Patents
A Detachable Airplane Cabin and Other Strange Aviation Ideas
A recently unveiled concept for a removable, parachute-equipped airplane cabin is only the latest in a long line of far-out designs
This Powerful Metal Glue Sets at Room Temperature
MesoGlue uses nanorod technology to fuse items together without heat, potentially replacing soldering
The Unceasing American Quest to Build a Better Mousetrap
There has always been some truth to the apocryphal Emerson quote
The Smithsonian’s Innovation Festival Demystifies the Invention Process
Inventors of a number of new technologies shared their stories at a two-day event at the National Museum of American History
Can You Guess the Invention Based on These Patent Illustrations?
Hint: They are all part of the National Museum of American History’s collection
The Smithsonian Spotlights American Invention at This Weekend’s Innovation Festival
Universities, federal agencies, companies and independent inventors will give visitors a glimpse of the future
The History of the Bar Code
Inventor Joe Woodland drew the first bar code in sand in Miami Beach, decades before technology could bring his vision to life
This Interactive Installation Rains a Poem Down on Viewers
Artists Camille Utterback and Romy Achituv wrote the software that drives an artwork, in which onlookers catch letters falling on a large screen
This Skateboard-Like Device Helps At-Risk Infants Learn to Crawl
An innovative physical therapy device boosts babies’ movement efforts and helps their brains make critical connections
Meet the 13-Year-Old Who Invented a Low-Cost Braille Printer
One California teen has a vision to make Braille materials more widely available—and more affordable
17 Inventions That Could Make Going Back to School a Little Bit Easier
From an aromatic alarm clock to a school bus locator system, these patented products could help students and parents with the transition
Teenage Inventor Alexis Lewis Thinks That Kids Have the Solutions to the World's Problems
With a patent to her name and more likely on the way, the 15-year-old has made it her mission to inspire young innovators
How Singer Won the Sewing Machine War
The Singer Sewing Machine changed the way America manufactured textiles, but the invention itself was less important than the company’s innovative business
Tracing the History of American Invention, From the Telegraph to the Apple I
More than 70 artifacts, from an artificial heart to an Etch A Sketch, grace the entryway to the American History Museum's new innovation wing
26 Inventions Mothers Can Appreciate
From an apparatus to birth a child with centrifugal force to a board game to teach driver safety, these product ideas have parents in mind
What is the Nine Millionth Patent?
The landmark announcement is part of the United States Patent and Trademark Office's celebration of the 225th anniversary of the Patent Act
14 Easter Inventions That Never Quite Took Off
This holiday take a look at these products, from egg coloring devices to tomb pendants
10 Victorian Inventions That Never Quite Took Off
Flops from a "knife and fork cleaner" to a "cholera belt" provide a curious look at life in 19th century England
The Smithsonian Celebrates American Invention at This Weekend's Innovation Festival
How do you bring an idea to life? The inventors of new technologies will share their stories at a two-day event at the National Air and Space Museum
Redskins' Trademark Cancelled by U.S. Patent Office and This Time, It May Hold up in Court
The agency ruled against the NFL team, saying the name was "disparaging to Native Americans," but an appeal is likely in the offing
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