Useless solar cell machine may start improving batteries
Using a device, the ECN research center wanted to produce solar cells. The device could vaporize silicon onto solar cells, but unfortunately not with a density of the silicon that was high enough. As a result, the device lay gathering dust, until Christian Rood came across it and saw how useful the device could be for producing batteries.
Unlimited first class flying with the Unlimited AAirpass
In 1981, American Airlines introduced a pass that allowed unlimited first class flying around the world: the Unlimited AAirpass. It cost $250,000 and for an additional $150,000 you could take an extra passenger. The pass was discontinued after a few pass owners made a lot of use of their pass and the airline began to make huge losses.