This pen / pencil thing has been corrected so many times for so many decades that it’s ludicrous people are still bringing it up.
scientificamerican.com/…/fact-or-fiction-nasa-spe…
Random bits of pencil lead floating around in a high tech environment is such a poor idea that even the Soviet’s quit using pencils once Fisher’s Space Pen was available. A pen which Fisher itself paid to develop and then sold to both NASA and the Soviet Space Program.
Alk@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
Well I get the analogy, but also I think they didn’t use pencils because of the graphite and complications with filtering air or something.
catloaf@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
Graphite is conductive. A short circuit and fire are Very Bad.
AlternatePersonMan@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Couldn’t you just use a charcoal pencil or crayon instead?
catloaf@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
Yes, but neither of those wrige as cleanly. And both are still prone to fragmenting, even if the fragments aren’t conductive.
Telorand@reddthat.com 5 weeks ago
You may be right. It’s just easier to get the sentiment across that way than expound about how it’s ridiculously complex and overbuilt to achieve menial results.