This plunger’s been on a high seas adventure. Suspended over the water at the end of a long pole held by a scientist in a small boat, this plunger was meant to gently attach to the side of a whale. This plunger had actually been converted to transmit information about the whale’s heart to the scientists on the boat.

Real-time recordings of heart activity had never been recorded for a whale in the wild. Doing so, these scientists believed, would help paint a more complete picture of how mammalian hearts behaved, including human hearts. The plunger, however, failed to stick to the whale’s side. The whale’s skin was too rough for the plunger, so the scientists were unable to accomplish their goal.

But while this invention failed, it still speaks to the creative innovation that sometimes leads to breakthroughs. Taking inspiration from common household items can offer different perspectives to unsolved problems.

Maker: Earl Bakken

Date of Creation: 1989