Monday, Oct. 25, 2010
Breathalyzer
If you've ever gotten a DWI, thank — or don't thank — Rolla Harger, the American biochemist and toxicologist who invented the Drunk-o-Meter, which was first used in 1938 by law enforcement in Indiana. It could accurately measure blood alcohol, but it wasn't the most portable of devices and had to be recalibrated if it moved. Fellow Indiana University professor Robert F. Borkenstein's Breathalyzer came along in 1954 and was significantly more portable and practical. And no, putting a penny under your tongue will not allow you to pass a Breathalyzer test.