Saturday, September 12, 2026

Question: In 1982, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer was tinkering with an eco-friendly heat pump at home when a powerful jet of water gave him an idea. What blockbuster toy did it inspire?

Answer: The Super Soaker. Lonnie Johnson was experimenting with a high-pressure nozzle attached to his bathroom sink when the powerful stream inspired the toy. Johnson, who worked on NASA’s Galileo mission to Jupiter, spent years developing the idea into the high-powered water gun that became a huge hit.