 Have you ever looked at NASA's nearly $20 billion budget and wonder, "What's in it for me?" Sure, going out and studying Mars is all fine and dandy, but what immediate benefit do you, the taxpayer, get from all this spending? Believe it or not, it's a lot more than you think, and NASA has a new interactive website that gives you an in-depth look at how space research directly impacts your everyday life. It's called NASA Home and City. You can choose to explore either an average household or an adorable little city. Clicking nodes on each of the buildings and in the rooms displays an interesting factoid about how those items came about through NASA's research. It's super fun to use, and it's actually quite engaging! Here's a few tidbits I found interesting.  Inside the hospital, you can take a look, among other things, at how researchers developed improved contact lenses in lower gravity environments. Neat!  Clicking on the "Public Safety" node eventually led me to an incredible--and lifesaving--fact. "Using topographical data from NASA," the blurb reads, "a geologist and resource hunter developed software that can locate underground water." Wow!  Using similar technology to the kind that transmitted the famous words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," companies were able to develop wireless headsets. Perhaps you listen to your favorite tunes on a pair of cans similar to these. I do! This is just a snapshot of all the inventions and advancements listed in this fun tool. Be sure to check it out for yourself, and impress your friends with your newfound knowledge! I like talking about sci-fi, Star Wars, tech, outer space, and other science-y stuff every Monday. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out my other "Real Life Sci-fi" blog posts here.
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