What was silly putty invented for

It can flow like a liquid when it is slowly stretched and will "melt" into a puddle over a long enough period of time, and so shows properties of non-newtonian liquids that can act as both a solid and a liquid. Slime is another toy with similar properties. The U. James Wright had a material that came close, but it easily melted and could not hold its shape, so it was not pursued any further.

A toy store owner, Ruth Fallgatter got access to the material and started carrying it in her toy shop. After she lost interest in the product, Peter Hodgson later took it over and started marketing it. Hodgson called it "Silly Putty" and began packaging it in plastic eggs as part of an Easter holiday promotion.

They asked their engineers to experiment with silicone to find this synthetic rubber. In , a General Electric engineer named James Wright added boric acid to silicone oil and ended up inventing what became Silly Putty. However, before it was Silly Putty, it was nothing. It had attracted the attention of a toy store owner named Ruth Fallgatter. She teamed up with a marketing consultant named Peter Hodgson to find a creative use for the putty. It was first marketed to adults and then became a toy for children.

The rest is history. The familiar Slinky. Richard James was a naval engineer with the US Navy. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance.

Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Jennifer Rosenberg. History Expert. One scientist, Dr. James Wright—the man who's most commonly credited for Silly Putty's invention—came close. In , the chemical engineer for General Electric added a bit of boric acid to silicon oil. He noticed that the compound polymerized to form a resilient, flexible material that was almost like rubber. A toy store owner named Ruth Fallgatter caught wind of the goo and decided to carry it in her New Haven, Conn.

Eventually, she lost interest in the product. However, a marketing consultant named Peter Hodgson was more than happy to take it off her hands. Spring was arriving, Hodgson needed a promotional hook, and what would sell a new toy better than a commercial holiday like Easter?