stackyFACTS
Technology

Air conditioning was invented to keep paper straight

HERE’S THE INTERESTING PART

Human comfort was a complete afterthought in the quest for the perfect room temperature. The very first modern AC unit was engineered in 1902 strictly to fix a humidity problem at a printing plant in Brooklyn. The fluctuating moisture in the air was causing the paper to wrinkle and the ink to misalign. Willis Carrier just wanted straight magazine pages, but he accidentally revolutionized indoor living forever.

From the Stacky collection1 min read
Air conditioning was invented to keep paper straight
STACKY / Technology
Topics in this factAppliancesair conditioningHistory
One discovery leads to another.

Keep exploring facts in this topic.

Technology →
STACKY FOR IPHONE

A bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.

Keep discovering with Stacky. Interesting facts in an app that is always within reach.

Download on the App Store
ONE MORE DISCOVERY?

Keep exploring

All in this topic →
When toasting bread could burn down your kitchen
Technology

When toasting bread could burn down your kitchen

Before the pop-up mechanism was mercifully invented, browning bread was a high-stakes extreme sport. Early models featured entirely exposed glowing red…

Discover more
Why nylon stockings became black-market goods
Technology

Why nylon stockings became black-market goods

When nylon was introduced, it was hailed as a miracle fiber made from coal and air. But when World War II started, every ounce of it was redirected to make…

Discover more
The mysterious face on every CPR dummy
Technology

The mysterious face on every CPR dummy

Every time someone practices mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, they are making out with the ghost of a 19th-century Parisian tragedy. The face of the standard…

Discover more
The fictional rifle hidden in the name TASER
Technology

The fictional rifle hidden in the name TASER

Police shock devices are literally branded with adolescent literature nostalgia. The inventor, a NASA researcher, spent years trying to create a non-lethal…

Discover more
Why blue LEDs took decades to invent
Technology

Why blue LEDs took decades to invent

We conquered splitting the atom long before we could make a tiny blue lightbulb. While red and green variants existed for decades, blue ones required entirely…

Discover more
Phonographs meant solely for recording vocal dictation
Technology

Phonographs meant solely for recording vocal dictation

When Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, he was absolutely convinced it would be used strictly for serious, dignified office dictation. He actively fought…

Discover more
StackyMore discoveries in the app
Download on the App Store