Patents
The Patents Behind Seven Classic Back-to-School Supplies
From backpacks to crayons, every piece of gear has an invention story
For 100 Years, KitchenAid Has Been the Stand-Up Brand of Stand Mixers
Even celebrity chef Julia Child said that the sleek appliance made mixing 'marvelous'
Mark Twain's Quest to Bring Affordable Watches to the Masses
At one time, he even invested in a watch company that launched a signature 'Mark Twain' pocket watch
This Device Can Hear You Talking to Yourself
AlterEgo could help people with communication or memory problems by broadcasting internal monologues
Thirty Years Ago, Game Boy Changed the Way America Played Video Games
Nintendo's handheld gaming system proved to be a huge success, thanks to its durability and battery life
Why Lie Detector Tests Can't Be Trusted
Federal agencies embraced the polygraph in the 1950s to reassure the public that they could unmask spies
The Most Irish Town in America Was Built on Seaweed
After discovering 'Irish moss' in coastal waters, Irish immigrants launched a booming mossing industry in Scituate, Massachusetts
The Scientist Behind Some of Our Favorite Junk Foods
William A. Mitchell invented Cool Whip, Pop Rocks, Tang and other 20th-century treats
How Scientists Are Using Eggshells to Grow New Bone
People with bones damaged by accidents, cancer or aging could one day benefit from bone grafts strengthened with chicken eggshells
Five Scientific Findings That Could Lead to New Inventions
From cat tongues to dandelions seeds, engineers often look in peculiar places for inspiration
When Twister Was Too Risqué for America
The hugely successful game, patented 50 years ago this week, had its critics at first
Researchers Develop Plant-Based, Eco-Friendly Method to Produce Tylenol
Current manufacturing processes rely on coal tar, which is produced using fossil fuels
From the Family Station Wagon to the Apollo Lunar Rover, My Dad's Engineering Talent Had No Limits
Stricken with polio as an adult, he retired from the military and joined NASA's ingenious design team
Seven Inventions for a Safer Fourth of July
From fireworks shields to seat belts, these inventions throughout history have made summer fun less risky
How Xerox's Intellectual Property Prevented Anyone From Copying Its Copiers
The company used patents and trademarks to develop a line of machines based on inventor Chester Carlson's 'electrophotography'
How the Escalator Forever Changed Our Sense of Space
Sure, the 19th-century invention transformed shopping. But it also revolutionized how we think about the built environment
The Voting Machine That Displayed Different Ballots Based on Your Sex
In an era of partial suffrage, these inventions helped women cast their votes
The Accidental Invention of the Super Soaker
A leak in a heat pump gave rocket scientist Lonnie Johnson the idea for his powerful squirt gun
How the Invention of Scotch Tape Led to a Revolution in How Companies Managed Employees
College dropout Richard Drew became an icon of 20th century innovation, inventing cellophane tape, masking tape and more
Engineers Built a Robotic Lionfish With an Energetic Bloodstream
The robo-fish pumps energy-packed liquid through vein-like tubes to move its fins and swim for hours
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