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Colored Bubbles!!
By nikkita | July 12, 2009
After 15 expensive years (ahem, $3 million), Tim Kehoe has invented the first colored bubble. Or bubbles. Better yet, Zubbles.
A lot of people “said that you just can’t color a bubble,” said Kehoe, “which is discouraging when that is exactly what you are trying to do.”
The use of bubbles for entertainment purposes was first recorded about 400 years ago. Today, bubbles are arguably the world’s most popular toy, with more than 200 million bottles of bubble solution sold annually.
The simple chemistry of bubbles — two layers of soap sandwiching a layer of water about a millionth of an inch thick — has foiled virtually every attempt to modify them. Bubbles that last a little longer or can be blown a little bigger have since been created, but adding color, what some toy manufactures have called the “holy grail” of toys, has remained frustratingly elusive.
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“I thought a washable bubble was a great idea,” said Kehoe. “But the kids (of a large focus group) were covered head to toe in red dye. It looked like a scene from Braveheart.”
Eventually Kehoe and his colleagues found the three different classes of dyes that produce intense, vibrant and uniform colors. Originally, it took three days to produce what would eventually become Zubbles, but now it takes about 30 minutes.
Once a bubble pops, the dye fades in 15 minutes on virtually every material imaginable: concrete, leather, nylon, cotton and paint. Even easily stained material like silk remain unstained 15 minutes after a Zubble touches them.
Zubbles are currently available in Presto Pink and Blazing Blue for $14.99. Stay tuned for even more colors!
By the way, if anyone is interested in funding my next project, a remake of Braveheart starring very young children, please let me know.
Topics: Kids, Toys | No Comments »
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