Prompt Cast
The History and Development of Elastic Fabric
TLDR Elastic fabric, made from rubber or synthetic materials woven with another fabric, has a relatively recent history. It was originally used in underwear and has since revolutionized the textile industry, with spandex being the modern form of elastic fabric.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Elastic is a stretchy fabric made from rubber or synthetic materials woven with another fabric, and it is not as old as one might think.
05:10
Elastic waistbands are made with rubber or synthetic rubber, and they have been used in underwear for a fairly recent amount of time.
09:55
Union suits were originally invented for women in response to the corset craze, and they were so great that men started wearing them too.
15:00
Elastic is a type of fabric that is woven together with rubber and can be used in various applications, such as waistbands, bungee cords, socks, and shoes.
20:41
Rubber was discovered by sailors and explorers in Central and South America, who brought it back to Europe and found that it had a narrow range of temperatures in which it could be useful, leading to the development of rubber products like shoes and bottles.
25:34
Charles Goodyear became obsessed with cracking the rubber code and eventually discovered the vulcanization process, which was later reverse engineered by Thomas Hancock, leading to the development of elastic materials.
30:19
The introduction of vulcanization revolutionized the use of rubber and led to Brazil becoming one of the most important countries in the world, until British businessmen stole rubber tree seeds and shifted the global rubber market to Southeast Asia.
35:04
Synthetic rubber was developed during World War Two and has since become a versatile material that can be used in various applications, including textiles.
40:34
Spandex is considered the modern elastic and is found in about 80% of all clothing bought by Americans, including jeggings and pajama jeans, because it is a flexible polymer with a low glass transition temperature.
45:18
Elastics eventually lose their snapback due to oxidation, ozone, UV radiation, and extreme cold temperatures.
50:05
In this section, the hosts read an email from a listener and discuss new information about the DB Cooper case.
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Society & Culture
