1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you get in touch with technology with 3 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 1: tech Stuff from how stuff works dot Com. Join Josh 4 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: and Chuck, the guys who bring you stuff you should know, 5 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: as they take a trip around the world to help 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: you get smarter in a topsy TRV economy. Check out 7 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: the all new super Stuff Guide to the Economy from 8 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: how stuff Works dot Com, available now exclusively on iTunes. Hello, everybody, 9 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: welcome to tech Stuff. My name is Chris Poulette. I'm 10 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: an editor here at how stuff works dot com, and 11 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: as usual, I have sitting next to me senior writer 12 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: Jonathan Strickland. Ola, Amigo, I'm wondering when you're gonna run 13 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: out of countries. Uh, there are many of them. He 14 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: watched Anomaniacs. You would know the names of all of them. Actually, 15 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: I have that c anyway speaking, and you can see 16 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: all these countries if you are looking at the Earth 17 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: from space No. Nine. That was that was a quickly 18 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: manufactured So yeah, we're gonna talk today about uh inventions 19 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: that we can we can attribute to our wonderful space 20 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: race and space exploration programs. This actually as an idea 21 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: that we got from an email we received. So I'll 22 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 1: let me let me start off by reading the email. Okay, 23 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:24,119 Speaker 1: so this is from Justin in Chicago. I know how 24 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: you love to receive haikus from fans. Oh wait, wrong podcast. 25 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: I've always wondered whether people knew what they were talking 26 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,639 Speaker 1: about when they credited NASA with the invention of certain 27 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: technologies velcro, m r eyes, and that delicious dehydrated ice cream, 28 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 1: to name a few. Is the alleged government origin for 29 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: dozens upon dozens of everyday products just a public exaggeration 30 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: or misconception Which of these are actual NASA technologies. I'm 31 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: too lazy lazy to research it myself, so I'd like 32 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: to hear you guys talk about it for fifteen or 33 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: twenty minutes instead. You got it justin excellent. Yeah. Now, 34 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: first of all, um, well let's go ahead and and 35 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: uh and crush velcrow, Well, crunchy noise. So Velcrow is 36 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: not a NASA invention. It was a Swiss invention dating 37 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 1: back to the nineteen forties. Yeah, that's much older than NASA, right, Yes, 38 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 1: NASA was not around in the nineteen fourties. No, they were, 39 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: say space was actually out there in I think I 40 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: think space first appeared on the scene somewhere right around 41 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: six o three. Um, please don't write me. I know 42 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: I'm making that up. The so so yeah, dated back 43 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: from the nineteen Fouries is a Swiss invention. Now, NASA 44 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 1: did use velcro in the Apollo missions. Um, and that 45 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 1: kind of made velcro more famous, So that might be 46 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: where people got the idea that NASA invented it. They 47 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: did not. Um. Also, let's go ahead and get the 48 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: other two big ones out of the way. They did 49 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:02,799 Speaker 1: not invent teflon, and they did not invent tang as 50 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: the powdered sweet sweet drink. No. According to the end 51 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: the NASA website, Tang predates the Space missions by a 52 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:15,799 Speaker 1: few years. However, astronauts do find it yummy, yes, and 53 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: NASA did use it in various kind of promotional materials, 54 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 1: So that'd be where you'd get that idea from. Too. Well, 55 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: there are lots of things like that that uh you know, 56 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: I mean vell Crow, NASA loves ll grow. It's it's 57 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: great environment, very useful stuff, and I'm thinking that's probably why, 58 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: you know, and Tang was still fairly new when the 59 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: astronauts were going up in the space, so you know, 60 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: it kind of makes sense that public perception might have 61 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: been that NASA picked those up and they amended him, right. 62 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: I briefly debated on arguing that UM that Nicholas the 63 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: second Infinite Oval Team, but then I realized that that 64 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: would spreading misinformation is not what we do here, just 65 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: going to get more emails. So he did not, to 66 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: my knowledge anyway, I just made that up. So if 67 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: it's is true, I was totally by chance. Moving on 68 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: to the actual inventions that NASA is responsible for, there 69 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: are many of them. Justin he asked us if there 70 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: were some if if if that was just kind of 71 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: a misconception. No, it's not a misconception. There are plenty 72 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: of inventions out there that we can credit NASA for 73 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: bringing to life. And we have an article on the 74 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: site called ten NASA inventions you might use every day, 75 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 1: written by our colleague Kristen Conger, who is an excellent 76 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: writer here at how stuff Works dot com and UM. 77 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 1: She mentions that NASA has filed more than sixty three 78 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,159 Speaker 1: D patents with the US government. Uh, and not all 79 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: of those are specifically for things that can only apply 80 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 1: to space exploration or or space you know, uh missions. 