Silly Putty was accidentally invented by James Wright of General Electric when he dropped boric acid into silicone oil. He was looking for a substitute for artificial rubber. GE supplied the newly discovered dilatant compound to researchers around the world. None found a use for it, but they all loved playing with it.
How Silly Putty Was Invented
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Don’t forget to give equal credit to Earl Warrick of the newly formed Dow Corning Corp. He simultaneously discovered the same effect and went on to develop amazing advances in silicone chemistry.