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Commodity Demand Drives Conservation Outcomes
- The 19th-century worry about disappearing elephants focused on ivory supply, not species preservation.
- Demand for ivory (for pool balls) drove innovation that later reduced that demand and saved other species.
The $10,000 Billiard Ball Challenge
- A New York pool table company offered $10,000 in 1863 for an alternative to ivory pool balls.
- Hyatt's prototypes often exploded or wobbled, yet his persistence produced a durable new material.
Hyatt's Late-Night Chemical Experiments
- John Wesley Hyatt experimented with chemicals in his apartment to make a workable billiard ball, annoying his landlady.
- His failures led to the invention of celluloid, which replaced ivory in many consumer items.