This episode tells the surprising journey of Bubble Wrap, an invention that began as a failure and ended as a global necessity. In 1957, inventors Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes tried to create a futuristic textured wallpaper by sealing two shower curtains together and trapping air bubbles between them. The idea completely failed. Attempts to sell it as home insulation failed too.

But instead of giving up, the inventors founded Sealed Air and searched for a new purpose. Their breakthrough came when IBM needed a reliable way to protect its delicate 1401 computers during shipping. Bubble Wrap’s lightweight, shock-absorbing bubbles turned out to be the perfect solution. Once IBM began using it, companies worldwide recognized its power as a protective material.

Anothe ...