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November 25, 2005
Zubbles Story
The story of a struggling toy maker and his 11 year battle to solve what veteran toy manufactures said couldn't be done; make colored bubbles.
To summarize, Tim Kehoe had always been fascinated with bubbles. I mean who wasn't? There is something mystical about their transparent aloofness and yet their temporary existence makes them all the more magical. Most of us out-grow their novelty but Tim Kehoe saw a future in bubbles. He wanted to bring them to life and in full technicolor, but the laws of physics have made that next to impossible . . . or so they thought.
A bubble is basically surfactants (a material found in all soap) interacting with water to reduce surface tension. This allows the fluid to spread across a bubble without breaking. You would think all you have to do to add color is to add some dye or food coloring. Two major problems exist with both those methods. First, color dye and food coloring is heavier than water so instead of spreading evenly across the bubble, it just sits and collects at the bottom under the whim of gravity. Secondly, they leave nasty stains once the bubble pops.
So the question became, is it possible to create a colored bubble that doesn't stain or leave any mark at all. After 11 years of home experimentation, Tim Kehoe finally consulted a molecular chemist (very few of them in the world) from India and with half a million dollars, a dream, and some of the most challenging work they have ever embarked on, they finally figured out the holy grail of bubble making.
The same toy manufactures who at first shunned Tim, regarded him as a toy making mad man are know clamoring to carry his latest invention - "Zubbles". Due out just in time for the Holiday season, Zubbles are posed to make the world's best selling toy even better. They making beautiful vibrant colored bubbles that last longer and once popped, leave no stains on anything. The color simply disappears once it interacts with air.
There is something intricately hot and incredibly appealing about a 30+ year old man never giving up on his kid dreams. Make sure you read the full story here. It's inspiring and better than any lifetime channel movie. Believe dat!
Posted by tranism at 1:08 AM | Permalink
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