81 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: Many of those things that that NASA has filed patents 82 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: for we now use in uh in everyday applications. Should 83 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: I should I mention one? I it sounded like you 84 00:04:57,440 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: had one on the top of your head. Well, the 85 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: very first one, she mean gins I guess I can 86 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,720 Speaker 1: kind of go in descending order. We're not going to 87 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: mention all of the ones in the article because there's 88 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: some she doesn't mention that I like. Yeah, there's quite 89 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 1: a few that we wanted to talk about and we 90 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: didn't want to just you know, regurgitate the article. But 91 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: the first one she mentions, um, would be invisible braces. 92 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: I never had them. However, if I had, you'd never 93 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: have known it, right. Uh. They're made from translucent poly 94 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: crystalline alumina t p A and uh. The reason why 95 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: we can credit NASA for this is that they were 96 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 1: using this material to protect infrared antenna of heat seeking 97 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:39,480 Speaker 1: missile trackers. Yeah, but it turns out that there was 98 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 1: another company called Unitech that was working on a new 99 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 1: kind of design for braces, and so you take the 100 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: material created by NASA essentially, but Sara Dyne was the 101 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,839 Speaker 1: company that really developed it, but NASA was behind the 102 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: whole research stage. And then you take Unitech that's making 103 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: this brace the um this new form of braces, and 104 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: you apply the material to the design and you come 105 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 1: up with invisible braces. Wow. Yeah, So thank you NASA 106 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: for straightening out some teeth. And you know they can 107 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: chew on some missiles. Um. I guess I wasn't done 108 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: being goofy. You know my favorite on that list? What's 109 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: that memory foam? Memory foam? That some good stuff. Man. 110 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: If you've ever put your hand on a memory foam 111 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: mattress and watched your fingerprints stay there after you pulled 112 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 1: your hand away, thank an astronaut or probably a NASA researcher. Yeah. 113 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: The whole temper pedic mattresses, that all comes from the 114 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: whole NASA research. Yeah. I'd like to be on one 115 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: right now. Me too. I was just thinking that. I'm like, 116 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 1: why did you go with that? Yeah, I'm sorry, I've 117 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,599 Speaker 1: been thinking. This is the end of a very long day. People. 118 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: We have recorded two other podcasts today. I hate to 119 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 1: break the veil here, but uh yeah, So the idea 120 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,719 Speaker 1: of laying down on foam that develops you and comforts 121 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: you since really really nice. We need a we need 122 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: a house. Stuff works dot come like nap room anyway, right, 123 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: making a note, Ok, moving on, so yes, yes, the 124 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 1: memory foam that also comes from NASA research. Um oh 125 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: she Kristen also mentions shoe in souls, which we can 126 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: thank Moon Boots for. Yeah, we're talking about like the 127 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: insoles and shoes that are used to help your you know, 128 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: give you a little bit of a boost with athletic 129 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: shoes and and make it breathable and comfortable like a 130 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: felon like Magellan. We should get paid for by them, 131 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: I mean we don't anyway. So again we're talking about 132 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:44,559 Speaker 1: you know, it seems kind of silly that you're thinking like, oh, 133 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 1: just chee in souls, but no, seriously, there's this. The 134 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: technology for these cushy shoe and soules that give you 135 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: a lot more support came out of NASA research. Well, honestly, 136 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: if you if you think about some of the other stuff, 137 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: like invisible braces, well we could use visible braces, but 138 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: it does add something and adds a quality of life 139 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: and not everything is um you know, it has to 140 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: be some kind of groundbreaking new science, you know, for 141 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: it to be useful and functional for us. So it's 142 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: you know, these are good things. Now, there are a 143 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: lot of things that are different between Chris and yours, truly, 144 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: you know, there are a lot of things that you know, 145 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: we don't. There are a lot of things that we 146 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: we feel very differently about. But um, we also share 147 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: a few