#10: Asbestos We Can Tell, Asbestos Is a Bad Idea
The problem with inventions that backfire is that they seem like a really good idea—up until the moment that they don’t. You can see why asbestos was such a popular building material for such a long time: it’s a great insulator and it’s fireproof. So of course it was used in loads of buildings.
provided by diynhacks.com
It was only in the 1970s that we realized that it causes cancer and lung problems. And by then, it was everywhere, and a lot of people had already been exposed. It’s estimated that 100,000 people die each year because of asbestos exposure.