Buzz
Ink is one of those everyday elements we often overlook, yet before the advent of digital technology, it was essential. Apart from spoken language, ink served as the primary means for conveying ideas and recording history for centuries. Early inks were crafted from natural substances like plant dyes, burnt bones, and resins. Today, ink technology has advanced so significantly that some modified printers might soon print human organs.
10. Semen
Numerous eye-opening investigations have revealed how hotel rooms, which seem spotless, glow under black light, resembling the Milky Way. While bodily fluids like blood and urine are easy to spot due to their colors, semen remains white and often dries clear. You can likely imagine where this is heading.
The man credited with pioneering the use of semen as invisible ink was Sir George Mansfield Smith-Cumming, as if fate had a hand in it. He was the first director of the British Secret Service (MI6, the same agency that employs James Bond) and a wonderfully eccentric figure known for playing pranks on his colleagues, including pretending to stab his artificial leg. His fellow agents were so amused by his quirky new obsession that they adopted the motto “Every man his own stylo.” Eventually, however, the idea was abandoned. While the semen itself may have been invisible, it still emitted a scent, which defeated its intended purpose.
9. The Ridiculous Cost of Printer Ink
Ink itself is surprisingly cheap—one can purchase 60 ballpoint pens for only USD $10. According to the Bic website, each pen can write a line over 3 kilometers (2 miles) long. So why do printer companies get away with charging such an outrageous price for ink cartridges? Printer ink currently costs about USD $9,600 per gallon. At that price in the United States, you could buy over 2,500 gallons of gasoline. When questioned, companies like Hewlett Packard often point to the high costs of research, development, and quality control as reasons for the steep prices.
More than anything, the price of printer ink is linked to the industry's business model. Known as “freebie marketing,” this tactic involves selling one item at a minimal price to increase sales of a complementary product. In the case of printers, they are sold cheaply because the companies behind them know customers will constantly need to purchase ink. A similar strategy is used in the cell phone industry, where expensive gadgets are subsidized with two-year service contracts. Printer companies excel at maximizing their profits. Even those who rarely use their printers are forced to buy new cartridges, as they are designed to “expire” after a set period.
8. Lemon Juice
One popular science experiment for kids involves making invisible ink with lemon juice. The juice is squeezed into a bowl, mixed with a bit of water, and then applied to a piece of paper. After it dries, the message becomes invisible to the naked eye, but if you hold the paper near a light bulb, the hidden writing will appear.
This is the kind of playful trick that loses its charm after about the age of seven, but for McArthur Wheeler, this lesson didn't fade away even as an adult. In 1995, Wheeler robbed two banks in Pittsburgh. Unlike most criminals, he didn't wear a mask, convinced that lemon juice would make his face invisible to security cameras. To his surprise, but not to anyone else's, he was caught just hours later.
7. The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk, a towering green figure of unimaginable strength, is one of the most iconic characters in the world of comics. His first appearance was in "The Incredible Hulk #1" in May 1962. However, if you flip through that comic, you’ll find the Hulk is not green, but instead a dull grey. Co-creator Stan Lee explained that this choice of color was meant to avoid any racial associations. Despite this intention, there were challenges in maintaining the consistency of the grey tone, with the Hulk's color fluctuating from light to dark within just a few pages.
It was later decided to switch the Hulk's color to green, a shade of ink that could be more reliably controlled during printing. In future comics, the grey Hulk would be revisited as one of the character's 'schizophrenic personas.' Unlike the more chaotic and destructive green Hulk, the grey version was portrayed as more intelligent, but significantly less powerful.
6. Octopus Ink
Nearly all cephalopods—including octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish—are capable of releasing a jet of ink. This serves as a defense mechanism. When threatened by a predator, they discharge a dark cloud of pigment, which helps to confuse the predator long enough for the cephalopod to escape.
True to its name, this ink-like substance, primarily composed of melanin and mucus, has been used by humans for centuries. Some fine dining establishments even serve squid ink, often incorporated into pasta sauces. Its taste is described as slightly briny, with a hint of iodine. In recent years, cephalopod ink has been found to have medical benefits, including effectiveness in treating cancer.
