The Computer Mouse

When you stop and think about a computer mouse, the device seems kind of odd. You really can do everything necessary with a keyboard, and for decades, computers relied on them exclusively.

However, as NASA’s systems and equipment became more and more technologically advanced, the need to quickly navigate from one on-screen selection to another proved important, not to mention that using massive gloves — like those found on a space suit — made it difficult to type. Navigating a selection menu did not happen quickly, to say the least. In order to help with this, NASA developed the mouse.