A Successful Failure
This Week's Trivia: The Post-It Note
Spencer Silver worked in the 3M research labs in 1970 trying to invent a strong adhesive, but invented a weak one instead. Although no one knew what purpose such a weak glue could serve, he didn't get rid of it.
Four years later, another man, Arthur Fry, got the bright idea to use the glue to make his bookmkarks stick to the page of his hymnal. The bits of paper were always falling out of the book and Silver's adhesive worked perfectly.
It wasn't until 1980 that 3M started selling Post-It Notes. Sometimes I think about office supplies and how simple they are. The paper clip. The staple. Tape. And I think, they've invented everything that we'll ever need. But then along comes something like the Post It note, which I can't live with out.
Spencer Silver worked in the 3M research labs in 1970 trying to invent a strong adhesive, but invented a weak one instead. Although no one knew what purpose such a weak glue could serve, he didn't get rid of it.
Four years later, another man, Arthur Fry, got the bright idea to use the glue to make his bookmkarks stick to the page of his hymnal. The bits of paper were always falling out of the book and Silver's adhesive worked perfectly.
It wasn't until 1980 that 3M started selling Post-It Notes. Sometimes I think about office supplies and how simple they are. The paper clip. The staple. Tape. And I think, they've invented everything that we'll ever need. But then along comes something like the Post It note, which I can't live with out.
posted by Kate Willoughby at 3/20/2006
2 Comments:
Kate, Kate, Kate ... I can almost see you browsing the aisles at Staples or Office Depot. Sometimes just going to get something at the store makes us wonder who invented what, why they aren't wealthy beyond anyone, and how come we didn't think of that!
Yeah. Unfortunately, I heard that these guys didn't get rich from that.
Browsing the aisles at Staples is one of my most favorite activities. I think Heaven better have an office supply store or I'll be in trouble.
That's assuming I go to Heaven. ;)
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