Who Knew?

Oops, IOU? How the World's First Modern Credit Card Was Invented.
Innovation Now

Oops, IOU? How the World's First Modern Credit Card Was Invented.

The scrappy entrepreneur who created the credit card, as legend has it, might have experienced an embarrassing situation that led to inspiration.
Kim Lachance Shandrow | 5 min read
How an Industrial Oops Led This Gunk to Become a Stretchy Smash-Hit Toy

How an Industrial Oops Led This Gunk to Become a Stretchy Smash-Hit Toy

The surprising story of how Silly Putty accidentally sprang from a wartime dilemma.
Kim Lachance Shandrow | 6 min read
The Greasy, Glamorous Rise of Mascara

The Greasy, Glamorous Rise of Mascara

You won't believe the grimy gunk people used to smear on their eyelashes -- and still do.
Kim Lachance Shandrow | 5 min read
The Fasten-ating History of the Humble Zipper

The Fasten-ating History of the Humble Zipper

In which we unzip the up-and-down origins of the little mechanical wonder that keeps your pants from falling down.
Kim Lachance Shandrow | 5 min read