Memory Foam

Who doesn’t love a nice memory foam seat at the movie theatre? Or one of those fancy mattresses you can’t spill wine on? Memory foam is used in all sorts of practical objects, from football helmets to running sneakers.

Well, NASA first created the material. In order to escape Earth’s orbit, a rocket needs to travel incredibly fast. This puts a considerable amount of pressure on the body and the seat on which the body is sitting. So Charles Yost, an aeronautical engineer for NASA, created the “slow spring back foam.” It absorbs the movement of pressure exceptionally well.

So, the next time you’re enjoying the comforts of memory foam, just remember it was first designed for astronauts.