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In 1965, chemist Stephanie Kwolek was working in a DuPont lab, hunting for a new material to reinforce tires. One day, she mixed a solution that came out cloudy and strange—unlike anything her team had seen. It was thin, didn’t behave like other polymers, and almost got thrown away. But when tested, this odd liquid spun into incredibly strong fibers. That “mistake” became Kevlar—a revolutionary synthetic fiber five times stronger than steel by weight. It’s heat-resistant, doesn’t rust, and is light enough to wear—making it ideal for bulletproof vests, military helmets, space suits, and cables. Thanks to Stephanie’s curiosity and persistence, her once-dismissed discovery has saved countless lives and reshaped materials science forever. In 1995, she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Sometimes, the greatest breakthroughs come from what looks like failure.