Matthew Yglesias is wondering why we need to explore outer space. He doesn't think it does us much good. Um, hello?
The original formula was developed in the early 1970's at NASA's Ames Research Center in an effort to relieve astronauts of the incredible g-forces experienced during lift-off. The result was an open-celled, breathable material that was temperature-sensitive, viscoelastic, and able to distribute pressure or body weight over the entire surface area.