Opportunity Lost Forever: Make Sure This Isn’t You…
Life is precious, choose wisely how you spend it. Don't do this…
In the North East of England, there lived a man called Maurice Ward - he was an inventor, he liked to tinker in his garage.
Although he had no formal qualifications, he actually created something with the ability to help the world.
In 1985, inspired by an airplane disaster, where deaths occurred from smoke inhalation, before the airplane even took off, he set about inventing a plastic that could withstand heat to help ensure that would never happen.
And by all accounts he was successful and although no-one believed him starting out, tests were carried on national tv, with a blowtorch on an egg covered with Starlite for two minutes and it was still raw inside.
After this, every agency in the world wanted to buy Starlite from him.
Like NASA
And the British Ministry of Defence
Even Boeing, who you would have thought might have been top of his list, as it was a disaster on one of their planes that inspired the invention.
But the company according to Maurice was never the right one, who would do the right thing with his product.
Oh and that he wanted to retain 51% in the company meant that when he died in 2011, he took his formula to the grave…
Starlite could have had so many beneficial uses in the world, now we will never know.
And Maurice spent 40 years arguing about money.
Doesn’t that seem like such a waste to you?
What would you have done?
I think I’d have let Boeing have it and settled for a few million and travelled around the world in my final years.
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That’s a sad but enlightening story. It’s too bad that this happened, we could have benefited from this invention on a global level.
A few years ago I came up with a quote that this story reminds me of:
I believe we all have a story to tell, or even a single experience to share that will resonate with someone out there. And it is such a waste when these are lost by taking them to the grave.
It is possible someone has their hands on the formula somewhere. Before he died, he said that his family knew the formula, but no-one came forward, the conspiracy theory on this is that the government bought the formula after all and swore the family to secrecy.
That’s always possible. Perhaps many inventions like these will see the light of day one day. Humanity’s interest is not always in the best interest some people in the world.
I heard about this story before, but then I also heard from a conspiracy theorist that someone had stole a sample of his starlite.
He was very protective of it from the sounds of things, but plenty of conspiracy theories.
I'd never heard of Starlite before. Though I do understand the need to get what you feel you deserve, it's a shame that he let greed get in the way of the possibilities of use for the material.
It sure was.
What an interesting post. I am living in the northeast...and am an honorary Geordie ! I also love scientific articles, so this ticks both boxes.
I'm glad you liked it.
It is clear that he was a talented chemist. It makes me wonder why if he was so concerned about a company doing “the right thing with his product,” he didn’t open his own company. Aside from getting assurance that the right thing would be done with his product. He could have moved on and created solutions for other problems. His locked in mindset not only caused him to miss that opportunity but to lose out on others that would have crossed his path.
You are right, there was so much more potential there.
This is the opposite of what normally happens. We normally invent things and want to sell to the first buyer to make a bunch of money. in this case it was not like that. Just because you invent something doesnt mean you have to sell it to anyone. Or sell it to people that could do more harm than good with it.
Yes, I think in this case perhaps he cut off his nose despite his face. There were other ways and means of getting this product into right hands I think.
It is sad when this happens. I can understand as an inventor, one can wish to be properly compensated for their creation, or wish for their invention to be used for good and not have it be used to harm others. Still, it sucks that the world will never have use of his invention, could have changed many things.
It could have saved countless lives the way I see it.
Standing up for a cause can be good and wise, but it's also good to know when to say when for your sanity and practicality. Knowing how I feel inside allows me to separate myself from a lot of worldly issues that wear me out to debate to death.
You can't take it all aboard that is for sure.
Every body created in this world for a purpose, we created to benefited from each other, no body is wasted we all have a peculiar talent, majority don't know how to utilized it. Good content is interesting @hopehuggs.
I believe that also. We all have a purpose and a mission to discover and fulfil that purpose.
Very inspirational.. just shows if you have an idea to keep trying to get it out there no matter what.. i think i would have just traveled with the money too lived a less stressful life lol
It must have been really stressful.