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Everyone thinks that Velcro came out of NASA's space program,
right? Well, it didn't - that's a bit of urban legend. But few
people actually know how their NASA tax dollars come back to
them in the form of improved technologies. For instance, did
you know that great improvements in dialysis technology came
from the space program? Because NASA has improved purification
techniques for astronauts' water supplies, we benefit too!
Spinoff
is NASA's annual publication, which describes how NASA technologies
have been returned to the taxpayer via commercial industrial
products and improvements.
Other NASA Technology Transfer Resources
These are just a few of the places you can look to see what NASA-funded
research brings to our everyday lives. Most of these sites
have additional links - check 'em out!
And for the curious, the material we know as Velcro was invented
by George De Mestral of Switzerland when he decided to figure out
why cockleburs stuck to his cloth jacket.
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