“EIGHT-tracks were invented by Lear for the Learjet. If the pilots are going down, they need to be able to record a distress signal and describe what’s happening. Lear invented the endless loop so the tape wouldn’t run out. I didn’t know that back in the ’70s. I remember walking along the roadside and I’d see a big pile of spaghetti tape, where someone had thrown the tape out the car window. It was a big deal to be able to play a tape in your car, but they broke so easily.