Inventions
New Research Suggests Humans Invented String at Least 120,000 Years Ago
Marks found on ancient shells indicate that they were laced together to create necklaces
How the Ice Cream Truck Made Summer Cool
As innovations go, the Good Humor vehicle is as sweet as it gets
As Segway Retires, Its Inventor Gears Up to Grow Organs
Dean Kamen, inventor of the soon-to-be obsolete Segway, has assembled a team to mass-produce human organs for transplant
The Accidental Invention of the Slip ‘N Slide
A young boy's summer antics 60 years ago inspired his father to create the timeless backyard water toy
How a Polio Outbreak in Copenhagen Led to the Invention of the Ventilator
After one hospital struggled to sustain the breathing of hundreds of patients, engineers found a solution that saved lives and sparked an ethical firestorm
The Bottom Line About Bidets
Amid toilet paper shortages, many Americans are making the switch—but does all the fuss about bidets really hold water?
A Notorious 17th-Century Pirate, the Many Lives of the Louvre and Other New Books to Read
The seventh installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis
How Robots Are on the Front Lines in the Battle Against COVID-19
Helping health care workers treat patients and public safety officials contain the pandemic, these robots offer lessons for future disasters
Coffee's Dark History, the Sinking of the World's Most Glamorous Ship and Other New Books to Read
The third installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis
Why Scientists Created a 'Smart Toilet' That Recognizes Your Butt
The bidet-like suite of devices detects abnormalities in feces that could flag signs of certain cancers
Ten Surprising Facts About Everyday Household Objects
While COVID-19 has us homebound, it’s a good time to reflect on the peculiar histories of housewares we take for granted
The Long, Fraught History of the Bulletproof Vest
The question of bulletproofing vexed physicians and public figures for years, before pioneering inventors experimented with silk
Six Crazy Attempts to Geoengineer the Weather
These scientists and inventors set out to change the planet with these out-of-the-box ideas
How the Trampoline Came to Be
Inspired by circus performers, George Nissen created the bouncing ‘tumbling device’ that still captures imaginations 75 years later
A Vibrant Tour of America's Neon Signs
In his upcoming book ‘Neon Road Trip,’ photographer John Barnes captures a luminous part of advertising history
The History of the Hard Hat
With some canvas, leather, shelac and black paint, inventor Edward Bullard helped America usher in a new era of workplace safety
This Robotic Hand Stays Cool by Sweating
The robot is three times more efficient at sweating than the animal kingdom's best, humans and horses
The History of the StairMaster
The 1980s brought about America's gym obsession—and a machine that demands a notoriously grueling cardio workout
The Future of Antivenom May Involve Mini Lab-Grown Snake Glands
The antiquated technique used to produce antivenom requires injecting venom into horses and this new method may someday remove that step from the process
Australian Bushfires Reveal Hidden Sections of Ancient Aquaculture System
The eel-farming system of the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is older than both Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids
Page 7 of 27