Scientists have come up with a new currency designed to be used by inter-planetary travelers. It is called the Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination, or Quid.It is designed to withstand the stresses of space travel and has no sharp edges or chemicals that could hurt space tourists. Quids are made of the polymer best-known for its use in non-stick pans.
"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.
Using any sort of technology that involved sending and receiving information from Earth would also be impractical because of the distances involved.
It was designed for the foreign exchange company Travelex by scientists from the National Space Centre and the University of Leicester. Travelex is currently quoting the currency at £6.25 ($12.5) to the Quid.
Source: BBC
Tags: Quid | Currency | Space Travellers | Space | Money
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