There's a surprisingly awesome reason for the holes at the top of pen caps

Genius.

Sometimes, science is all about the mind-aching big picture. Like the idea that our Universe is just a giant hologram, or that we're on the brink of discovering a new particle that might break physics. Or that we might not actually have as much free will as we think...

Those are really exciting concepts. But then there are other times when you come across a day-to-day application of technology that's so simple and yet so important, it reminds you what all this innovation is about. Case in point: that ubiquitous little hole at the top of your BIC pen cap.

You've probably never given it much thought, or if you have, you've probably brushed it off as some random design feature that regulates air pressure or stops ink from drying out. But far from being a high-tech invention, it actually serves one simple yet ingenious purpose - reducing the risk of choking deaths.

Turns out it's not just us who love chewing on pen lids - a whole lot of people do it, and that can lead to lids getting accidentally swallowed and lodged in the wind pipe, with potentially fatal consequences.

By simply adding the hole to the top of the lid, pen company BIC increased air flow and the chance that people would still be able to breathe even if that happens - a design feature that, quite literally, saves lives.

Roughly 100 people die in the US each year from choking on pen lids, a number that used to be higher, Matt Payton from The Independent reports. Other pen manufacturers have followed suit and added holes to the top of their pens too, he adds.

Not impressed by that beautiful application of technology to our daily lives? Well how about that tiny "breather hole" in airplane windows, which has the important job of managing the tension that builds up between internal and external pressure of an aeroplane?