Ten Ways NASA Has Fundamentally Changed the World
…for the better. A lot of folks have been talking about cutting NASA’s funding as of late. The more I read about it, the more I realize that the reason isn’t because NASA hasn’t actually produced anything of value since the moon landings, it’s because people are generally led to believe that NASA just sends people to space and does all those complicated, uninteresting science-y things that don’t really matter (except they do). The reality is that you, someone you know, industries you buy from, etc. have been fundamentally changed by NASA research. NASA isn’t just a space agency; it’s a research organization that happens to specialize in space, but what it does on a daily basis has ultimately made our lives better in some way or another. With that in mind I decided to make a short list of crucial advancements in technology or other areas that have spawned due to NASA’s consistent dedication to science: Cordless toolsYou know, power tools run by batteries. Drills of all kinds and other nifty battery-powered gizmos that come in handy in the real world. You may never use them personally, but the person who built your house probably did, or your mechanic does. Heck, it really doesn’t matter if you or someone you know has ever used one, because without cordless tools, well, things would sort of suck. Imagine having to drill screws into giant logs on your own. That would suck. Medical TechnologyI’ve seen the benefits of this first hand. CAT scanners were developed following an industrial version that used to find abnormalities in rockets and the like. Now we use it on people instead of big metal things. Oh, and that’s not all. Dialysis machines exist thanks to NASA as well as cardiovascular conditioners, MRIs, invisible braces, safer breast imaging (for cancer and such), ear thermometers (which I particularly like over the alternative), and a vast array of surgical and other medical improvements that would probably cause my blog to explode if I listed them all. The put it simply: if you’ve gone to the doctor at some point since 1970, you’ve likely seen the benefits of NASA first hand. Athletic Shoes/Shoe SolesThat part inside of your new pair of shoes that’s designed to make walking better for you than walking on rocks? You can thank NASA for that. Specifically, you can thank the Apollo missions, since their lovely space suits contributed to the development of better shoes. Go figure. Water Purification TechnologyBrita filters, filtered water of any kind, etc. All because of NASA. Okay, so somebody might have figured it out anyway, but NASA helped in the process. And now we have an entire industry that basically owes NASA a big thank you check. You hear that Aquafina and Dasani? Send some money to NASA! Satellite TelevisionThis is an easy one, right? After all, without NASA we wouldn’t have satellites or ways of getting such things into space. But NASA does more than simply provide the technology to get these things up there. NASA has helped develop ways to improve reception and make satellite television better. So, when you’re watching Dish Network or DirectTV or whatever satellite company you have, remember that NASA helped make that possible. Fire Fighting EquipmentThe material used to make fire resistant suits for fire fighters was developed for space suits. Granted, if any of the Apollo vehicles exploded it wouldn’t have matter much, but I suppose they had their reasons. Sun GlassesAstronauts do a lot of crap up in space, including welding and dealing with that bright yellow ball of gas floating up there. It’s only logical that they would create a way to keep all those harmful bright lights out of their eyes, right? And now we have them here on Earth too! PlasticNASA had its hand in this industry. Since things need to be light and durable in space, NASA needed to develop new materials that could be used for a variety of things. In the process, similar processes and materials have been used down here on Earth for things like food packaging. So, next time you drink a bottle of Coke or Pepsi, remember that NASA helped make that happen. Scratch-resistant LensesYou might say to me, “Well, maybe you should take better care of your glasses, Mister,” and I would have to agree. But for those of us that don’t take such great care of our ocular devices, scratch-resistant lenses are a godsend. Granted, I don’t wear my glasses much, and they do have some small scratches from when I dropped them and kicked them across the floor and then left them there because I didn’t know I’d dropped them and kicked them across the floor, but still…they’re mostly still in good shape. More Efficient Cars/Hybrids/ElectricNASA didn’t invent these cars, but NASA funding and researchers/engineers have helped develop cars that run on lithium batteries, cars that get better gas mileage and release few emissions, etc. In fact, NASA has aided all sorts of transportation industries from cars to boats to airplanes. Pretty impressive for some silly organization that puts monkeys in space, huh? And that’s all. NASA has invented or had a hand in the invention of over 1,300 pieces of technology, most of which you probably didn’t even realize NASA was responsible in some capacity for. So the next time you sit down to use a cordless tool or watch satellite television or get a CAT scan, remember that without NASA we would be decades behind on this stuff. Without NASA the world would be a far different place, a scary place. If you want to find out more about NASA inventions, you can check out the Spinoff Database or Google search.