similarities. One of those that we both wear 148 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: spectacles glasses. Do you have scratch resistant lenses? Um? I 149 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: certainly hope so, because my youngest daughter likes to grab 150 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 1: them and rip them off my face and try to 151 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,559 Speaker 1: eat them nice. Um, they have not scratched yet. My 152 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,439 Speaker 1: jackerosal terriers like to do the same thing. Perhaps they 153 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: all get together while we're at work and plot things 154 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 1: to do to us. But yes, scratch resistant lenses, that's 155 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: another thing we can thank NASA for now. NASA the 156 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: reason they developed this material the special coding to help 157 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: protect equipment and face because I mean it's very sensitive equipment. Uh, 158 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 1: and there are particles out in space that are floating 159 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 1: around and you could come into contact with it, and 160 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: you definitely don't want something scratching up your your equipment 161 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: while you're out in space, especially if it's going to 162 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 1: end up, you know, endangering the people on the mission, 163 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 1: much less endangering multibillion dollar equipment that's up there. So 164 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: this material they've created, the special coding they you know, 165 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: scientists adapted it to create the scratch resistant coding they 166 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 1: put on lenses. So if you have glasses that have 167 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 1: this coating on them, you can thank NASA for it. Definitely, 168 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: thank you, NASA, Thank you very much. Otherwise I couldn't see. 169 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: So do you want to diverge from the well, I 170 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 1: think I have one. I think I have to tell 171 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 1: me which one is you like? So the other one 172 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: I was thinking about talking about long distance telecommunications, that's 173 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: a gimme. Yeah, And the satellite dish was when I 174 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 1: was going to bring up. But they're they're sort of 175 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:03,440 Speaker 1: intertwined because they use satellite technology to communicate, right, and uh, yeah, 176 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: we're talking about the you know, the NASA had to 177 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: create telecommunication devices that would be able to span enormous distances. 178 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:15,439 Speaker 1: Because you're talking about trying to maintain contact with people 179 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 1: in outer space. It's hard to get further away than that. Yes, 180 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:25,200 Speaker 1: otherwise Tom Hanks would be stranded in space right now. Yeah, 181 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: but then we would have been spared that horrible haircut 182 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: from the what was it the Da Vinci Code. But 183 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: anyone don't know whether to thank them or curse them. 184 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 1: I'm keeping him in mind. Of course that was a movie, 185 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: right exactly. Of course, again, they would have been in 186 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: bad shape if they hadn't been able to communicate with Houston, 187 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 1: and we're very thankful that they were. But yes, the 188 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: same technology that they developed in order to communicate with 189 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: astronauts was then of course used to for you know, 190 00:10:55,679 --> 00:11:00,200 Speaker 1: broadcast technology, for telecommunications technology, uh, you know, with out 191 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: Without NASA, I'm sure we would have gone down those 192 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: roads eventually anyway, but probably not with the same kind 193 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:12,839 Speaker 1: of alacrity that we did thanks to NASA. With the alacrity. Yeah, 194 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: I like a lot of throw that in there. And 195 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: the other one that I thought I mentioned from the article, 196 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 1: uh was water filters. Yeah, which again you're talking about 197 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 1: if you're gonna send people out up in space, you 198 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 1: may need a way to filter some water so that 199 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: they can have something to drink or something else that 200 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: you have to filter some sort of liquid so that 201 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 1: you would have drinkable water. It doesn't take a whiz 202 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 1: to know what we're talking about. So um so again 203 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: water filters, the same sort of water filters we use 204 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:44,959 Speaker 1: for our tap water. We can thank NASA for creating 205 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:47,439 Speaker 1: that kind of technology, and I thank them for that 206 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 1: horrible joke. You can blame them for it if you like. 207 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: All Right, So now we can go and talk about 208 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 1: some of the stuff that is not on the in 209 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 1: the actual article, and then there are more on in 210 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,320 Speaker 1: the article if you want check it out. Yeah, speaking 211 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 1: of lenses, they helped invent some sunglass technology that works 212 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: with polarization and keeping out frequencies of light that may 213 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,559 Speaker 1: be harmful to your eyes. Well, that makes sense because 214 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:16,200 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, you're out in space. You don't 215 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: have that kind of you don't have the benefit of 216 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,240 Speaker 1: the Earth's atmosphere to to filter that out. That's true, 217 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: and from what i've from what I read, it was 218 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: also because they were working on welding and the incredibly 219 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: bright light from you know, certain kinds of welding can 220 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: do serious damage to your eyes, and they needed an 221 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:35,079 Speaker 1: inability to you know, protect the eyes of the astronauts. 