Creativity

They say that necessity is the mother of invention, but I believe creativity is a close second. Open minds and the ability to think of objects in different ways have been responsible for a host of unusual inventions or useful improvements that have made our lives easier.

Take Teflon. It was invented by Roy Plunkett while he was trying to make a better refrigerator. He was experimenting with different gases and left them in a canister overnight. When he returned the next day, the gases had turned into a solid that now coated the walls of the canister. Instead of
throwing away the canister and continuing his work on the fridge, he and his assistant tried to figure out something to do with this new substance. Through trial and error, he found ways that the military could use it. After that, it was used in an assortment of commercial ways such as creating stain-repelling fabrics. But things didn’t stop there. A French engineer used Teflon to keep
his fishing lines from getting tangled. When his wife noticed, she realized it would be a useful coating for cookware. Thanks to these creative minds, Teflon continues to have a wide range of uses.

George De Mestral invented Velcro after becoming curious about the burrs that stuck to his dog’s fur while on their walks. He studied the little hooks and loops and how they stayed tangled in the fur, then created his own version.

Percy Spencer invented the microwave after noticing his chocolate bar started to melt while working with a magnetron used to power radar equipment.  

There are many more inventions that originated from mistakes, from corn flakes to silly putty. While most people would dismiss their mishaps and declare them a waste of time, the more creative types took those mistakes a step further and produced amazing results. So the next time you mess up, stop and see if there’s an invention in there somewhere. That little mistake might
just be the next great thing.

Comments

[Pat Morin]

I agree with you, Staci. Open minds and the ability to think of objects in different ways have led to new creations like you described. Some mishaps that didn't make sense evolved into new and useful inventions that do make sense. Or some inventors actually saw the same thing as everybody else, but thought of it differently--like Gutenberg who took the wine press and the die/punch and produced a printing press. I think the open mind is the key.