It is hard to be fair to NASA. NASA has consistently taken credit for all
kinds of inventions as "spinoffs" from their space program - which they did
not develop, but simply used as does any industry. Velcro is just one of
many examples. Some years ago when I noticed in one of their websites that
they invented Teflon I contacted them, and the specific reference was
removed. But they still take credit for Teflon on other of their websites.
That is the tactic - it is a mistake, we'll fix it. But they go on
spreading in the public mind the wonderful spinoffs of the space program.
And all kinds of secondary sources spread the gospel. (It wasn't me; it
wasn't me!) Is it not fantastic that in one place on "nasaexplores" they
write, "Many people think VelcroŽ was invented by NASA, but a Swiss inventor
named George de Mestral actually came up with the idea in the early 1940s!",
while in another place on the very same "nasaexplores" they expicitly take
credit ("spinoff such as Velcro and Teflon, are pieces of NASA technology
that are used here on Earth." )
How about the following quote by U.S. Senator K.B. Hutchinson (Dallas
Morning News, Feb 6, 2003),
"From satellites, which allow instant access to news and information around
the globe, and cellphones, which forever changed the way we live, to
everyday amenities such as cordless appliances, Velcro and Teflon - all were
developed through our space program. "
This is not the Reader's Digest; this is a US Senator who is fed this kind
of crap by NASA. It is all about money - including promulgating
biomimetics.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Arthur Brandwood" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2005 10:51 PM
Subject: Re: Novel attribution of Velcro
> To be fair to NASA - they do get the attribution right - in fact seem to
> do so everywhere Velcro is mentioned on their web site -including in this
> report:
> http://techreports.larc.nasa.gov/ltrs/PDF/2002/tm/NASA-2002-tm211445.pdf
on
> the usefulness of Biomimetics to NASA.
>
> It's easy to see where the brainstorming bit came in - their "for kids"
web
> pages include a bit on "inventive thinking" see
> http://www.nasaexplores.com/show_912_student_st.php?id=030103105324 which
> specifically refers to the invention of Velcro and then goes on to propose
> an exercise which teaches kids how to do brainstorming - implying it's how
> NASA came by the idea to *use* Velcro in spacecraft.
>
> Arthur
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Engineers and biologists mechanical design list
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kalman Schulgasser
> Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 3:55 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Novel attribution of Velcro
>
>
> If one looks at the crossword puzzle on
>
http://www.nasaexplores.com/extras/puzzles/exploration/exploration_cw_9-12.h
> tml
> which is a NASA website one finds for 29 down
> "29. _________, such as Velcro and Teflon, are pieces of NASA technology
> that are used here on Earth." and the correct answer is SPINOFFS - which
you
> discover if you click on the answer sheet. Who are we to argue with NASA?
I
> take back my doubts about the wheel. Kalman Schulgasser
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "J F V Vincent" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2005 5:13 PM
> Subject: Novel attribution of Velcro
>
>
> > A new company - Nova-Mind - has produced some quite nice mind-mapping
> software.
> > However, on one of their diagrams (access at
> > http://www.nova-mind.com/Gallery/brainstorming.jpg) they have
> > attributed
> velcro
> > to a brainstorming session at NASA in the early '60s. When I queried
> > this provenance they said that they got the information from an
> > impeccable
> source -
> > the Readers' Digest! I sent them the proper information from the
> > Velcro
> web
> > site but have had no reply.
> >
> > I think we owe it to our interest in biomimetics as a source of ideas
> > to question their interpretation of history, and suggest to you that
> > you
> examine
> > the illustration to which I have given the reference (the velcro bit
> > is in
> the
> > lower part of the diagram) then write and ask Nova-Mind where they got
> > the information from and (as a supplementary question) why they think
> > their information source is better than Velcro SA. Nova-Mind can be
> > contacted through one of the addresses given on
> > http://www.nova-mind.com/Mainnovamind.html
> >
> > Perhaps you'd like to post your experiences / responses on this mail
> base?!
> >
> > Julian Vincent
> >
> > --
> > Julian FV Vincent [log in to unmask]
> > Professor of Biomimetics office 01225 386596
> > Centre for Biomimetic & Natural Technologies mobile 07941 933901
> > Dept of Mechanical Engineering fax 01225 386928
> > The University
> > BATH BA2 7AY
> >
> > http://www.bath.ac.uk/Departments/Eng/biomimetics/
> >
> > I hate quotations. Tell me what you know. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
> >
>
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