In mid-1936 Reader’s Digest featured some wondrous inventions with the potential to revolutionize all our lives. What happened?
Hose-off fabrics
All types of textiles are rendered permanently water-repellent with a compound developed by Imperial Chemical Industries, England. Demonstrating the process, two girls in light summer frocks stood beneath a drenching showerbath, then stepped out, gave their frocks a twitch to dislodge lingering drops of water, and walked off perfectly dry. They spilled glasses of water and cups of tea on their clothes, upset drinks on sofas and tablecloths, and the liquids rolled off, leaving no mark. The effectiveness of Velan is not destroyed by laundering or cleaning.
Editor’s update: According to a 1950 patent application, Velan had a small drawback in practice: “… by its application the fibre is weakened in some unexplained manner; which weakness is very likely due to a considerable reduction in the elasticity of elongation, with the result, that the fibre becomes brittle.” In other words, your Velan dress would likely stay dry, but, sadly, it would also snap off when sat on.
Room-to-room communication
Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av Reader's Digest India.
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Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av Reader's Digest India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi
Pushpesh Pant, one of India’s pre-eminent food writers, is back with a comprehensive food history of the capital.
Who Wants Coffee?
It’s bitter—but beloved around the world
Prevent The Pain Of Shingles
You don't have to suffer, as long as you take two important steps
The Best And Worst Diets For Your Heart
Dozens of diets are touted as ‘best’, but it’s easy to lose track of the fact that healthy eating needs to be about overall wellness, not just weight loss.
ME & MY SHELF
Journalist Sopan Joshi has worked in a science and environment framework for nearly three decades. His book Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango (Aleph Book Company) synthesizes the sensory appeal of India's favourite fruit with its elaborate cultural roots and natural history. He writes in English and Hindi.
SWITCHED
In 1962, nurses at a small Canadian hospital sent home two women with the wrong babies. Then, 50 years later, their children discovered the shocking mistake.
ECHOES OF THE PAST
A VISIT TO THE ANCIENT BARABAR CAVES IN BIHAR REVEALS A SURPRISING CONNECTION TO A LITERARY CLASSIC
Fathers of the Bride
A young woman finds a unique way to honour the many men who helped her survive her childhood
Fiction's Foresight
British-Bangladeshi author Manzu Islam's works reveal startling parallels to recent political upheavals in Bangladesh, begging the question: Besides helping us make sense of our world, can stories also offer a glimpse into the future?
It Happens ONLY IN INDIA
The Divine Defence Picture this: A tractor in Rajasthan‘s Banswara district,a group of loan agents closing in to seize it and the defaulting farmer and his family standing by.
