lateral thinking

[w0lverine]

Good example of lateral thinking.Teaches us that we need to know how not to complicate our requirements and stay basic for less effort and great rewards.
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In the early days of the American space program, NASA received reports from the astronauts that their pens would not write in space. Ball points, fountain pens, even quills, nothing worked! So NASA contacted the people who had supplied the pens and made money available for the production of a pen which would write in space. Eventually, thousands of dollars later, a suitable pen was produced, incorporating a small gas filled cylinder which propelled the ink out of the pen. It worked both in space and underwater. The problem was solved, albeit at great expense. Many years later, when co- operation with the Russians was established, it occurred to someone at NASA to ask how the Russians had solved the problem. There was no problem, they said, we used a pencil.

[hypronix]

I knew of this one. Well, what can you say, some people just think without the box

[Mcvay]

hehe, smart russians. But the design of the pen is very nice.
And a pen is way cooler then a pencil :P