Talk

A parable on simplicity

Modern day writing implements such as pens work on the principle of gravity. Gravity (that sucking life force that keeps your ego in check by helpfully emptying containers on your sunday best at that oh so very important dinner) allows the ink to descend in an orderly fashion permitting you to scribe the latest happenings of your life on wizened elm.

However, in space the lack of gravity renders pens useless. NASA appropriated money and talent to solve this problem for the benefit of space adventurers. Finally, the grand solution of a spring loaded ultra modern pen was unveiled with a footnote about the explosive potential of this contraption. Years later when NASA collaborated with Russia on MIR, over some friendly space beer the cosmonauts revealed to their capitalist brethren the magic of pencils. Undoubtedly the experience gained in building a space pen will benefit us in a host of new adventures, but the humor in the different approaches taken by people trying to solve the same problem is quite remarkable.