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Thursday 20 July 2023

Funny incident led to great invention



In the world of science, sometimes great inventions are born out of the most unexpected and amusing incidents. One such incident occurred in 1965 when a physicist named Spencer Silver was working at 3M, a company known for its innovative products. Silver was attempting to create a strong adhesive for use in aerospace applications when he accidentally created a weak and low-tack adhesive instead. This humorous mishap led to the invention of what we now know as Post-it Notes. Silver's serendipitous discovery occurred when he was attempting to develop a super strong adhesive, but ended up with one that had surprisingly weak sticking properties. As fate would have it, a few years later, another 3M employee named Arthur Fry was grappling with a problem of his own. Fry, an avid singer, was frustrated with his bookmarks constantly falling out of his hymn book during rehearsals. 



He remembered Silver's failed adhesive and saw an opportunity to solve his problem. Fry applied the weak adhesive to small slips of paper and used them as bookmarks. To his delight, the bookmarks stayed in place but could be easily removed without causing any damage to the pages. Realizing the potential of this accidental invention, Fry and Silver collaborated to further develop the product. They refined the adhesive and created a prototype of what would later become Post-it Notes. The invention of Post-it Notes may have been the result of a funny incident, but its impact has been nothing short of remarkable. Despite its origins in a comedic mishap, the invention of Post-it Notes has revolutionized the way we communicate and organize information. It has become an indispensable tool in offices, schools, and homes worldwide. From its humble beginnings as a solution to keeping bookmarks in place, Post-it Notes have evolved into a versatile and widely used tool for jotting down reminders, taking notes, and organizing thoughts.

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