I'm not a very likable person.

Thats not quite true, my cat loves me, he always tries to sleep in my bed with me.

He's trying to put his paw over your nostrils while you sleep.