10 things that we no longer use according to their original purpose
As the years go by and our needs change, there are some objects, however that remain the same, even if we do not use them in the same way anymore.
There are things, in fact, which it seems that we cannot do without and for which we have found methods of application far removed from the original ones.
Sometimes, it happens that the cleverness of an invention, in fact, is only fully revealed later, when someone uses it in a way to show its true perfection. Here are some curious examples.
The mystery of the blue part of this famous eraser
According to the company that first produced it, the "Pelikan's BR 40® eraser has a red part that erases graphite pencils and a blue part that erases ink, ballpoint pen, colored pencils and so on."
However today we think that this was a later discovery by drawing the symbol of a pen on the blue part, which was used only to erase pens, it took attention away from the fact that the red part often left stains on the page.
The jeans pocket
Pixabay.com/Public Domain Pictures
The original purpose behind the design of this tiny pocket was to accommodate pocket watches, which were the type of watches most used in the era when jeans were invented (1871). Today we resort to it only on a few occasions ...
The loop on the back of the men's shirts
The reason behind this detail on this shirt is as obvious as it is ignored. In fact, when a shirt was the most worn garment by factory workers, this ring was used to hang a shirt quickly, without the need for clothes hangers. Today it continues to be present on shirts but it is almost never used.
The beer coaster
As the German word "bierdeckel", which is a mixture of "beer' and "cover", reveals to us, this object was initially used to cover glasses of beer, not to be put under glasses or steins of beer. In fact, their purpose was to prevent insects or other objects from ending up inside a glass or stein of beer when people drank outdoors.
The invention of the Braille alphabet
Louis Braille is the man who invented the alphabet still used today by blind people, but did you know that it was not an original idea? Braille actually took inspiration from a secret communication system used by the French army to exchange messages during the night, when turning on a light could mean revealing their presence to the enemy. The military code was invented by an officer named Charles Barbier de La Serre.
The production of M&M'S® candies
These M&M'S® candies were produced in the USA and were created by the son of the man who invented the chocolate and caramel bar known as Mars, namely, Forrest Mars Jr.
The idea came to him after he found out that the British soldiers were crazy for the Smarties candies and therefore his target market was the US military. In fact, during the Second World War, M&M'S® were the candies most requested by US soldiers.
Use of tea
Flickr/Kristoffer Trolle (CC BY 2.0)
Before it became a common drink, tea was used exclusively as a medicine.
The curious story of the umbrella
The first uses of the umbrella were very different! In fact, in the East, an umbrella was used to protect people from the hot rays of the sun, not from the rain (and it still is!). While in Europe, an umbrella immediately served the purpose that we still attribute to it today. However, the person who first used an umbrella in London did not have an easy life! In fact, to protect oneself with such a curious object rather than with cloaks and hoods, was not only considered a sign of weakness (especially for men), but it was also not liked at all by those who drove carriages for hire because with the spread of the umbrella more and more people felt free to go around on foot!
The use of the hood
As mentioned above, a hood was once the only way to protect and cover the head in case of rain, but another important use was made of the hood by men of religion. In fact, the word derives from The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, whose members, by covering their head with a hood, achieved a symbolic effect of mystery and sense of spirituality.
The real purpose of the first Microsoft Windows games
Microsoft
Contrary to what we might think today, games like Solitaire, Lawn Flower, FreeCell, and others were made primarily to help those who purchased the first computers to become familiar with the keyboard, mouse, graphical user interface, and the general operating system.
