Williams reported significant differences in technique required to juggle in space as  opposed to on the ground. For one thing, zero gravity mandates use of less force. "If you threw something with the same force as on earth, it would go scooting away," he said. "You have to toss objects much more easily, on the order of 1/4 as hard, to keep them under control. Quick hand movement is not at all an asset as on earth. As a matter of fact, the slower I moved, the better off I was."

Imparting the same velocity to each object was also more critical in a manipulation where he attempted to shower four objects from right to left hand. "If you get one going slow and one fast you can end up with a collision and things all over the place," Williams said.

Williams is a novice juggler, self-taught with a set of bean bags he received for Christmas about four years ago. He does two balls in one hand, and occasionally

tries to toss up four. The bags stay in his Johnson Space Center office in Houston, and he uses them occasionally for relaxation.

Dr. Carolyn Sumners, director of astronomy and physics at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, initiated the "Toys In Space" project that led to Williams' juggling first, It could be the cheapest experiment NASA ever conducted! Sumners was limited to two pounds of toys, which cost her $20. Films of the astronauts playing with the toys were made before the flight, and more were made in the Discovery's 280 x 160 mile elliptical orbit above the earth. The government's Department of Education will assist Dr. Sumners in making her final film available to schools nationwide.