Even amateur chemists can come up with some pretty brilliant ideas.

Joe and Bob Switzer started developing what would be known as Day-Glo pigments after they graduated from UC Berkeley, mostly for use in magic acts. However, their invention found a more important use during World War II, marking the rooftops of Allied buildings and sparing them from overhead bombers.

After the war, the Switzers moved their pigments into the commercial market, founding the Day-Glo company in 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1985, Bob Switzer sold the company and founded the  Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation, which gives money for environmental science fellowships and research. Now, the Switzer’s one scientific discovery is breeding even more discoveries.

Check out what goes on inside Day-Glo’s factory walls.