Accidental Inventions

I enjoyed this article on accidental inventions, most of which I had heard of, but not all. A few comments...

1) The #1 accidental invention, the microwave, was invented by a fellow native Mainer, Percy Spencer.

2) I wouldn't really call velcro an accidental invention. George de Mestral got the idea from walking his dog, but had to do a lot more work and experimentation to actually "invent" velcro.

3) I'm very surprised that Post-It Sticky Notes didn't make the list. In my opinion, it is probably the most well known story of accidental invention. The inventors were actually trying to make a strong adhesive when they instead created a reusable, pressure-sensitive adhesive. They found when applied to paper, it could be used to stick the paper to surfaces multiple times. I've heard that the yellow color was just a coincidence as well - a lab next door had a bunch of scrap yellow paper lying around.

The good news of all these stories is that stimulus for new ideas surrounds us every day. Seek out new information, but also observe the everyday opportunities and challenges around you. Who knows what you will discover!

New Television Series

We've gotten word that a new show about inventors is looking for people to showcase for a new television show for the Discovery Channel. This could be a great opportunity to get your invention in front of a national audience.

Sean McKnight of Half Yard Productions is looking for inventors, innovators, and idea men and women for a new primetime television series which will feature YOU, YOUR GREAT IDEA, and their hosts, EXPERT(S) FROM THE INVENTION COMMUNITY WHO WILL ASSESS YOUR WORK AND ENSURE YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT COURSE FOR SUCCESS!

Interested people please forward the following to inventorshow@gmail.com:

• your contact information (email and phone) 

• your location
• a recent photo and/or a link to recent video 

• short bio in one or two paragraphs (Who are you?, why are you passionate about your invention/inventing as a whole?, How would you describe your personality, how did you began inventing?),
• a description of your invention or idea (What’s great about it, are there problems with it that you can’t seem to figure out?).

Just be sure not to disclose proprietary information if you haven't pursued patent protection yet. Talk about the benefit, not the how...