Leo Baekeland: The Innovator of Modern Plastics | Leo & Layla's History Adventures | PragerU Kids

What's going on, Leo? You seem a little down in the dumps. I'm just really nervous. In math class today, Miss Calder stopped in the middle of her lesson to tell us about her campaign to get rid of all the plastic on campus. Hmm, were the math problems about plastic? No, it's just because she thinks it's really important, and she wants us all to feel the same way. She really scared me. Well, I've heard that plastic does cause a lot of pollution. It's probably a good thing that she's trying to get rid of it, right? But if it's so bad for the environment, why is it in almost everything? And why was it invented in the first place? Good question. Let's use the History app to get to the bottom of this. Where are we? It looks like we're in a science lab. A science lab in someone's house? A home lab? I know what I'm asking Mom and Dad for Christmas. Wow, look at all this stuff. Some of these things look like they come from animals, and some look like plastic. Oh, thank goodness. It's just children. I'm used to all sorts of loud noises and explosions here in the lab. And now, who might you be? And what brings you here? My name is Leo, and this is my sister Layla. We've time traveled from the future. Well, light me up and call me a Bunsen burner. It's astounding to meet children who have time traveled faster than the speed of light. Leo, you say? My name is also Leo. Leo Baekeland, Belgian chemist and proud American at your service. Clearly, anyone whose name is Leo is always the shiniest speaker in the lab with the best sense of humor. Hey, Mr. Baekeland, I like to hear chemistry puns. Periodically. So sorry about my brother, Mr. Baekeland. He's full of corny jokes. Not to worry. I have so many chemistry jokes, but I'm afraid I won't get a good reaction. Good one, Mr. Baekeland. We actually came to learn about the origins of plastic. Well, you've come to the right place. Welcome to my home, Snug Rock, here in Yonkers, New York. This is where I made my discovery of the material of a thousand uses, which I've appropriately named Bakelite. Bakelite? Like Baekeland? You named it after yourself? Why not? What better way for both you and your invention to be remembered? I've got to invent something so I can name it after myself. Like a machine that does your homework for you. The Leonator. Okay, Leo. But Mr. Baekeland, what about plastic? Did you invent that? Actually, natural plastics have been around for a long time before I even came into the picture. People were using materials from plants and animals like tortoise shells, horns, and elephant tusks to make household items like combs, piano keys, and billiard balls. Natural plastic? I didn't even know that was a thing. How did that work? The word plastic actually means moldable in Greek. Horns from animals, for example, could be heated and then molded to create new things like eating utensils, combs, and medallions. But using animal products started to present a problem because some animals, like tortoises and elephants, were on the verge of extinction. Oh no. The poor animals. It seems cruel for people to take their shells and horns. Super selfish. Yes, Layla. Many agreed with you. So it was left up to the scientists to figure out a solution. The race was on to develop a material whose properties were similar without having to harm animals. And that's where you came in? Not quite. There were men who came before me who made major leaps in the development of plastic, like English chemist Alexander Parks and American inventor John Wesley Hyatt. Both of them made a hybrid plastic that used both natural materials as well as synthetic or man-made materials. Okay, that's definitely a step in the right direction. It sure was. But these substances were still using materials from nature. And some newer plastic substances, like celluloid, were extremely flammable, which is not a good thing. That's probably not good for business to sell a material that can blow up. And now here's where you come in? Yes, I was eager to join the plastics race. It was a very profitable business to get into, and I was up for the challenge. It all started when I was looking to invent a substitute for shellac. Shellac? Like the stuff my dad and I used on the wood of our treehouse? That's the stuff. Why would you need a substitute for that? Uh-oh, is it gross? Maybe. At the time, it was made from the shells of beetles. Ew, what? There was a shellac shortage, and I wanted to create a synthetic substitute that didn't come from beetles. Others before me had mixed two chemicals together, a preservative, formaldehyde, and a disinfectant, phenol, which formed a hard, gum-like substance. They all thought it was a useless material, but I kept experimenting by applying a tremendous amount of heat and pressure to my samples. Finally, in 1907, Bakelite was born. Fascinating. I thought so, and it was all unplanned, as most moments of genius are. The main difference between previous plastics and Bakelite is that it's purely synthetic. It holds its shape even when it's reheated, and it lasts for a long time. And that's the problem with plastic in general. It lasts too long. Yeah, my teacher wants to get rid of all the plastic at our school, since some of it just ends up in the trash. Trash? People are throwing away their belongings? Yep. The issue we're facing in the future, Mr. Bakelin, is that plastic is hard to break down. Scientists are working on ways to make that better, but so many people use plastic items like water bottles one time and then throw them away. Oh, dear. That was never the intention. We wanted to create a substance that didn't come from animals and that could be used to make desirable products that people valued and kept. But single-use plastic? What a waste! That makes sense. We should look for ways to reuse some of our items, but a lot of people are also up in arms about how plastic is made from fossil fuels. Right. Materials like oil and gas that come from plants and animals that died long ago are used to make plastics, and people are worried about running out of those natural resources. You mean to tell me people are upset about using dead plants and animals? Fossil fuels are cheap and plentiful, thank goodness. So we don't need to use living animals, and we can create items to improve the lives of everyone, not just the rich. Yeah, that is pretty good. My plastic bike helmet kept me safe the last time I had a bad fall. It's definitely better and cheaper than wearing a turtle shell on my head. Children, I think it's important for you to leave here today knowing the why behind the creation of plastics. Plastics were developed as a humane solution to a problem that was negatively affecting the natural world. Nature can only give us so much tusk, wood, horn, metal, and bone. But with the development of man-made materials, for the first time we didn't have to rely on the limited supply of nature and could work on helping the environment while also meeting people's needs. That sounds like a really good thing. I believe so. Secondly, plastics were created to make life more affordable for the average person. Before plastics, only the very rich could enjoy pricier items. Because they were so rare, they were very expensive. But with materials like Bakelite, items like these became more common and therefore less expensive and more attainable for everyone. Oh, supply and demand. All of this does seem fair for everyone. Plus, I can't imagine how messy my hair would be if I didn't have a good comb to style this slick hairdo. I don't think I've ever seen you comb your hair. Layla! See? The luxury of a comb isn't even a second thought for you. That's what we wanted. Plastics were developed to make everyday life easier. And they're just so versatile and can be used for pretty much anything, from telephones to car parts. I bet if you were to go home today, you would see many things you use are made of plastic. I never thought about how plastic makes modern life easier. I've only ever heard about the negatives of plastic without ever thinking about the reason it exists in the first place. Thanks for giving me new insight. Yeah, thank you, Mr. Bakelite. I definitely have some information I can share with my teacher about the benefits of plastic when used responsibly. Safe travels, children. And thank you for doing your research. Bye, Mr. Bakelite. Remember to be like a proton and stay positive. Oh, I'm going to have to steal that one. Did you finish your list? Not even close. Mr. Bakelite was right. There are too many things to even list that are made out of plastic just in our house. I'm almost out of pages. I can't even imagine what life would be like without plastic. And a lot of the items we do actually use for a long time, both at home and at school, just like Mr. Bakelite had intended. I know. I don't think Ms. Calder realizes how difficult school would be without plastic. I want to show her our list to maybe change her mind. But first, let's compare our findings. Me first. There's car parts, airplane parts, spaceship parts, TVs, shoes, medical equipment, DVDs, headphones, computer screens, shampoo bottles, food storage containers, sunglasses, pens, staplers, markers, marker caps, stools.