Too sticky for the jobSourced
A damaged instrument helped reveal an adhesive
A material examined by Harry Coover’s team was rejected as too sticky for another purpose. In 1951, a chemist glued an expensive measuring instrument together, helping Coover recognize its value as an adhesive. It reached the market in 1958. A troublesome property suited a different job.
The same stickiness could be failure or function.
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Harry Coover · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-05