Special by STEVE DOLBOW: Have you ever heard the term, “Necessity is the mother of invention”? Well, that isn’t always the case. Consider the Slinky, a marvelous toy which has stood the test of time and sold more than 300 million toys in the past 60 years.  The Slinky was born as a result of an accident in the engineering shop. Richard James, a naval engineer, was developing sensitive springs to keep fragile equipment steady on ships. Accidentally, he knocked one down from a shelf and to his amazement, watched it walk down the shelves rather than just hitting the ground. The slinky coils 80-feet of wire into a 2-inch stack — an amazing feat of engineering in 1943 and a joy to children around the world.

To learn more about the Eastern Shore Innovation Center please call Steve Dolbow at 410-228-0155 x 1275