Ok, maybe I dreamed the entire episode, or maybe it was just some local wacko who got himself on TV. But I remember a guy on TV, about 10 or 12 years ago, showing off his own invention named, “Star Brite.” It was a white paste, which frankly looked like Snowy Laundry Flakes mixed with water. He claimed that it was the ultimate insulation, capable of withstanding ultra high temperatures, all the while remaining cool to the touch. I recall thinking, “This guy has mixed up some laundry soap, and now he’s trying to pass it off as science!” He made a small stir in the news for about a week and a half, and as quickly as he appeared, he was gone. His rapid departure from the public eye leads to one of two conclusions: 1) I was right, and the fraud made a quick exit to avoid further embarrassment. Or, 2) I was wrong, and the genius was quickly snatched up by the same government who doesn’t want you all to know that the solution to the world’s energy problems were solved forty years ago. Of course - I’m only speculating. Anyway, does this ring a bell for anyone else out there? Or is everyone afraid that the men in black are going to show up at their doors if they talk too much about NASA’s secret Space Shuttle tiles?
Old “government conspiracies are just too damn funny” Peculiar
I don’t see anything on Google for “Star Lite” insulation either.
StarLite.
Starlite.
Star-Lite.
“insulation raw egg Guinness”.
Nada.
Evidently you two guys are the last people left who remember this. Hey, you oughta get a government grant and do one of those “verbal history” projects. You could be on Oprah…
The page linked above, and the page it links to, do bring you up to a few years ago (mentions a 1997 meeting). Apparently the inventor was at that time negotiating a deal with a manufacturing firm, some unnamed governments were trying to replicate the product and he had made some protoype airplane parts; but his interests have wandered to harness racing.
I remember some TV appearances, including one on the BBC’s “Tomorrow’s World”. If my failing memory serves, one of the presenters smeared some nasty-looking bluish goop over his hand and then played a blowtorch on it. So, either the insulation worked, or BBC presenters really don’t have working nervous systems…
Ward was apparently quite paranoid about the formula being stolen, so much so that he wouldn’t disclose it to the patent office, or to anyone else who wouldn’t pay him a large amount of money up front. I remember people commenting at the time that he was just asking to lose the rights to the invention altogether; now that people knew it could be done, it would be reproduced independently sooner or later. Evidently, it’s going to be later…
The only thing I can add, is that the QED series (BBC TV) made a programme about him called “Plastic Fantastic” in 1994.
My brother will be very happy to hear this, as he remembered seeing the programme but no-one else he mentioned it to did. I thought he was imagining things. I often meant to search for this, but kept forgetting.
I often meant to search for this, but kept forgetting.