Swiss engineer George de Mestral noticed burdock seeds had hundreds of microscopic hooks that easily caught on his dog's fur, sparking this biomimetic invention.

Early versions were made of bulky nylon that lacked elegance, so designers favored traditional zippers and buttons until space-age fashion became a trend.

In zero gravity, unsecured items could float away and damage equipment, so astronauts even placed patches inside their helmets to scratch their noses.

The system features two separate strips, where rigid nylon hooks catch onto a dense bed of tangled, flexible loops to create a strong but reversible bond.