On Mon, Dec 29, 2003 at 10:27:59AM +0000, mike wilson wrote: > <space race apochrypha> > > Americans spend millions of dollars developing a pen that will write in > zero gravity. Russians issue cosmonauts with pencils. > > </space race apochrypha>
An urban legend. Apparently both countries started off using pencils in space, and both switched to pens because pencils are a hazard; the graphite breaks off, floats about and can short electrical contacts. http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp -- ,_ /_) /| / / i e t e r / |/ a g e l
