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The Genius of Everyday Things

By on February 7, 2013 in Inventions

Paperclip

82% of Americans say that they never leave home without their cellphones. 42% say that can’t live without them.

According to the Science Museum in London, that may seem true but it’s not. The cellphone hasn’t changed your life nearly as much as many mundane items you don’t even think about.

The ingenuity of a group of seemingly run-of-the-mill objects that we encounter everyday is highlighted in a new exhibition at the Science Museum.

Hidden Heroes – The Genius of Everyday Things examines the inspiration involved in items whose design and purpose are so well matched that they remain uncelebrated, but heavily used, in the fabric of our lives. The exhibition runs from through 5 June 2012.

Here’s their list:

  • ring binder
  • barcode
  • pencil
  • bubble wrap
  • paperclip
  • shipping container
  • snap fastener
  • egg box
  • preserving jar
  • rubber band
  • lightbulb
  • reflector
  • adhesive tape
  • coat hanger
  • Velcro
  • tin can
  • corkscrew
  • tissue
  • ballpoint pen
  • Lego
  • ear plug
  • Post-it Note
  • sticking plaster
  • zip
  • umbrella
  • baby’s dummy
  • six-pack carrier
  • safety match
  • tea bag
  • milk carton
  • clothes peg
  • folding ruler
  • condom
  • carabiner

The featured inventions are presented along-side original sketches and drawings by their inventors – illustrating the process from idea to final object. Patent specifications and original advertisements reveal the efforts made to establish each product. The exhibition also reflects the ways in which these objects continue to provide inspiration to others.

Photo by Fotana/ShutterStock.

via Davison Inventions Blog.

london museum uk

Business Opportunities Weblog editor and publisher Dane Carlson lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, just 15 miles from Yosemite National Park. He accidentally became a professional blogger in 2001. He has added 12,198 posts to the site.

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