Got this tidbit in an email from a friend....

[Postman]

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered
that ball-point pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat this
problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 million developing a pen
that writes in zero gravity, upside down, on almost any surface
including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over
300 C.
The Russians used a pencil.
Enjoy paying your taxes

[Wetzelbill]

1. oh lord, that is too funny.......sad, tragic, but funny

[i_am_not_john_galt]

2. Snopes: False

http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp

[waterman]

3. Crikey! I hate stories like that

[waylon]

4. now that is funny and troubling at the same time

[Salviati]

5. of course this is false...

as a quick search at snopes shows...

http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp

[HereSince1628]

6. Yeah, but the request for a pencil sharpener was turned down

[BlueEyedSon]

7. Thanks for spreading misinformation about our space program......

From Snopes.com http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp

Claim: NASA spent millions of dollars developing an "astronaut pen" which would work in outer space while the Soviets solved the same problem by simply using pencils.

Status: False.

Origins: The lesson of this anecdote is a valid one, that we sometimes expend a great deal of time, effort, and money to create a "high-tech" solution to a problem, when a perfectly good, cheap, and simple solution is right before our eyes. The anecdote offered above isn't a real example of this syndrome, however. Fisher did ultimately develop a pressurized pen for use by NASA astronauts (now known as the famous "Fisher Space Pen"), but both American and Soviet space missions initially used pencils, NASA did not seek out Fisher and ask them to develop a "space pen," Fisher did not charge NASA for the cost of developing the pen, and the Fisher pen was eventually used by both American and Soviet astronauts.

[Postman]

8. My Bad. I didn't check out the story first. Sorry...

eom

[patdem]

9. I remember the I hate Russia propoganda days

The joke goes:

In a auto race between America and Russia, America won (naturally). The next day in Pravda the headlines read:

"IN RACE WITH AMERICA RUSSIA FINISHES SECOND, AMERICANS COME IN NEXT TO LAST"

I thought that was so funny...NOT ANY MORE!

[middleoftheroad2]

10. Russians use the Fisher Space Pen too (n/t)

[newyawker99]

12. Hi middleoftheroad2!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[burrowowl]

11. I use Fisher Space Pens too

Great for doing crosswords in bed and writing on pages held verticallly and in the rain, etc. Great pens!

[ComerPerro]

13. You know the really funny thing?

This is an old email (of course its not true) that was used when Clinton was in the White House to fuel anger about "big government" and "wreckless spending".