Description
Book SynopsisPockets, matches, spectacles, postage stamps.
Whether it's the stitches that hold our clothes together or the syringes that deliver life-saving vaccines, small things really do make a big difference. Yet these modest but essential components of everyday life are often overlooked.
Science and comedy writer Helen Pilcher shares the unexpected stories of 50 humble innovations – from the accidental soldering of two bits of metal that created the pacemaker, to the eighteenth-century sea captain whose ingenious invention paved the way for the filming of Star Wars – and celebrates the joy of the small yet mighty.
Table of ContentsPigment • flint (firestarter) • sewing needle • fish-hook • gnomon • brick • stirrup • pencil • tin cans • postage stamp • ball bearings • mail order catalogue • paperclip • safety pin • safety match • spark plug • zip • credit card • Velcro • tampon • teabag • button • toilet paper • condom • deodorant • sliced bread • keys • Penicillin • Post-it notes • and more.