222 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 1: But with the blast shield down, I can't see anything. 223 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 1: How am I supposed to be able to fight? Okay, 224 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 1: so I'm gonna have to pick another one. Huh um, 225 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: thermal gloves and boots. Oh yeah, okay. I mean it's 226 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:51,680 Speaker 1: cold in space, very cold, very cold in space, thank you, 227 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:56,880 Speaker 1: con So you know they the astronauts need protection. I 228 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,680 Speaker 1: didn't mean to do that, I swear, um, but that 229 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 1: trains slates. You know. It's also very cold in certain 230 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: parts of the Earth, and you know, applying that technology 231 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 1: white weight technology and not so much a matter in space, 232 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 1: but when you're you know, dressed in that stuff to 233 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,839 Speaker 1: get into the cockpit before you blast off, it's kind 234 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 1: of heavy. Those early space suits were pretty gargagein yeah, 235 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: you know, they were not smelled no, but you know, 236 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: as a result, we have lighter and thinner uh and 237 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 1: warmer fibers. And on a similar note, uh, we've had 238 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 1: the same sort of material coming handy for things like 239 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: a firefighting equipment. So we're talking about like the suits 240 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 1: that that firefighters wear, that our fire resistant fabrics, I 241 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:43,200 Speaker 1: mean the a lot of that fabric was originally developed 242 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 1: um to be used in space suits, which have to 243 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: not just be able to withstand intense uh well the 244 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: intense heat and intense cold. So um. Yeah again, NASA 245 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 1: came up with the technology and that's that's on the 246 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:04,200 Speaker 1: ways we use it today. Um. Apparently they're also responsible 247 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 1: in in some way for redundant flashlight technology. UM. Well, 248 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: you think about it. You may need a flashlight and 249 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: then you might need another one. The thing is, uh, 250 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 1: if you have one of those flashlights that is supposed 251 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: to be have multiple sources of power in case, uh 252 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: the electricity goes out in one of the batteries isn't charged, 253 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: or you're in a fire, um, and you need a flashlight. Well, 254 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: they you know, one of the projects that came out 255 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: of NASA was you know, the multiple backup power systems 256 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: for flashlights built in, which is again not exactly glamorous, 257 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 1: but very useful. Nice And of course you know justin 258 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 1: mentioned MR eyes which the m R e s and 259 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 1: cat scans we can we can trace that back to NASA. 260 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: Do you have information on those? That was one of 261 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: the ones that I read may have been amiss. Go ahead. 262 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:57,240 Speaker 1: I have heard they have done work with medical um 263 00:14:57,360 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: imaging technology and I think that's part of it too. 264 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 1: But because uh, there's a NASA website that goes into 265 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: all the different things, and the thing is, I think 266 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 1: what happens is uh NASA says, oh my gosh, that's brilliant. 267 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 1: We absolutely need this in the space program. And it 268 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: gets so well known and so associated with the space 269 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: program that people assume that, you know, well, those geniuses 270 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 1: and NASA, I've done it again, when in fact it's 271 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 1: genius that NASA is working with. Sure, sure you know, 272 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: I think I think yeah. And in that case, I 273 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: think they were using that technology in order to to 274 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: look for vulnerabilities within the various UH equipment they were 275 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: using to make sure there weren't any cracks or anything 276 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: like that. And you absolutely need to check the integrity 277 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: of your equipment if you're going out in the space, 278 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: as we have all found out unfortunately. Um, do you 279 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: have another one? I have a favorite one, don't you know? 280 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 1: If I should go ahead and drop your favorite on? Man, 281 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 1: I'm looking through my list space pens. The space pen 282 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:57,880 Speaker 1: is awesome. I know, I know. It's the space pen 283 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 1: for the uninitiative and initiated uninitiated. There we go. Um 284 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:06,320 Speaker 1: is a pressurized ballpoint pen. He may be saying, Yeah, 285 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 1: that's really exciting there dude, Well, no, okay, it's not. 286 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 1: But you can write in all kinds of different environments 287 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: using the space pen. And it's very handy if you 288 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 1: have one and only one pen to use, and keeping 289 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: in mind, this is not the kind of environment where 290 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: you're going to take your favorite fountain pen and have 291 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: little drops of ink floating all over the capsule. So well, 292 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 1: you would do it just for fun. Uh you know, anyway, 293 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 1: other other ballpoint pens wouldn't write in space a fountain 294 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 1: pen again, blobs of ink. So what do you do? 295 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 1: You pressurize a ballpoint pen and you can still buy it. 296 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: It's it's very widely available. You can get it from 297 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 1: pen companies. You can't even get it from office supply stores. 