TED-Ed
A brief history of plastic
2020 • E104 Sep 10, 2020 6m
For centuries, billiard balls were made of ivory from elephant tusks. But when excessive hunting caused elephant populations to decline, they began to look for alternatives. John Wesley Hyatt took up the challenge. In five years, he invented a new material called celluloid, which would become known as the first plastic. Trace the history of the material that ushered in the “plastics century.”
Directed by Sharon Colman.
Directed by Sharon Colman.