Pen and sticky paper still a great analog productivity hack
Katyanna Quach Fri 14 May 2021 // 06:00 UTC Share
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Obit Spencer Silver, the co-creator of Post-it Notes found in offices all over the world – occasionally with passwords written on them – has died at the age of 80.
Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1941, Silver studied chemistry at Arizona State University, and then completed a PhD at the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1966.
He joined 3M not long after graduation and focused on experimenting with adhesives.
The turning point of his career arrived when he created a type of glue that was strong enough to bind to surfaces yet weak enough to peel off easily. The adhesive was robust, too, it could be repeatedly tacked to paper and removed without leaving any sticky residues or damaging the document. Not quite what he was hoping for – a glue strong enough for aircraft construction – but it had potential.
Post-it note co-inventor dies at 80 in St. Paul, Minnesota home
By FOX 9 Staff article
Spencer Silver, 80, died in his St. Paul, Minnesota home Saturday. He is credited with inventing the adhesive that lead to 3M s famed Post-it Notes. (3M)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The co-inventor of the Post-it Note died Saturday at his home in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Spencer Silver, 80, invented the adhesive that would later be an integral part of the popular 3M product, the company announced in a release Wednesday.
Silver made the breakthrough in 1968, discovering a formulation of adhesives that was strong enough to hold paper together but that could be removed and re-stuck again without damaging the paper.