298 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 1: It's a little bit more expensive than a regular pen, 299 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 1: but you know, it can rune in virtually any environment. 300 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: So kind of nice that and I like pens. How 301 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 1: about joysticks? Oh yeah, you're gonna you're gonna argue with 302 00:16:57,400 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: me with joysticks. Well, you know what do they used 303 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 1: to fly those planes before NASA? Yeah? I saw that too. 304 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,200 Speaker 1: I saw that on a NASA website. Going, wait a minute, 305 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,199 Speaker 1: that that seems well, it says a little different. I 306 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,440 Speaker 1: mean the joy sticks they're talking about are probably are 307 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:14,239 Speaker 1: more along the lines of the ones they're using for UM. Uh, 308 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 1: you know it's it's almost the multi button video game style. Yeah, 309 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:19,159 Speaker 1: you're talking about you know, that's the same sort of 310 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 1: stuff that you see in video games now. Really kind 311 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 1: of Trent goes back to the NASA uses for various vehicles. UM. 312 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: You know, you think about it. When you're in these 313 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 1: space suits. Uh, you've got very limited mobility, so you 314 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 1: have to have controls that are easy to grip and 315 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:39,640 Speaker 1: use when you're you know, otherwise a little encumbered, so 316 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: you may not be able to use the same sort 317 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: of control devices that you would for other kinds of vehicles, 318 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: like a steering wheel. Um. You know. One of the 319 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 1: other things I discovered as I was going through my 320 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: research for this podcast was, UM, I learned about the 321 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: group that I didn't know about before, which is the 322 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 1: NASA Inventions and Contributions Board. UM. They've actually giving out 323 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: more than nine thousand awards according to their website, for 324 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,439 Speaker 1: different technologies related to the Space program. And it can 325 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 1: be from NASA, from other government agencies or you know, 326 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:14,400 Speaker 1: even public industry or or academic environments. UM. They give 327 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:16,119 Speaker 1: away awards that they can't be any more than a 328 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars unless they talk about it with Congress first. 329 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 1: I had to get Congress, is okay, So it's like 330 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: getting permission from Dad before you can you know, right right, 331 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:27,600 Speaker 1: and actually you can. You can learn about a lot 332 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 1: of the technologies that are going around that NASA came 333 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:34,240 Speaker 1: up with. There's a magazine that they offer, uh called Spinoff. UM. 334 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 1: It's available in print. You can't buy a subscription to it. UM. 335 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: It's a little you know, you have to be in 336 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:41,919 Speaker 1: certain groups. I mean, it is available to the public, 337 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: but uh, you know, members of Congress, the NASA community. 338 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:46,920 Speaker 1: It's it's not the kind of thing that I would 339 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 1: imagine most people want to read. But you can sign 340 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 1: up for a free trial issue, which um, which I said, 341 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:56,800 Speaker 1: which you did because you know, I'm interested in this stuff. UM. 342 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:59,639 Speaker 1: And you know there are other tools too that people 343 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:04,280 Speaker 1: give NASA credit for, um, such as barcodes um and 344 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:08,160 Speaker 1: quartz clocks. So you know these things some of them 345 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 1: and you know are used by NASA in different forms, 346 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:13,439 Speaker 1: but you know the ones that you see on the 347 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:17,440 Speaker 1: package at your local grocery store, you know, not really Yeah, 348 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 1: just because it says space age does not necessarily mean 349 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:23,640 Speaker 1: that it came from NASA, although I could. I think 350 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 1: I know what my favorite, my favorite invention based off 351 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 1: of NASA's research really is. And I'm talking about the 352 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:36,919 Speaker 1: the Speedo suit swimming So okay, because all right, so 353 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,959 Speaker 1: you've got NASA, You've got this, uh, this enormous organization 354 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,679 Speaker 1: that I don't think there's another organization out there in 355 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: the world that knows more about friction than NASA would. 