"Joseph Nebus" wrote in message
...

Sarah Vowell's _Unfamiliar Fishes_, about Hawaii's rather
exciting time in the 19th century, mentions that NASA made use of
whale oil in some of its constructs until international treaty banned
its use in the mid-80s.

I don't know the citation for this (possibly she gives one,
but I have the audio book version from the library, which is short on
endnotes). So, has anyone here got notes about whether this is true
--- I can imagine it, but I can imagine many things which aren't so ---
and if it is, what role whale oil served?

In short, how much whale oil is there in the Sea of Tranquility?


There's this...

http://metamodern.com/2010/03/26/sat...-oil-shortage/

or this (Point 4)

http://www.neatorama.com/2008/08/06/...now-about-oil/

How much truth there is in either is open to question...
--
Gordon Davie
Edinburgh, Scotland

"Slipped the surly bonds of Earth...to touch the face of God."