Patents
The Patents Behind Toy Story's Beloved Characters
The Pixar series is full of classic toys, from the Slinky Dog to the Speak & Spell, that sprung from the minds of clever inventors
The Invention That Won World War II
Patented in 1944, the Higgins boat gave the Allies the advantage in amphibious assaults
Meet the Product Designer Who Made Mid-Century America Look Clean and Stylish
From refrigerators to cars to Air Force One, Raymond Loewy's distinctive "cleanlining" sold products
This 1950s Heart-Lung Machine Revolutionized Cardiac Surgery
Open-heart procedures evolved rapidly once Mayo Clinic surgeon John Kirklin made his improvements to an earlier invention
This Ink Is Made From Air Pollution
About 45 minutes of diesel car pollution reaps 30 milliliters of AIR-INK, now on display at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
These Glowing Plants Could One Day Light Our Homes
The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum gives us a glimpse into a world where we read by a natural greenish glow
How Nanoscale 'Signatures' Could Keep Counterfeit Parts Out of Military Equipment
Navy scientist Alison Smith will describe her novel authentication system at Smithsonian's Military Invention Day
How a Squid's Color-Changing Skin Inspired a New Material That Can Trap or Release Heat
The stretchy 'thermocomfort material' has potential energy-saving applications in buildings and wearables
Meet Marion Donovan, the Mother Who Invented a Precursor to the Disposable Diaper
The prolific inventor with 20 patents to her name developed the "Boater," a reusable, waterproof diaper cover in the late 1940s
A History of Cribs and Other Brilliant and Bizarre Inventions for Getting Babies to Sleep
Generations of parents have relied on contraptions, both clever and crazy, to give their infants—and themselves—some rest
How Origami Is Revolutionizing Industrial Design
Scientists and engineers are finding practical applications for the Japanese art form in space, medicine, robotics, architecture and more
A Brief History of Solar Panels
Inventors have been advancing solar technology for more than a century and a half, and improvements in efficiency and aesthetics keep on coming
The Motorized Scooter Boom That Hit a Century Before Dockless Scooters
Launched in 1915, the Autoped had wide appeal, with everyone from suffragettes to postmen giving it a try
Thank One of America's Most Prolific Inventors for the Hinged Plastic Easter Egg
Donald Weder holds some 1,400 U.S. patents for inventions, including the ubiquitous egg and a process for making plastic Easter grass
Inside Professor Nanayakkara’s Futuristic Augmented Human Lab
An engineer at the University of Auckland asks an important question: What can seamless human-computer interfaces do for humanity?
Temple Grandin's Pig-Stunning System Came to Her in a Vision
Patented 20 years ago, the invention never took off. But the renowned animal science professor still thinks its time may come
The Patents Behind Basketball
This March Madness consider how the sport has evolved in its 128-year history, through innovations in ball design, hoops and training devices
Meet the Female Inventor Behind Mass-Market Paper Bags
A self-taught engineer, Margaret Knight bagged a valuable patent, at a time when few women held intellectual property
The Original 'Dumbo' Story Would Have Had More Twists and Turns
Before soaring into theaters, Disney’s flying elephant was about to be published as a scrolling children’s book
The Madcap Chemists of Booze
At Lost Spirits Distillery in Los Angeles, high-tech instruments accelerate the aging process of precious whiskeys and rums
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