Category Archives: Inventions

Stick, stick, stick, stick, and stick the stickers.

• Stickers are typically made from paper or thin plastic with one sticky side that is stuck on objects.
• Stickers have their history in revenue or tax stamps which were used as early as the mid 1700s to collect tax or other fees on certain items, to which they were adhered, and later on in postage stamps.
• In the United Kingdom in 1840, the first adhesive postage stamps in the world were used, which used a dry sticker formula that was moistened to stick the stamp to the item to be mailed.
• Early stickers were paper stuck with gum glue, and were also used to make objects, such as crates, more attractive in the late 1800s.
• The first modern stickers, known as self-adhesive labels, with a peel off backing, were made in 1935 by R Stanton Avery from Oklahoma, United States of America, who founded one of the biggest self-adhesive label companies, the Avery company which changed its name to the Avery Dennison Corporation in 1990.

• Children are often given stickers as rewards, and are common sticker users, using them to decorate items, or make sceneries or pictures with them.
• It is believed that bumper stickers were first made by Forest Gill, who was a printer, to advertise Rocky Mountain’s Rock City attraction.
• Stickers can be sparkly, smelly (scratch ‘n sniff), 3D, fabric, acrylic or plain.
• Stickers come in all shapes and sizes; they can be very large or very small, and are used for many different purposes, including labelling for identification purposes or for addressing mail; for marketing including signage and product labels; and hobbies like scrapbooking.
• Some stickers are laminated to keep their appearance looking good and make them more durable, especially for outdoor purposes.

Bibliography:
The History of Stickers, 2013, Sticker Palace, <http://www.stickerpalace.com/the-history-of-stickers/>

William N, Sticker Printing Facts, 2009, Articles Base, <http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/sticker-printing-facts-796411.html>

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Do you know 58,675,985 x 73,892,619? The calculator can calculate it for you.

• Calculators are used to calculate numerals and equations, typically in mathematics or business.
• The first mechanical calculator was invented by Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, when he was 19 in 1642, to help is father calculate mathematic sums.
• Calculators were originally gear driven wheels, but now they use a chip, typically a microchip, and some kind of energy source.
• The first handheld calculator was invented by Texas Instruments, an American company, in 1967, and were further developed in the early 1970s.
• School students are common users of calculators, using them to calculate difficult sums, although some say children are too dependent on the devices.

• Calculators are often powered with chemical or battery energy, solar energy or electrical energy.
• Scientific calculators are devices that are able to deal with more complicated calculations, having more mathematical symbols, and can hold more than one number at a time, compared to the original calculator.
• Abacuses were early types of calculators, aiding the person who was calculating, but in Western countries, electronic calculators are nearly always used.
• The display of numbers on a calculator are visible on an LCD (liquid-crystal display) screen, and are shown on the screen when a button is pressed.
• Types of calculators range from small pocket ones to large heavy duty ones that can print the calculations.

Bibliography:
Calculator, 2013, Encylcopedia.com, < http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/calculator.aspx#1>

Calculator, 2013, Wikipedia, < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculator>

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Black, red, blue and other ink.

• Ink is typically a liquid or paste that is used to mark an object, typically paper or other writing or drawing surfaces.
• Ink started being used around 2500 BC, most notably by the Chinese and Egyptians for writing purposes, and they used nearly the same formula.
• Originally, ink was made from ash or soot, a liquid such as water or oil, and animal gelatin.
• Ink is typically applied using a quill, brush or most commonly, a pen, however ink is also used in printing, with especially designed inks used for inkjet printers.
• To prevent blurry edges and so that the ink would adhere to his newly invented printing press, Johannes Gutenberg invented a special oil-based ink in the 1400s.

• Ink is often toxic if swallowed, depending on the material and pigments that the ink is made from, causing headaches, skin irritation and damage to one’s nervous system.
• Inks often use up precious non-renewable oils and heavy metals, which both have a negative impact on the environment.
• Inks come in different consistencies, such as thick or thin, watery or paste like, in powder or solid form, and in different colours, such as black, yellow, green, red or blue.
• Inks are normally made from dyes, pigments or chemicals, and always consist of a colourant and a vehicle or binder which holds or suspends the colourant.
• India Ink was first made in China, although some of the ingredients were usually sourced from India, and usually consisted of lampblack and animal glue and was formed into sticks that were then moistened for use.

Bibliography:
Bellis M, A Brief History of Writing Instruments, 2013, About.com, <http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa100197.htm>

Ink, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ink>

A Short History of Ink, 2013, Stinky Ink, <http://www.stinkyinkshop.co.uk/blog/a-short-history-of-ink/>