5. The Consumer Product Safety Act
In a world where an enterprising eight-year-old can print a semi-automatic rifle from the comfort of home, the dangers of ink might seem insignificant. Yet, it's a surprisingly serious issue. In 2008, Congress enacted the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act to safeguard the public from potentially hazardous products. One key provision of the law banned the sale or lending of children's books printed before 1985 unless the ink had been tested for lead content.
Lead is toxic to humans, even in small quantities, and children are especially vulnerable. Unfortunately, testing older books for lead traces is not an affordable option. Each book costs around USD $300 to test, which has led many libraries and retailers to discard their older children's books.
4. Ashes
Some of the earliest inks were made from burnt bones and ash. While this practice has mostly fallen out of use, ashes occasionally find their way back into the printing process.
Mark Gruenwald joined Marvel Comics in 1978, and remained with the company for the rest of his life, contributing as a writer, artist, and editor for iconic titles like The Avengers, Captain America, and Thor. Gruenwald was known for his vibrant personality, often performing cartwheels in the office, playing practical jokes, and memorizing obscure Marvel trivia. He passed away from a heart attack on August 12, 1996, at the age of 42. Gruenwald had requested to be cremated and have his ashes mixed into the ink of a comic book. His unusual wish was fulfilled, with a part of him added to the ink of an issue of Squadron Supreme, a series he had worked on.
3. 3D Organs
The first 3D printers were created around 30 years ago, but it is only in recent years that this technology has progressed beyond a novelty. Today, 3D printers are in use worldwide and can manufacture almost anything. There are growing concerns that this technology will be used to create weapons, with working semiautomatic rifles already having been produced. Although the US Department of State has ordered these plans to be removed from the Internet, it is unlikely they can regulate the spread of such materials.
However, not all the news is grim. In the near future, 3D printers could be used to create life-saving materials such as skin for burn victims or even whole organs. A team at Wake Forest University, using cells in a modified ink cartridge, successfully grew a two-chambered mouse heart, which they stimulated to beat using electricity. Furthermore, there are ongoing projects aiming to grow entire human organs using your own stem cells. Mastering this technique could save thousands of lives each year, and eliminate the need for organ donors while nearly removing the risk of organ rejection, as the organ would be made from your own cells.
The current technology is far from perfect and requires significant advancements before it can produce viable human organs. While 3D printers can achieve accuracy within a few millimeters, they still lack the precision needed to replicate tiny blood vessels. Nevertheless, Organovo, a printing company based in San Diego, remains optimistic and has claimed that they will print the first viable human liver by 2014.
2. Blood
Blood is generally not an ideal ink. Not only is it painful to extract, but it also oxidizes and fades relatively quickly. However, this hasn’t stopped people from using it. Saddam Hussein, the deposed Iraqi dictator, was known to have had a copy of the Koran written in his own blood. Modern artists, such as Vincent Castiglia, Carina Úbeda, and Jordan Eagles, have also used blood as their medium of expression.
Blood has even been used as a marketing gimmick. In 1977, when Marvel Comics prepared to publish their first comic book featuring the rock band KISS, someone came up with the idea of incorporating the band members’ blood into the ink used for printing. A notary public was even present to verify this unusual process. This stunt was revived in 2006, when Lionsgate Films decided to use some of lead actor Tobin Bell’s blood to print movie posters for the horror film Saw III.
1. Termites
In our battle against these pests, we've gained significant insights into their behavior, which is largely governed by pheromones. For example, when termites locate food, they leave behind a pheromone trail to lead them back to it, much like the breadcrumbs in the story of Hansel and Gretel. Pest control specialists have leveraged this trait, using substances that replicate the effect of these pheromones. One such substance is the ink from an ordinary ballpoint pen.
In your moments of extreme boredom, if you're seeking some quirky fun, gather a few termites, place them on a sheet of paper, and draw a design. These little creatures will dutifully follow your markings, convinced they are heading towards a tasty treat.
If you're feeling like having a bit of bizarre fun, grab some termites, let them loose on a piece of notebook paper, and sketch out a pattern. The termites will follow your drawn path, thinking they're on a journey to find a meal.
