Popular Gadgets
Plenty of crazy new things were invented during the seventies.
Including:
Including:
Lava Lamps
Edward Craven Walker got the idea for lava lamps while in a pub when he noticed a homemade egg timer made from a cocktail shaker filled with alien-looking liquids bubbling on a stove top. These cool looking lamps with weird liquids became a trend in the 1970s.
Post-It Notes
Art Fry was looking to make a bookmark that did not fall out when he came across colleague at 3M Spencer Silver's adhesive developed in 1968 that was strong enough to stick to surfaces, but left no residue after removal and could be repositioned. At first, Post-It Notes failed a test for consumer interest. Now, we use them for school, work, home, and for fun.
Waterbeds
For a design for his college class, Charles Hall invented the vinyl waterbed. Students were allowed to walk around and see the other students inventions, but once they saw Hall's, they stayed and played on the bed. After this, the craze for waterbeds went up. In the 1970s, everyone who was anyone had a waterbed.
Mood Rings
Invented Marvin Wernick, a jewelry designer, saw his physician friend use thermotropic (changing by temperature) tape on a child's forehead to measure her temperature. He put the thermotropic liquid in a glass shell and attached it to a ring so it can be worn on a finger and change color.
Pet Rocks
Gary Dahl thought up the idea while having a drink at a bar in Los Gatos, California. He hired two colleagues as investors and once his idea hit the market in time for Christmas in 1975, everyone wanted a pet rock.
Edward Craven Walker got the idea for lava lamps while in a pub when he noticed a homemade egg timer made from a cocktail shaker filled with alien-looking liquids bubbling on a stove top. These cool looking lamps with weird liquids became a trend in the 1970s.
Post-It Notes
Art Fry was looking to make a bookmark that did not fall out when he came across colleague at 3M Spencer Silver's adhesive developed in 1968 that was strong enough to stick to surfaces, but left no residue after removal and could be repositioned. At first, Post-It Notes failed a test for consumer interest. Now, we use them for school, work, home, and for fun.
Waterbeds
For a design for his college class, Charles Hall invented the vinyl waterbed. Students were allowed to walk around and see the other students inventions, but once they saw Hall's, they stayed and played on the bed. After this, the craze for waterbeds went up. In the 1970s, everyone who was anyone had a waterbed.
Mood Rings
Invented Marvin Wernick, a jewelry designer, saw his physician friend use thermotropic (changing by temperature) tape on a child's forehead to measure her temperature. He put the thermotropic liquid in a glass shell and attached it to a ring so it can be worn on a finger and change color.
Pet Rocks
Gary Dahl thought up the idea while having a drink at a bar in Los Gatos, California. He hired two colleagues as investors and once his idea hit the market in time for Christmas in 1975, everyone wanted a pet rock.