Scientific American: Inventions from Outer Space: Everyday Uses for NASA Technology [Hardcover]

David Aaron Baker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 9, 2000

Scientific American Inventions from Outer Space presents over 60 inventions developed by NASA for use in space - and the ways they are used every day on Earth.

There's a little bit of outer space everywhere on Earth, from the paint on the Golden Gate Bridge (originally developed by NASA to withstand high temperatures on the space shuttle launch pad) to today's high-tech sneakers (which use technology first developed for space suits) and keyboards used by disabled workers.

These items, plus Dustbuster vacuums, CAT scans, and home water filters, are only some of the world's most familiar consumer products that trace their origins to NASA's space program. This fascinating book describes over 60 inventions and, in color photographs and diagrams, outlines how the space technology was developed and how it is used here on Earth.

Full-color illustrations and clear writing offers complete explanations of how inventions are used in everyday objects.
Strong Scientific American imprimatur assures quality and appeals to science buffs of all levels.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

What do thermal gloves, robot hands, and cleaner jet engines have in common? They were all developed thanks, in part, to the American space program and its commitment to sharing research with the private sector. Inventions from Outer Space: Everyday Uses for NASA Technology is a flashy but informative overview of the products and processes that owe their existence to our pursuit of the final frontier. Author David Baker has worked with NASA on and off for 30 years, and he knows how to capture the most compelling aspects of seemingly dry topics like component testing, so they can compete fairly with sci-fi concepts like self-healing computers. Not everything you'd expect to find is in the book's 128 pages (where are Tang and Space Food Sticks?), but the many surprises, such as more comfortable beds, make for better reading than the same old stories. The book's design borrows from high-tech magazines like Wired pretty heavily, but does so without sacrificing readability. Each invention gets a two-page spread with a brief overview, several illustrations, and a generous description of the technology and its development. Boisterously pro-space and pro-tech, Inventions from Outer Space inspires surprise and awe even in the technophobic--the next time someone complains about NASA's budget, you can point to their gloves and say: "They came from outer space!" --Rob Lightner

From School Library Journal

YA-A fascinating book that succinctly covers products, services, and technology that were developed for NASA's space programs. It is colorfully done, with font changes, photos, and boxes drawing the eye across the two-page spread given to each item. After a brief synopsis of the space program's 40-year history, the book is organized into five categories: health, medicine, and public safety; energy, environment, and resource management; consumer, home, recreation, and art; computer technology and automation; and construction, transportation, and manufacturing technology. Readers learn why each innovation was needed for space travel, such as for protection from temperatures reaching nearly 2900 degrees Fahrenheit. That need led to the development of a ceramic and metal fiber alloy, a technology further advanced through a small business contract with a company in California into thermal products such as mittens, blankets, and insulation material. Exercise machines, infrared satellite imagery used to discover buried ancient civilizations, dolphin protection devices used on fishnets, tap-water purifiers, and even the newest design in exercise sneakers all stem from NASA research. Baker does a fine job of explaining where and why certain products that we often take for granted were created.
Carol DeAngelo, Kings Park Library, Burke, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Random House Reference (May 9, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375409793
• ISBN-13: 978-0375409790
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #433,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Kennedy Space Center, January 23, 2012

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Ben QC - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Scientific American: Inventions from Outer Space: Everyday Uses for NASA Technology (Hardcover)

I saw this book for the first time at the KSC Main Shop ten years ago. I didn't bought it and I have always regretted. The book is still very good, even in 2012. Very colorful, very well done, one of the best in this category.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, April 10, 2001

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[e-mail] (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scientific American: Inventions from Outer Space: Everyday Uses for NASA Technology (Hardcover)

What is fascinating about this book is the surprisingly unglamourous uses to which NASA technology has been put: it's not tricorders or machines that vanquish your foe with a directional pulse of pure energy that have trickled onto the terrestrial market, but heat resistant paint and non-stick coating for frying pans. Which is probably no bad thing. All in all an excellent read.

1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Normal, May 22, 2000

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"psikosis" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scientific American: Inventions from Outer Space: Everyday Uses for NASA Technology (Hardcover)

It is a good book if you are interested in inventions and how they are involved in everday life, but it follows that formula that a lot of other books with the same topic