The Stories Of Unlucky Inventions And Unhappy Inventors
Many inventions have been of great use to the mankind and developed the science and technical progress considerably
. But the great inventions did not help the inventors themselves and didnt make them happy though they changed the whole world.
Gum
In the XVIII century rubber was introduced to Europeans. It was not considered a very useful material first since it would melt when it is hot and break into pieces when it is cold. Charles Nelson Goodyear studied the properties of rubber to create a new material. He wasted all the money he had on the chemical agents and rubber though he had already made huge debts by that time. He invented the technology of vulcanization by chance when he threw the mixture of rubber and sulfur into the oven. This invention was patented by other people, and Charles Goodyear died penniless.
Pressure-cooker
Denis Papin invented the pressure-cooker in 1679 and it has not changed much since that time. Denis Papin assisted many other researchers of that time. The pressure-cooker (or digester as the inventor called it) was his first attempt to make an invention of his own. Though the invention appeared to be a success, it was not popular. Denis Papin went to Germany where he continued his research of steam. He even succeeded to build the first steamboat but got ruined and died soon afterwards.
Cardan Shaft
Girolamo Cardano was the Italian medic and astrologist. His life was marked by many failures. He foretold the date of his death and was wrong, so he had to put it off. His children became criminals. He was accused of plagiarism in his studies of algebra and imprisoned for making the horoscope of Christ. But he managed to invent the mechanism which became the basis for gyroscope and cardan shaft which did not change much since that time.