In 1982, engineer Lonnie Johnson was testing a new heat pump in his bathroom when a blast of water shot across the room. While it was a total accident, Lonnie instantly saw the potential.   He sketched a prototype, refined it, and kept pushing (even after multiple toy companies said no).   In 1990, the Super Soaker launched. It would generate over $1 billion in sales and became one of the bestselling water guns in history!   What does this have to do with Match and Fable’s la

During World War II , Vesta Stoudt watched ammunition boxes rattle down the line at the Green River Ordnance Plant. Soldiers needed to open them fast, but the thin paper tabs snapped off too easily. “Someone should fix this,” her coworkers said. Vesta wiped her hands on her apron. Someone almost always meant, no one . So, she tried a stronger cloth tape and It worked. She showed supervisors and while they nodded, politely, they did nothing. That night, at her kitchen table

Abraham Lincoln was known for his calm, thoughtful demeanor, but he wasn’t naturally that way. He had a temper. And during the Civil War, he faced constant criticism and betrayal. So, he created a private ritual. Whenever someone infuriated him, be it a general who disobeyed orders, or a politician who attacked him, Lincoln would sit down and write a scathing letter. He’d pour out his frustration, line by line. Then he’d fold the paper neatly and write on the envelope: “Never

In the Chihuahuan Desert – one of the driest deserts on Earth lives a plant that seems to break the rules of biology – it’s called, the Resurrection Plant. When the desert heat strips away every drop of moisture, this small fern curls into a tight brown ball and appears completely dead. But it isn’t. Inside, its cells are in a state called desiccation tolerance – a kind of biological pause button.   Most plants would crumble when their cells lose water, but this one creates s

In the early 1800’s, there were two options for sending mail to California. The first option was via ship (taking months at sea to be delivered). The second option was considerably faster, only 25 days – via stagecoach!   In April 1860, three enterprising gentlemen recognized the need for a superior alternative. They called it – The Pony Express.   They organized a small army of horsemen and built a chain of 200 relief stations – spanning from Missouri to California. The hors

1981, my Grade 4 teacher, Mrs. Verticchio, announced we'd be making Rice Krispie Squares. The class erupted – nobody more than me. But when she said each student would need to contribute ingredients, my enthusiasm died instantly. As the son of immigrants, I dreaded asking my parents for money. So, while my classmates eagerly volunteered for Rice Krispies, marshmallows and butter, I avoided eye contact and sank into my chair. Too expensive! Then Mrs. Verticchio said we’d also

In Monroe, Washington, in 2008, former athlete Anthony Curcio masterminded an armoured car heist that seemed like it was from a Hollywood movie. His plan centered on distraction: he used a fake Craigslist ad to lure dozens of unsuspecting men, all dressed identically in yellow vests and masks, to the bank at the time of the robbery. These unwitting participants became his immediate distraction – a crowd of instant doppelgängers.   Curcio, dressed exactly the same, pepper-spr

On September 13, 1969, a Rock ‘n’ Roll tradition was born at a music festival held at Varsity Arena in Toronto. When festival host Kim Fowley heard John Lennon was nervously chain-smoking backstage, he came up with an idea to put John at ease. Stepping to the microphone to address the crowd he said, "Everyone get out your matches and lighters, please. In a minute I'm going to bring out John Lennon and Eric Clapton and when I do, I want you to light them and give them a huge

On June 2, 1925, the New York Yankees were on a five-game losing streak and their miserable record had them slotted in second-to-last...