10 Things You Didn’t Know About Modern Inventions
Did you know that the Super Soaker was invented by a nuclear engineer from PVC pipe and a Coke bottle? The inventor sprayed his fellow coworkers before being introduced to Hasbro. I have found 10 more facts that you may not know about some of your favorite inventions!
Bagpipes were not invented in Scotland
People just assume since the Scottish continue to wear their kilts and play the bagpipes that they must have invented them too. Not so. They were actually invented in Persia and were comprised of reeds stuck into a goatskin bag. As civilization spread throughout the Middle East, so did their music.
The guy who voiced Mr. Owl was brilliant
You wouldn't think that the guy that counted to three and bit into the Tootsie Pop would be that bright. Turns out his name is Paul Winchell and he built the prototype for the artificial heart. Of course he was being given advice and input from Henry Heimlich (the guy that invented the Heimlich Maneuver for choking).
Crikey! The boomerang didn't originate in Australia
Anytime you think of a boomerang, you put on your best Crocodile Dundee accent and start trying to talk like our friends down under because we automatically think that the boomerang came from the Aborigines. The first one was actually found in Poland made from a mammoth's tusk and dated to around 30,000 years old. The one from Australia are only 10,000 years old.
Play-Doh was not invented as a toy
It was a product dreamed up by Joe McVicker to be a wallpaper cleaner. Because it was so similar to modeling clay but non-toxic, Mr. McVicker became a millionaire before his 27th birthday once he decided it would make a better toy.
Isaac Newton invented the doggy door
Yes, the man that brought us the laws of motion also invented the doggy door. However, it was invented for his cats. I guess when you are busy thinking, you don't have time to let the cat in and out.
The pinata did not come from Mexico
Marco Polo actually discovered them in China and spread them throughout the world. They were actually burned in China and people would use the ashes for good luck throughout the year. The candy sure makes these much more fun!
A Dentist invented the cotton candy machine
Obviously William Morrison was looking to drum up a bit more business for himself when he put this machine together to spin sugar into the webs we enjoy at every fair, festival or circus that rolls through!
The Big Bang Theory was actually invented by a priest
It does sound crazy that a Catholic priest would come up with this since it goes against everything Christians believe in how we came about. But Georges Lemaitre was the first to suggest that all matter was once condensed into one place before it expanded - thus the Big Bang Theory.
The Rubik's Cube was not supposed to be a toy
Another invention that didn't start out as a toy. It actually started out as a teaching tool to help Erno Rubik teach his students about 3-D objects. The actual purpose of these contraptions was to solve the structural problem of moving the parts independently without the entire thing falling apart. Once he scrambled the puzzle the first time, he realized it could be a money maker!
The first smart phone was not an iPhone
It was actually invented in 1993 by IBM. It was called the Simon and was a mobile phone, pager, PDA and fax machine all in one. Now our phones do everything BUT make a phone call!