Thanks for those two documents - especially the first one. Which incidentally
is an extremely parochial document. There's hardly any reference to anyone
outside the USA, not even Jim Gordon (whose books were instrumental in starting
off the current biomimetics thrust in the late '80s).
Julian
Quoting Arthur Brandwood <[log in to unmask]>:
> 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)
> >
>
--
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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