Are there any practical uses for Silly Putty?
Everyone knows that Silly Putty is great at lifting comic strips from the newspaper 🙂 And in the past sixty-odd years, we’ve amassed a number of other surprisingly practical uses for Silly Putty: In 1968, Apollo astronauts took it into orbit to secure their tools in zero-gravity.
What was silly putty used for on Apollo 8?
In 1968, Apollo 8 astronauts took Silly Putty to lunar orbit with them in a specially crafted sterling-silver egg. It amused the bored crew, but the toy also had a practical purpose: It was used to hold down tools in zero gravity. 10.
Who was responsible for the invention of Silly Putty?
During World War II, the government asked chemists to search for a synthetic rubber substitute. One scientist, Dr. James Wright—the man who’s most commonly credited for Silly Putty’s invention—came close. In 1943, the chemical engineer for General Electric added a bit of boric acid to silicon oil.
👉 For more insights, check out this resource.
Where did the Crayola Silly Putty come from?
Binney & Smith—the Easton, Penn.-based company that invented the now-eponymous Crayola crayon—purchased Silly Putty a year after Hodgson’s death. (Today, the company goes by Crayola LLC.) The two products are manufactured in the same factory. 6. SILLY PUTTY IS A “LIQUID SOLID.” Drop a ball of Silly Putty and it bounces.
Everyone knows that Silly Putty is great at lifting comic strips from the newspaper 🙂 And in the past sixty-odd years, we’ve amassed a number of other surprisingly practical uses for Silly Putty: In 1968, Apollo astronauts took it into orbit to secure their tools in zero-gravity.
👉 Discover more in this in-depth guide.
In 1968, Apollo 8 astronauts took Silly Putty to lunar orbit with them in a specially crafted sterling-silver egg. It amused the bored crew, but the toy also had a practical purpose: It was used to hold down tools in zero gravity. 10.
During World War II, the government asked chemists to search for a synthetic rubber substitute. One scientist, Dr. James Wright—the man who’s most commonly credited for Silly Putty’s invention—came close. In 1943, the chemical engineer for General Electric added a bit of boric acid to silicon oil.
What makes silly putty bounce and flow like a liquid?
Silly Putty is a toy based on silicone polymers that have unusual physical properties. It bounces, but it breaks when given a sharp blow, and it can also flow like a liquid. It contains a viscoelastic liquid silicone, a type of non-Newtonian fluid, which makes it act as a viscous liquid over a long time period…
