IP Review - Inside the world of intellectual property|
- FOR ARTICLES on:
- Patents
- Trademarks
- Domains
- Software
- IP strategy
Quick Links
Columnists
HAVE YOUR SAY in the ip review poll
Which type of magazine do you read the most to keep up-to-date with Industry news?
Who invented silly putty?
Notes & Quotes
Who invented silly putty?
The invention of Silly Putty was a side effect of America’s attempts to cope with the rubber shortage brought about the Japanese capture of producer-nations during World War Two. In 1943, James Wright, a Scottish engineer, was working at General Electric’s laboratory in New Haven, Connecticut to find a viable method of producing synthetic rubber. One day he mixed some silicon oil and boric acid in a test tube. When he removed the gooey substance that formed inside, Wright threw a lump to the floor and found that it bounced back up again. After circulating among chemists for a few years, Silly Putty was launched as a children’s novelty item in 1949. Since then, over 200 million plastic eggs-full of the stuff have been sold worldwide.
The invention of Silly Putty was a side effect of America’s attempts to cope with the rubber shortage brought about the Japanese capture of producer-nations during World War Two. In 1943, James Wright, a Scottish engineer, was working at General Electric’s laboratory in New Haven, Connecticut to find a viable method of producing synthetic rubber. One day he mixed some silicon oil and boric acid in a test tube. When he removed the gooey substance that formed inside, Wright threw a lump to the floor and found that it bounced back up again. After circulating among chemists for a few years, Silly Putty was launched as a children’s novelty item in 1949. Since then, over 200 million plastic eggs-full of the stuff have been sold worldwide.
