Progress often occurs where nobody expects it – sometimes it’s enough when children play. At least that’s what Lászlo Bíró once said, a Hungarian. Don’t you know the man? It doesn’t matter, but what he invented you’ve probably held in your hand at some point. Bíró observed children throwing marbles in the 1930s. If one rolled through a puddle, it left a trail. Bíró mused. Could he use the observation? He could. He invented the ballpoint pen. At the end of a lead is a small ball, and as it spins, it ejects ink paste from the lead onto paper. Writing without blots was born.
Access to all STERN PLUS content and articles from the print magazine
ad-free
Already registered?
