The Futuristic Promise of Dippin' Dots

The ice cream's innovative freezers helped Pfizer keep COVID-19 vaccines stable during transit.

In truth, Dippin' Dots are neither space-age (they were invented in 1988) nor space-safe (click here for the skinny on what kind of ice cream astronauts actually eat). But many Americans nonetheless associate the "ice cream of the future" with Apollo-era optimism about the life-changing potential of new technology. Though they never caught on in the mass market, there is one way Dippin' Dots have delivered on their futuristic promise: The company's innovation of ultra-low-temperature freezers for transporting its ice cream pellets enabled it to consult with Pfizer on how to keep COVID-19 vaccines stable during transit.