A Colorful Spin on Bubbles

No one could burst Tim Kehoe’s bubble. Even when experts said his idea would never work, he kept trying — for more than 15 years. Then in 2009, Tim made his dream a reality when Zubbles, the world’s first colored bubbles, finally came to market.

Zubbles are like high-def versions of the classic soap bubbles we all know and love. They contain a special dye that makes them vibrant pink or blue. The dye is nontoxic and non-staining, so if the bubbles pop on your shirt, the color will evaporate. That sounds like a simple concept — colored bubbles that don’t leave stains when they pop. But it took years of experimenting with bubbles, refining the dyes, and streamlining the manufacturing process to get to this point. (Popular Science recognized the significance of Tim’s creative chemistry by giving the groundbreaking colored bubbles its grand award for innovation in 2005.)

Throughout the years of experimentation, Tim made a living by designing toys, working for software companies, and writing. And his persistence paid off. Right around the time Zubbles started selling, Tim published his novel, The Unusual Mind of Vincent Shadow about a 11-year-old boy who dreamed of being a toy inventor. Both big debuts remind us how important it is to chase our dreams.

— Christopher