Saturday, May 4, 2019

A "Note-able" Mistake...!

Did you ever stop and wonder just how many handy inventions came about by someone's mistake? I found several on Listverse and I wanted to share one with you.

Post-it Notes



Post-it Notes would have to be one of the most useful items of stationery. The sticky little squares of paper can be found in any home or office. We use them to bookmark pages, stick handy reminder notes to the fridge or computer, and leave phone messages.

Yet this common stationery item was developed by mistake. Dr. Spencer Silver was a chemist working for 3M in 1968. His research into a super-strong glue seemed to have failed when instead he came up with a very weak adhesive that would only stick things together for a short time. What good was that to anyone?

It wasn’t until 1973 that the worth of this new adhesive was recognized. Arthur Fry, one of Dr. Silver’s colleagues, began using this temporary glue to bookmark the pages in his hymnal.

By 1980, 3M was producing small squares of paper lined with a coating of glue along one edge. Today, we use more than 50 billion of these handy little sticky notes each year.

I don't even want to think about how many of these little notes I've used in my lifetime, but it would be a LOT!

Coffee inside this morning. Rain in the forecast.

7 comments:

Momlady said...

Me, too.

Rob said...

I never would have associated post-it notes (that has to be a trademarked name?) with superglue.

I'm at a friend's place in Georgia, she has a covered porch. This is great place for the morning coffee, the comics & blogs on the internet and a bite of breakfast. With the cover I can see my computer screen and be outdoors!

Enjoy your Saturday Mr Hermit!

HermitJim said...

Hey Momlady...
Guess we all have used our share.
Thanks for stopping by today!


Hey Rob...
Sounds like a good spot to me.
Thanks for coming by this morning!


Hey Mamahen...
Glad you found it so.
Many thanks for the visit today!

Dizzy-Dick said...

If you are going to make mistakes, make "happy mistakes". Who said that, was it Mr. Rodgers? I make lots of mistakes and some of them are not happy (grin). Over the years, I have used my share of those sticky note things.

Dizzy-Dick said...

Oh yes, Bob Ross was the one who made happy mistakes.

HermitJim said...

Hey Dizzy...
Good ol' Bob Ross! One of a kind, that's for sure.
Thanks for the visit today!

JO said...

I used plenty sticky notes working in an office and I still use them today.

Kitchen is fine.