
The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong Santa's Secret Super Stories
Dec 2, 2025
Dive into whimsical tales featuring accidental discoveries and disastrous inventions! Learn about Perkin's serendipitous creation of mauve and its colorful impact. Critiques of ridiculous inventions, like the ill-fated parachute suit and the flawed flying car, reveal cautionary tales of ambition gone awry. Uncover the bizarre history of gold as a supposed cure-all, from toxic alchemical concoctions to the questionable gold ‘cure’ for alcoholism. Each story reveals how getting things wrong can illuminate the quirks of innovation!
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Perkin's Accidental Mauve
- William Henry Perkin accidentally created the first synthetic dye while trying to synthesize quinine at 18.
- His mauve dye democratized purple and transformed color production worldwide.
Color Reflects Social Power
- Tyrian purple's extreme rarity made it a universal symbol of power and divinity for millennia.
- Perkin's synthetic mauve broke that monopoly and reshaped cultural associations of color and wealth.
The Flying Tailor's Fatal Jump
- Franz Reichelt repeatedly tested a homemade parachute suit and ultimately jumped from the Eiffel Tower in 1912.
- The suit failed and Reichelt died in front of a crowd and cinematographers.









