Daily Survival Guide

Today in Survival History
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Dr. Roy Plunkett discovered the chemical compound that would ultimately be known and marketed as Teflon on this day in 1938. While working for DuPont Laboratories, Plunkett accidentally discovered the substance (its technical name is polytetrafluoroethylene) when the molecules he had been working with bonded in an unexpected way. The resultant material had many useful qualities because of its high melting point, inert nature, and ability to work as a lubricant. Today, it has an extensive list of uses, ranging from cookware lining to electronics coating. It is used to lubricate the stainless steel skeleton of the Statue of Liberty, and can be found on such ordinary objects as blister-preventing athletic socks.