It Came from Outer Space

MARJOLIJN BIJLEFELD is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of The Gun Control Debate: A Documentary History (Greenwood, 1997), People For and Against Gun Control (Greenwood, 1999), and Food and You: A Guide to Healthy Habits for Teens (Greenwood, 2001).ROBERT BURKE is a business and technology writer.

• ContentsContentsContentsIntroduction viiAirline Deicer—"Ice Zapper" 1Anthrax Protection 2Anti-Fog Spray 4Anti-Shock Trousers 5Athletic Shoe Improvements 7Baby Food 8Better Braces 10Biofeedback Improvements 10Bionic Eyes 12Breast Biopsy System 13Burn Treatment 15Child Presence Sensor 16Cold-Weather Clothing 17Cool Suits 19Cordless Tools 21Digital Nose 23Doppler Radar—Helping Aircraft Avoid Danger 24Ergonomic Chairs 26Fire Safety 28Food Preparation 30Fresher Vegetables 33Glasses and Sunglasses Improvements 35Golf Ball Improvements 37Golf Club Improvements 38Hang Gliders 40Healing Light 42Heart Monitor Improvements 44Heart Pump 46Heart Rate Monitor 48Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator 49Infrared Detector Improvements 50Infrared Thermometer 52Insulin Pumps 53Joysticks for Computers 55Knee Brace Improvements 57Landmine Removal 59Laptop Computers 61Laser Angioplasty 62Memory Foam 63Memory Metals 65Microthermal Fabrics 67Osteoporosis Detection and Prevention 68Pacemaker Improvements 71Pill Transmitters 72Pool Filters 73Quantum Tubers 75Race Car Insulation 77Railroad Anti-Icer 78Rescue Cutters 79Riblets for Drag Reduction 80Robotic Surgery 82Satellite Radio 84Saving Harbor Porpoises 86Self-Contained Ecosystems 87Self-Righting Life Raft 89Ski Boot Improvements 91Smart Surgical Probe 92Space Pen 93"Space Rose" Perfume 94Stadium Roofs 96Toy Gliders 97Traffic Intersection Safety 98Video Camera Improvements 100Virtual Reality 102Weather, Climate, and Geologic Mapping 104Wildfire Control 105ZeoponiX 107Appendix A: A Brief History of NASA Stephen J. Garber and Roger D. Launius 109Appendix B: Regional Technology Transfer Centers 117Appendix C: NASA Field Centers and Facilities 123Appendix D: NASA's Space Product Development Progam 129Appendix E: Lesson Plans 135Appendix F: What's on the Web 201Appendix G: Glossary 225Index 239