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.”[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.”
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.
New currency for space travellers [BBC] (Thanks, Sandra!)
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.