Astronaut Invents Amazing Space Cup

Astronaut Don Pettit has hacked together a MacGuyver-esque coffee cup which works in space. Normally, the lack of gravity means that zero-g sipping has to be done through a straw. Think about it -- when we tip up our cups here on Earth, the liquid inside stays put and the cup effectively moves out of the way allowing the drink to drop into our waiting mouths. That doesn't happen in weightlessness, hence the tubes.

This is fine for soda, but a grown up cup of espresso should be supped, not sucked. Pettit's design is remarkably simple. He took a plastic sheet and fashioned it into a cup shape. The key difference is the fold running up one edge, a crease which allows the coffee to climb the side of the cup by capillary action.

Check the video of the hack in action. And watch out -- there's math in there.

How to Drink Coffee In Space -- Without a Straw