DISCOMFORT

- REPORT 6 / OCT 2015 -

THERE IS A MYTH THAT DURING THE SPACE RACE NASA INVESTED 1 MILLION DOLLARS AND SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES TO DEVELOP A PEN THAT WORKS IN ZERO GRAVITY WHILE THE USSR SPACE PROGRAM SOLVED THE PROBLEM BY CARRYING A PENCIL INTO SPACE. THE MYTH ALTHOUGH FALSE HAS AN INTERESTING REFLECTION. OMITTING THE VALUE OF THE USEFUL CAN BE EXTREMELY COSTLY GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES.  COMPLEX OBJECTS, TOOLS AND UTENSILS SPEAK ABOUT A SEARCH AND INTERPRETATION OF AN UNSOLVED PROBLEM. WE ASSOCIATE COMPLEXITY WITH PRICE AND THEN THROUGH REASON WE MAKE A VALUE JUDGMENT: “EXPENSIVE BECAUSE IT IS A SPACE PEN” OR “CHEAP BECAUSE IT IS A SIMPLE PENCIL”.

THEY HAVE TAUGHT US THAT OBJECTS FROM FAR AWAY, MADE OF EXQUISITE MATERIALS OR MADE THROUGH REFINED PROCESSES, TANGIBLY ARGUMENT THEIR PRICE. REALITY PROVES THE OPPOSITE. BEING CONVINCED THAT THERE IS AN INVALUABLE DESIGN VALUE IN THE SIMPLICITY AND THAT THIS VALUE IS INTRINSIC TO THE PRICE OF THE PRODUCT CAUSES DISCOMFORT AND SOMETIMES DISTRUST. BACK TO “THE SPACE PEN”, THIS WAS PATENTED BY THE FISHER PEN COMPANY YEARS AFTER THE COMMISSION BY NASA. IT CAN BE PURCHASED TODAY AND IS A FANTASTIC FEATHER FOR CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

MEXICAN UTILITY. 5 YEARS