Ben Wilson

However, if you think about it, there's a chicken and egg problem. What about, you can start rolling this out, what about the old cars that don't have polarized windshields? They're just going to be getting blasted by these massive lights. And so despite some very earnest initial interest, nothing ever comes of the proposed partnership with car manufacturers.

Instead, what the car manufacturers decide to do is what we have now, which is a system of low beams and high beams, really bright lights, but also dimmer lights that you can turn on and off if you're passing a car. Land really thinks this is a subpar solution and is very disappointed with the car companies. He says to a group of employees, intelligent men in groups are, as a rule, stupid.

Instead, what the car manufacturers decide to do is what we have now, which is a system of low beams and high beams, really bright lights, but also dimmer lights that you can turn on and off if you're passing a car. Land really thinks this is a subpar solution and is very disappointed with the car companies. He says to a group of employees, intelligent men in groups are, as a rule, stupid.

And the very intelligent men in the automobile industry were fantastically and simply stupid.

And the very intelligent men in the automobile industry were fantastically and simply stupid.

individually you will find no brighter people i've sat with them they are delightful bright alert responsive share the same ideals that we do helpless to do anything decent in the group okay the same thing basically happens with 3d movies they actually do shoot some movies in 3d and they use polarized glasses to create 3d effects similar to a 3d movie today that that's what you have you know you throw on those goofy glasses

individually you will find no brighter people i've sat with them they are delightful bright alert responsive share the same ideals that we do helpless to do anything decent in the group okay the same thing basically happens with 3d movies they actually do shoot some movies in 3d and they use polarized glasses to create 3d effects similar to a 3d movie today that that's what you have you know you throw on those goofy glasses

Those are little polarized screens. If you went and saw Avatar or something like that, it's basically the same 3D technology they had all the way back in the 1940s and 50s. But there were just too many difficulties in getting the projectionists to show the films the right way. And so the idea is basically scrapped by the film companies.

Those are little polarized screens. If you went and saw Avatar or something like that, it's basically the same 3D technology they had all the way back in the 1940s and 50s. But there were just too many difficulties in getting the projectionists to show the films the right way. And so the idea is basically scrapped by the film companies.

At that point, Land vows that he's never going to allow himself to be middleman like this again. He wants to create a product that he can sell directly to consumers so he doesn't have to rely on these big corporations where he says, you know, you get these intelligent men that are stupid as a group. So the next evolution for Polaroid is something totally unexpected. And that is World War II.

At that point, Land vows that he's never going to allow himself to be middleman like this again. He wants to create a product that he can sell directly to consumers so he doesn't have to rely on these big corporations where he says, you know, you get these intelligent men that are stupid as a group. So the next evolution for Polaroid is something totally unexpected. And that is World War II.

Even before Pearl Harbor, Land sees what's coming and moves the company to wartime footing and starts manufacturing war equipment. He immediately starts experimenting with products that could be of use to the American military. An employee from this time says of Land, the man is a whirlwind. He has about three ideas a minute and about two of them managed to get tried and tested.

Even before Pearl Harbor, Land sees what's coming and moves the company to wartime footing and starts manufacturing war equipment. He immediately starts experimenting with products that could be of use to the American military. An employee from this time says of Land, the man is a whirlwind. He has about three ideas a minute and about two of them managed to get tried and tested.

Okay, so he's just brimming with all these ideas of stuff that might be helpful to the war effort. And many of them turn out to not be very helpful at all. They're kind of impractical. But many others do turn out to be very helpful. The biggest innovation are these goggles for anti-aircraft gunners.

Okay, so he's just brimming with all these ideas of stuff that might be helpful to the war effort. And many of them turn out to not be very helpful at all. They're kind of impractical. But many others do turn out to be very helpful. The biggest innovation are these goggles for anti-aircraft gunners.

So imagine you're on an anti-aircraft gun and you're trying to shoot down German planes flying over London. And you're blasting away when all of a sudden they fly right next to the sun. And now you're looking up and you're blinded and you have to stop shooting. And this actually was a major tactic for World War II pilots to attack with the sun behind you to blind your opponent.

So imagine you're on an anti-aircraft gun and you're trying to shoot down German planes flying over London. And you're blasting away when all of a sudden they fly right next to the sun. And now you're looking up and you're blinded and you have to stop shooting. And this actually was a major tactic for World War II pilots to attack with the sun behind you to blind your opponent.

Well, land comes up with these goggles that have adjustable polarization so that if you're shooting at a plane that is next to the sun, you can turn a knob, get polarization, and continue tracking the enemy aircraft right next to the sun. And so this is super helpful to the British during the Blitz and especially their anti-aircraft gunners.

Well, land comes up with these goggles that have adjustable polarization so that if you're shooting at a plane that is next to the sun, you can turn a knob, get polarization, and continue tracking the enemy aircraft right next to the sun. And so this is super helpful to the British during the Blitz and especially their anti-aircraft gunners.

And this is the kind of thing that is, you know, you'd expect that from land, right? He's working on polarization, polarized goggles, makes a lot of sense. But he's also working on stuff that you would not expect at all. He helps oversee the development of synthetic quinine, an important anti-malarial drug for troops fighting in tropical areas, and the development of heat homing bombs.