# What individual designed the most ubiquitous object

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-individual-designed-the-most-ubiquitous-object/853418>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 8, 2020, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-individual-designed-the-most-ubiquitous-object/853418 "2020-05-08T16:54:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-individual-designed-the-most-ubiquitous-object/853418/81 "2020-05-19T19:43:19Z")

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> [@Colibri](#):
>
> What use would a caveman have for a wheel?

To get from his cave in Natchez to his uncle’s cave in Mobile.

Obviously.

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**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-individual-designed-the-most-ubiquitous-object/853418/82 "2020-05-20T02:43:50Z")

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I would nominate lead from tetra ethyl lead as the most ubiquitous man made, easily recognizable object (albeit under a spectrometer) on earth with one inventor.

It’s so ubiquitous that for lead dating, you’ll have to go deep into the earth or rely on meteorites/

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**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-individual-designed-the-most-ubiquitous-object/853418/83 "2020-05-20T04:15:23Z")

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Philip Vaughan invented the ball bearing in 1794. Just about every moving object we use has them - whether we move it manually, or it moves by itself.

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**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-individual-designed-the-most-ubiquitous-object/853418/84 "2020-05-20T19:50:45Z")

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> [@Kiber](#):
>
> I’ll toss out another idea: [The Monobloc Chair.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monobloc_(chair)) Roughly 1 billion sold in Europe alone, and described as having achieved “cultural global ubiquity”.
> 
> Apparently based on an original design by D.C. Simpson.

I like that one. Some of the others suggested might well be more ubiquitous, but usually as _part_ of something else, and an item the vast majority of people will never see in their lifetimes, let alone every day.

Also now I know the name of that type of chair.

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**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-individual-designed-the-most-ubiquitous-object/853418/85 "2020-05-20T21:29:13Z")

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I can’t believe I still get to offer  
[King Camp Gillette](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_C._Gillette), inventor of the safety razor blade.

Or his mentor William Painter who invented the [Crown cork](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_cork)

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**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-individual-designed-the-most-ubiquitous-object/853418/86 "2020-05-20T21:40:58Z")

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I think the paper clip, invented by Johan Vaaler has to be in consideration, it’s an iconic design recognized the world over. Btw, great OP question.

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