Accidental inventions that changed the world

Velcro – George de Mestral

A dog invented velcro.

Alright, that’s something of an exaggeration, but a dog did play an instrumental role. Swiss engineer George de Mestral was out for a hunting trip with his pooch, and noticed the annoying tendency of burrs to stick to its fur (and his socks). Later, looking under a microscope, Mestral observed the tiny “hooks” that stuck burrs to fabrics and furs. Mestral experimented for years with a variety of textiles before arriving at the newly invented nylon — though it wasn’t until two decades later that NASA’s fondness for velcro popularized the tech.