356 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:50,680 Speaker 1: They've got to be at least among the top elite, 357 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:54,359 Speaker 1: top three, top three, easy, ye. So yeah, So Speedo 358 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: goes up to NASA and says, hey, you know so 359 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: much about friction, what's the best way to reduce it 360 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 1: so that we can create a product that will move 361 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 1: through the water effortlessly. Oh so you're not talking about 362 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: the standard issue Speedo. You're talking about that Superla swimsuit 363 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: reduces drag, breaks records, NASA spinoff. Yes, yes, that that 364 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: Speedo and um and so according to NASA, the resulting 365 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:25,360 Speaker 1: suit reduces skin friction drag twenty more than the previous 366 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: Speedo racing suit. You won't see me wearing one of 367 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: these at the local pool because there are laws against 368 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:37,680 Speaker 1: that kind of thing. And thank the legislators who passed them. Yes, 369 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:41,159 Speaker 1: so I'm done. Oh you know there was there was 370 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:44,440 Speaker 1: one that neither of us mentioned that that it did 371 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:47,359 Speaker 1: come in the email. Oh yeah yeah, freeze dried ice cream. 372 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:51,360 Speaker 1: Freeze dried. They absolutely did have something to do with that. Yeah, 373 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 1: you can blame them, but yeah, I mean they need 374 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 1: freeze dried food. There's not there's not a fridge on 375 00:20:56,520 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 1: the Space Shuttle. But not dippin' dots. They didn't do 376 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 1: the No, I don't think they did dipping outs, but 377 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,359 Speaker 1: there are no sense why would you have dipping dots 378 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:06,920 Speaker 1: floating around the space cabin? You would, well, I mean 379 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 1: I would, but that's because i'm you know, very Homer 380 00:21:10,119 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: Simpson asked, as far as my astronaut training goes, Yeah, 381 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 1: I don't. I mean, they're they're tons more. But those 382 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 1: are just some of the more fun ones to talk about, 383 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:24,440 Speaker 1: right right, And like we said, patents actually more than 384 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: that now. But um, yeah, it's a lot of rebound 385 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 1: to have. Yeah, you're bound to have some some applications 386 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: that go beyond just the space race. So justin there 387 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:36,879 Speaker 1: are plenty of inventions out there that meet your strict criteria, 388 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: just not all the ones that you mentioned. Now, usually 389 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:43,359 Speaker 1: this would be the part where I would say that 390 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:45,639 Speaker 1: we have listener mail, and Chris would hide under the 391 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 1: table because the alarm would go off. But we I 392 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,680 Speaker 1: don't have listener mail for this particular episode. And this 393 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 1: is this is why it's not the legislators again to 394 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: do it, because I will, I will go down and 395 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:57,720 Speaker 1: kiss their boots. No, I actually do have listener mail. 396 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:00,880 Speaker 1: But the listener mail I have comes in the form 397 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: of questions, and there are several of them. And we thought, 398 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,399 Speaker 1: rather than throw in a listener mail at the end 399 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: of an episode and try and answer the question at 400 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: the very end of something that's totally unrelated, we're gonna 401 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:14,880 Speaker 1: try and do an episode that's really just questions from 402 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: listeners and we're going to answer them. And we've got 403 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 1: several stored up already. So we'll be trying that in 404 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 1: the very near future and hopefully it'll be a big success. 405 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:26,439 Speaker 1: And if it is, then I certainly hope people will 406 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 1: continue to write questions in because it makes it a 407 00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 1: lot easier when Chris and I sit down and say, so, 408 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 1: what do you want to talk about? Yeah, So it's 409 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 1: a lot easier when you just put listener mail jamboree, 410 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: which is exactly what we're calling it because I just 411 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:41,919 Speaker 1: came up with it, So listener mail jamboree in the 412 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:44,200 Speaker 1: near future listen for it now. If you want to 413 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: write to us, you can write to us at tech 414 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:49,600 Speaker 1: Stuff at how stuff works dot com. Remember, the homepage 415 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com has links to our blogs, 416 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:55,640 Speaker 1: the tech stuff Blogs. You can go there and read 417 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: up on all the little interesting things we find out 418 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:01,280 Speaker 1: about during the week that we don't necessarily podcast about 419 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: but we think are pretty interesting for you to know. Yep. 420 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: And of course there are tons and tons of articles 421 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,680 Speaker 1: on our homesite, how stuff works dot Com. Go check 422 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:12,159 Speaker 1: it out, read about the these inventions from NASA, and 423 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 1: we will talk to you again really soon for more 424 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics. Is it how 425 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:25,879 Speaker 1: stuff works dot Com brought to you by the reinvented 426 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:28,640 Speaker 1: two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are you