It came from outer space: everyday products and ideas from the space program

Daily life has significantly changed over the past 45 years thanks to innovations by NASA, among them cordless tools, ergonomic chairs, computer joysticks, heart-rate monitors, and scratch-resistant eyeglass lenses. As stated in the introduction, "This volume contains 67 entries on products and technologies that have been either developed or improved upon because of space-related research and technology development."Aimed at high-school students, It Came from Outer Space is useful for educators as well. One-half of the book has A-Z entries that give historical, scientific, and present-day applications for each item as well as additional readings from technological periodicals and authoritative Web sites. The entries blend information about how the technology was originally developed by the space agency with information on later commercial developments and applications. Technical terminology might make the text difficult reading for some students, but the authors generally succeed in presenting the material in an accessible and interesting way.The second half of the book contains several appendixes: a history of NASA; guides to NASA's regional technology transfer centers, field centers and facilities, and commercial development centers; lesson plans for grades 9 to 12; an annotated listing of Web sites; and a glossary. The lesson plans are selected from the NASAexplores Web site, and each references the appropriate National Education Standards for science, math, technology, and geography, which are printed following the plans.This book is recommended for the school and public libraries as well as a professional teacher's library. It will provide ideas for science projects for students and educators and fascinating reading for all patrons interested in learning about products and ideas generated by the space program. __________Повседневная жизнь значительно изменилась за последние 45 лет благодаря нововведениям НАСА, среди которых беспроводные инструменты, эргономические кресла, компьютерные джойстики, мониторы частоты сердцебиений и нецарапающиеся линзы для очков. Как указано во введении, "эта работа содержит 67 статей об изделиях и технологиях, разработанных или улучшенных благодаря исследованиям и совершенствованию технологий, связанным с космосом". Книга предназначена для учащихся, но будет полезна и учителям.