There is a conflict, a sort of Civil War that has been waged in the mainland United States - before spilling out across the rest of the globe - that's been going on for almost a century, and yet barely anyone is aware of it. That is, until they step into a supermarket or corner shop or towards a vending machine, and catch sight of the number of fizzy drinks jostling for their attention: obviously, we're talking about the Cola Wars between Coke and Pepsi, and doing it in a cute way, because it's actually a pretty silly "conflict" that's partway between friendly competition and actual corporate rivalry. It's serious business for the companies involved, mind, which is why it's so surprising to discover that NASA ended up getting involved. In 1985, specially cans of Coca-Cola and Pepsi (which could be drank in zero gravity, thanks to a plastic lid and straw fitted to the top) were taken aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger - which wasn't the original plan. Only Coca-Cola was scheduled to fly, but when Pepsi found out about the company's intention to not only get some free marketing but also observe "the effects of spaceflight on changes in taste perception with the goal of understanding altered tastes among target populations on Earth, such as the elderly", they brought forth their own shaving cream-inspired design, NASA decided to take them along with them too. In the end nobody one because the drinks wouldn't refrigerate properly in space and nobody drank any. Woops.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
