No funk in the trunks: Japanese astronaut tests extended-wear underpants

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Exploring outer space has led to a lot of innovations we now take for granted -- the Fisher Space Pen, infrared ear thermometer and edible toothpaste come to mind -- but we’re not so sure we’re keen on one of the inventions currently being tested onboard the International Space Station: underpants that can be worn for a week at a stretch.

According to recently published reports, Expedition 18 flight engineer Koichi Wakata, the first Japanese astronaut to live aboard the ISS, took up residence March 17 wearing a pair of J-ware odor-free, quick-drying, bacteria-killing underpants developed by textile experts at Japan Woman’s University in Tokyo.

An official with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency is quoted as saying Wakata should be able to wear the undergarments for a week at a stretch while remaining comfortable and stink-free.

Apparently once testing is complete, plans are to launch a commercial line using the same technology. But just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Why on Earth (literally and hyperbolically) would anyone need to go a week between changes? We can think of only one person who might benefit: box-dwelling magician David Blaine.

Any other ideas?
-- Adam Tschorn

Photo (from left): Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, Russian cosmonaut Yury Lonchakov, American commander Lee Archambault and American astronaut Sandy Magnus. Credit: AP Photo/NASA TV