It's the 1940s, the height of World War II, Rochester, New York.

時序來到四零年代，二次世界大戰正打得如火如荼，此時位在紐約的羅徹斯特市

A chemist by the name of Harry Coover is conducting research for Eastman Kodak.

名為哈利．庫弗的化學家正在為柯達公司進行研究

He and his team are looking for a clear plastic

庫弗與他的研究團隊正在尋找一種透明塑膠

to produce precision gunsights for the military.

能夠精確黏合軍事用的槍械瞄準器

They begin working with a family of chemicals called cyanoacrylates,

團隊開始研究氰基丙烯酸脂類的化學物質

but find, to their extreme annoyance,

結果出爐，最令團隊感到無比困擾的是

that the chemicals stick to everything permanently.

新的發明物竟然可以永久黏合在任何物品上

The cyanoacrylates are discarded.

於是氰基丙烯酸脂的運用遭排除在外

After the war, Coover is working at Kodak's chemical plant in Tennessee.

戰後，庫弗於田納西州的柯達化學廠工作

This time, he and his team are researching

這次，他的團隊要尋找

heat-resistant polymers for jet airplane canopies.

能夠應用在噴射機座艙罩的抗熱聚合體

They try cyanoacrylates, but find, to their great frustration,

他們試了氰基丙烯酸脂，但最後結果讓他們大失所望

that the chemicals stick to everything permanently.

這項化學物質永久黏合在任何物質上

Again, the cyanoacrylates are discarded.

氰基丙烯酸脂又再次遭到排除

Coover, however, in a moment of vision,

然而，此時庫弗靈機一動

realizes that the quality that makes these chemicals so infuriating to work with

發現項化學物質令人惱怒的特性

is exactly what makes them valuable.

剛好也是它的價值所在

He takes out a patent and begins marketing a super glue.

於是庫弗拿下氰基丙烯酸脂的專利，開始銷售強力膠

Years later during the Vietnam War,

在多年後的越戰時期

field medics find that using super glue on an open wound

戰地醫生發現將強力膠塗在開放性傷口上

instantly stops the bleeding,

可以立即止血

saving countless lives.

拯救無數條人命

Today, medical grade super glue is still used in surgery,

如今，醫療用強力膠仍在手術中廣泛使用

but it's also a nearly indispensable household item.

但強力膠同時也幾乎是家家戶戶不可或缺的物品