Velcro was inspired by burdock burrs stuck to a dog's fur.
Why it is true
In 1941, after a walk with his dog, the Swiss engineer George de Mestral saw under a microscope that the burrs had tiny hooks that caught on loops. It took him years to reproduce the system in fabric, and he patented it in 1955. The name combines the French words 'velours' (velvet) and 'crochet' (hook).
Source: Velcro Companies
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