QUIDs: Loose Change for Zero-G Pockets
It's all a goofy-ass gimmick to promote a foreign exchange company, but a group of "scientists" has developed QUIDs—Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denominations—rounded polymer chits to be used for transactions "in space.""None of the existing payment systems we use on earth - like cash, credit or debit cards - could be used in space," said Professor George Fraser from the University of Leicester. "Anything with sharp edges, like coins, would be a risk to astronauts while the chips and magnetic strips used in our cards on Earth would be damaged beyond repair by cosmic radiation," he added. ... "In the fullness of time we will have to adopt a universal currency if we are going to carry out serious commerce in space. It's an interesting initiative."Before QUIDs all the astronauts on Mir had to wash out Russian food tubes to get a hot meal. I'm sure a pocket full of QUIDs would be worth the several thousand dollars in fuel expenses.[Redacted] said: "It's only a matter of time before people will be walking up to our shops and asking for Quids for their two weeks in a space hotel."
New currency for space travellers [BBC] (Thanks, Sandra!)
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Yeah, these are soooo much better than light weight paper style currency printed on Tyveck-like polymers...
How did they get the BBC to fall for this stupid press release?
They did it by getting the director of Leicester University's Space Research Centre to spout a few lines of bullshit and forgetting to mention that the cosmic rays which will fuck up your Amex will fuck you up a whole lot more permanently.
I imagine we can soon look forward to press releases about currencies tailor-made for the requirements of that hot-dog stand at the bottom of the Marianas trench and the Starbucks inside the magma chamber at Kilauea.
Those Marianas Trench dogs are amazing. I want one. mmmmm.
My magnetic strips get screwed up enough just from use, so I'll allow that non-lethal doses of radiation might be a problem for them. I've never cut myself on a coin edge either, but small, conductive bits floating around a space station might well cause trouble...
But I'll testify for Skep in the trial over unauthorized use of his/her revolutionary "folding money" concept. ;)
I'll wager 20 Quatloons on the newcomer...
Kind of like Swatch's "Internet Time" thing: would be daffy but charming coming from a well-meaning individual; not so much when it's used as a marketing gimmick by a corporation.