The DeTECHtive: An Investigation on How Past Inventions Can Inspire Future Technology
Rising start-ups often find at their core the presence of a past invention. This week, I found the direction of my investigative work leading towards the 'emerging tech' of yesteryear. Fascinating inventions, revolutionary entrepreneurs and notable risks are imprinted in the past. As the DeTECHtive, I made an executive decision to focus my investigation this week on an invention which changed our world. It is my hope that by sharing information about it, I will help inspire or encourage readers to think beyond current times, and strive to enhance upon old ideas to make a profound impact on our world.
Case #3
Subject: Bakelite (Invention Which Created an Industry for Start-Ups)
Founder: Leo Baekeland
Industry: Plastics
Look up from your computer screen for a moment. Let your eyes take in your surroundings—it doesn’t matter whether you are currently amidst a crowd of people or alone in an office or cozy park bench. There is no doubt in my mind that unless you are currently reading this week’s edition of the DeTECHtive’s case report in the middle of a beautiful expanse of wilderness, your eyes caught sight of something made of plastic. Look down at your computer's keyboard. Those neatly organized lines of keys were constructed by injecting plastic into distinctly structured molds.
In modern times, plastic has evolved into an ever-present material, which has ingrained itself in our culture, economy, and life. In the United States alone, the plastics industry significantly impacts the country’s economy as its third largest manufacturing industry. According to The Plastics Industry Trade Association, this specific industry each year generates over $380 billion in shipments. Now, who created this material that SO MANY start-ups depend upon? Was it an inventor with an entrepreneurial side, or a scientist whose work simply produced a tool that proved to become both iconic and crucial for innumerable start-ups since the birth of his creation?
Enter Bakelite. Or rather, if you are more comfortable with scientific terminology, it goes by the name polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride. For those readers who are also chemists, its chemical formula is a sight to behold: (C6H6O·CH2O)n.
This product of many names, the very first hard, synthetic plastic, was developed by a man by the name of Leo Baekeland. And what a man! As the DeTECHtive, let me tell you it was fascinating to investigate the individual whose idea had led to the birth of countless advances to humankind. A Belgian-immigrant to the United States, Baekeland started working on Bakelite after searching for a problem that would provide a challenge where he would have the greatest opportunity to quickly produce successful results. This ambition led to an incredibly consequential material used by society.
Clearly, the legacy of Bakelite has made a positive and profound impact on a global scale. However, it is also imperative to note that Baekeland’s invention led to significant ramifications since its inception. The reality is that heat-resistant plastic made up of synthetic components has its consequences. Despite its evolutionary clout on global innovation and technological advances, the quality of immense durability results in severe environmental implications. Plastic pollution is able to poison animals and deleteriously impact human food supplies. Additionally, it is known that both animals and people who are exposed to plasticizers (additives that increase the plasticity of a material) run the risk of experiencing developmental defects. The plastics industry has thus created an enormous harm not only to the environment, but to society and communities around the world.
And so, I close with two challenges. To all you entrepreneurs, aspiring change-makers, and determined innovators, correct the detrimental aspects present in the plastic industry. The next time you seek inspiration, study the history of past inventions and learn from them. Seek to create new technologies which benefit but do not cause harm to our environment. An unknown secret is that what has been done oftentimes can shape what is to come.
As TechDay’s Chief DeTECHtive, I conclude that the investigation of innovations from the past such as Leo Baekeland’s Bakelite is a valuable tool to utilize when one aspires to change the future.
I hope you enjoyed this week's unique case report, but hold your breath, because the DeTECHtive is working on an EXTREMELY exciting investigative report for next week--think big, think INTERNATIONAL...