# Engineering for different countries / cultures - examples **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 19, 2022, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineering-for-different-countries-cultures-examples/964653 "2022-05-19T00:24:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineering-for-different-countries-cultures-examples/964653/101 "2022-05-25T14:32:47Z")
Schmiedt GmbH [here](https://schmiedt.gmbh/tiefspueler/) claims reduced splashing as well as the possibility of inspection in the shallow-flush design, but that it is smelly and hard to clean. Deep-flush minimizes odor but is susceptible to splashback. The Cascade design (that is what we are talking about) is supposed to combine both. [Pfau GmbH](https://web.archive.org/web/20160326132826/http://www.sanitaer-pfau.de/tipps-fuer-den-badumbau/wc-komfort/) also describes it as an attempt to combine the advantages of the deep-flush (odor control) and shallow-flush (splash control and possibility of inspection) into one. ---
**Author:** ![DtypeJag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@DtypeJag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DtypeJag)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineering-for-different-countries-cultures-examples/964653/102 "2022-05-25T22:33:17Z")
My favorite example of engineering philosophy is the NASA example. The Mercury capsule people decided they needed to be able to write notations while in zero gravity – so they spent 10’s of thousands on a ball point pen design that would do this. The Russians facing the same problem simply used pencils. This is what I’ve heard - not positive it’s true! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineering-for-different-countries-cultures-examples/964653/103 "2022-05-25T22:40:39Z")
The rest of that story is that pencils generate conductive carbon dust which can float into electrical / electronic stuff in zero G and cause problems. Problems NASA obsessed about that the Russians simply ignored. Who had the right attitude? Darn good question I’m not prepared to answer. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineering-for-different-countries-cultures-examples/964653/104 "2022-05-25T22:49:14Z")
Sorry to have to “debunk” this one, as it’s been going around a lot lately. It’s actually an example of NASA doing something right: 1. Pressurized pen works great in zero-gee; 2. No worries about conductive pencil graphite, and 3. NASA did not spend money to have it developed, it was the Fisher Pen company who spent their own money on it. > **[Fact Check-NASA did not spend billions on space pens while Russia used pencils](https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-nasa-pens-idUSL1N2MQ1RR)** > > Social media users are resharing old posts that falsely say NASA spent a decade and millions if not billions of dollars of tax-payers' money developing pens for its astronauts while Russia made do with pencils. ---
**Author:** ![DtypeJag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@DtypeJag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DtypeJag)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineering-for-different-countries-cultures-examples/964653/105 "2022-05-25T23:14:19Z")
Thanks for clearing it up – but it makes a good story! ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2022, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineering-for-different-countries-cultures-examples/964653/106 "2022-05-26T03:13:30Z")
Og, I’m so sick of debunking the space pen thing. I’ve been setting people straight on that for years, but it always seems to resurface. Very tenacious bit of misinformation. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2022, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineering-for-different-countries-cultures-examples/964653/107 "2022-05-26T07:59:15Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > An indirect reference to decorations on the back side of the fork in France from [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_utensil_etiquette): Thank you! It seems to be more French, than European, which is probably why I haven’t seen it much, maybe never. Haven’t been in France in the last 5 years, but I’ve been in many other countries. In Switzerland, most toliets are wall-mounted. Normally uses gasket instead of wax rings. > **[In-wall Toilet Systems | Geberit USA](https://www.geberitnorthamerica.com/products/installation-systems/systems-for-wall-hung-toilets/)** > > Geberit in-wall systems for wall-hung toilets in 2x4 and 2x6 construction ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2022, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineering-for-different-countries-cultures-examples/964653/108 "2022-05-26T11:59:04Z")
Floating broken bins can’t be a good thing either, [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineering-for-different-countries-cultures-examples/964653.md?page=5)