Oh those scientists - it's a true story?!

Oh those scientists - it's a true story?

In the early days of the American space program, NASA received reports from the astronauts that their pens would not write in space. Ball points, fountain pens, even quills, nothing worked! So NASA contacted the people who had supplied the pens and made money available for the production of a pen which would write in space. Eventually, thousands of dollars later, a suitable pen was produced, incorporating a small gas filled cylinder which propelled the ink out of the pen. It worked both in space and underwater. The problem was solved, albeit at great expense. Many years later, when co-operation with the Russians was established, it occurred to someone at NASA to ask how the Russians had solved the problem. "There was no problem," they said, "we used a pencil."

Hi there again Phoenix, I also liked this one too. It would seem that scientists do some pretty weird and pointless research at times.
Here are a couple of gems of mine:
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.
(Who volunteers for this stuff?)

The ant can lift 50 times its own weight, can pull 30 times its own
weight and always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
(From drinking little bottles of...?)
(Did the govt. pay for this research??)
Have a great day! :o)