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From Pins To Paperclips

The unlikely origins of everyday objects

World Service,7 episodes

Episodes

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The Paper Clip
Who invented the paperclip and when?
22 Dec 1995,13 mins
The Modern Razor
How Victorian sword makers started making blades for shaving in times of peace
22 Dec 1995,13 mins
Computers
From Wilhelm Schickard's calculating clock in 1623 to the present day
12 Jan 1996,13 mins
Glass
The wonder of a substance that can be pressed like butter and blown like a bubble
17 Jan 1996,13 mins
Concealed Toilets
The complex technology behind the humble toilet
26 Jan 1996,13 mins
Hooks and Eyes
The invention of the zipper in the late 1800s and the Velcro fastener in the 1950s
02 Feb 1996,13 mins
Glue
History and science of glue from Ancient Egypt to the Post-it note
07 Feb 1996,13 mins