Quick Movie Reviews (2009): Volume Two
And, for your viewing pleasure, another batch of quick movie reviews, including one that is still in theatres! Enjoy: The Tale of DespereauxPros: An adorable children’s movie with cute mice and even cute rats. Despereaux is about as cute as Nemo from Pixar-vehicle Finding Nemo. Once the film gets rolling, things really set into place and it becomes an entertaining and thoughtful visualization of madness and the need for forgiveness (but in a lighter manner, not ram-morality-down-your-throat). Overall a good film, although if you children are easily disturbed, consider something else. Someone dies in the beginning (no blood, just a rather humorous death, a la the Frog King in Shrek 3).Cons: The beginning, while chronologically consistent, unhinged the flow of the film. The first two major sections should have been switched for a better, more cohesive film. Perhaps they were keeping with the book. Also, for some reason the very beginning did not feel real enough, i. e. the voices didn’t seem to fit the characters. This levels out soon enough, though. Some more explanation about certain aspects of the mouse and rat worlds could have helped, I think.Rating: 3.5/5 Death RacePros: Brilliant visuals. Almost no CG at all, which I think is something other film makers should be paying attention to. A testament to the fact that you can make a beautiful film without sticking computer visuals into every scene. Rather interesting concept–not an original one, though–and a set of entertaining fist fights and car “chases.”Cons: The ending left something to be desired. I think it came too quick or it seemed too easy, like there wasn’t a lot of thought in it.Rating: 3/5 Jesus CampPros: Depending on how you visualize the purpose of this film, the overall effect is that of terror. This film is frakking horrifying. If you want to see how religion can turn into child abuse, then watch this film.Cons: I think a film that tried to have a more direct purpose would have proven more interesting to the masses. This film doesn’t do much other than show you what is going on in fundamentalist Christian homes. True, what it shows you is disgusting and morally reprehensible, but if it had tried to infuse history, politics, and other aspects in a more meaningful way, I think the film could have been better.Rating: 1/5 or 4/5 (depends on the purpose: if it’s propaganda for the Right, then the first score, if it’s an attempt to show the insanity of fundamentalist Christianity, then the second one) ReligulousPros: Absolutely brilliant. Maher is known for his vocal criticisms of religion and it doesn’t stop here. This film, however, is not meant entirely as a criticism of religion, but as a Q&A for those that don’t know. The problem is that some groups of religious people do not like to be questioned, even if they’re honest questions about faith, the truth of the Bible, etc. I’m surprised he got some of the interviews he got and I applaud him for sitting down and calmly asking people questions (to which he generally doesn’t get any good answers for).Cons: I think the religious will have a hard time stomaching this film. The problem is that Maher isn’t afraid to crap jokes about religion or to ask questions that to the skeptic seem easy, but to the highly religious seem impossible or, in a lot of cases, as a direct challenge to their faith.Rating: 5/5 Burn After ReadingPros: A clever play on the CIA, blackmail, desperate figures, and pathetic wannabes. This is also one of two movies that I actually liked John Malkovich in (the other was Conair), which is a plus. He’s actually expertly cast here, along with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and others. This isn’t a laugh-out-loud comedy, as far as I am concerned, but a different sort of comedy, a la Sideways.Cons: Might be a little dark for some. Don’t watch this if you like idiot comedy (Scary Movie, Disaster Movie, Meet the Spartans). The comedy here is intended to be either subtle or clever (and dark). If you like that sort of thing, I think you will enjoy this one. I think the film could also have done with the one gory scene, as it almost lost me from the comedy (the character could have gotten shot without the need for a lot of blood).Rating: 4/5