Traffic SignalA manually-controlled gas-powered light-switch on London Bridge was the first traffic signal. It was never popular and, in 1869, exploded and hurt the policeman controlling the switch. Subsequently, there were countless versions of semaphore lights to control traffic. None gained commercial acceptance. Morgan, who invented the gas mask, also invented and patented the modern traffic … Continue reading "Traffic Signal"
RadarThe origin of Radar is secret. Even after commercialization, the inventors remained in the shadows, secret warriors who enabled the Allies to shoot down the Nazi Lufthansa with eerie precision. Consequently, it was as if the Allies could project through the clouds exactly where the planes were. Of course, that would be impossible… Specifically, Watt … Continue reading "Radar"
Oil DrillDrake’s oil drill is one of the stranger stories, in a collection of innovation origin stories where strange is common. The oil drill vastly lowered the cost and increased the efficiency of collecting oil. Before the drill, oil was usually collected in naturally formed pools at the ground surface. Most early oil was distilled into … Continue reading "Oil Drill"
BarbieIn 1945, Harold “Matt” Matson and Elliot Handler created a garage-based manufacturing business. They named it by combining their first names, Mattel. First, they manufactured picture frames. Using the leftover pieces of wood, Elliot built dollhouses that sold well. Soon, Matson dropped out of the business leaving it solely owned by Handler and his wife, … Continue reading "Barbie"
Niche MarketingWalker, daughter of freed slaves, is the first self-made millionaire woman and the first self-made millionaire African American (maybe – tax returns suggest it was $600K but she did very well for herself). She invented beauty products for Black people. Walker was born in a sharecropper’s cabin. She is orphaned at seven. A freelance launderer, … Continue reading "Niche Marketing"
PagerEnhanced productivity and reduced risk for high-risk decisions (most early users were physicians and technicians). Pagers predated mobile phones, unlimited email Blackberry’s, and smartphones as an always-connected solution. Early pagers merely sent a phone number for the recipient to call. Pagers enhanced productivity and reduced risk for high-risk decisions. Most early users were physicians and … Continue reading "Pager"
Public-Key Cryptography (Public key encryption)Public Key Cryptography (PKC) dramatically lowers the risk of information intercept and also lowers the risk of impersonation. PKC vastly increases security. For example, Google allows people to send queries to them encrypted. But they cannot decrypt the queries sent by others with what they give you, only Google can. Besides encrypting and decrypting, public … Continue reading "Public-Key Cryptography (Public key encryption)"
Paid Cable Television ChannelsBackground Charles Dolan was a cable TV pioneer who received a license to build a cable television system in lower Manhattan. Due to New York City restrictions, cables needed to run underground, vastly increasing the cost of the infrastructure. New Yorkers lacked enthusiasm. By 1971, Dolan only had 400 subscribers. To increase sales, Dolan eventually … Continue reading "Paid Cable Television Channels"
Refrigerated Trucks1939 Frederick Jones Refrigerated trucks, invented by Frederick Jones, enable modern commerce. Jones is somewhat of an innowiki aberration in that he 1) invented something useful with enormous impact, 2) successfully commercialized it, 3) managed to keep the business and build it out, and 4) was a minority. We’d like to have a long list … Continue reading "Refrigerated Trucks"
Digital CameraIn 1975, Kodak employee Steven Sasson invented and patented the digital camera in 1975. Sasson’s camera used a CCD to capture 100×100 pixels and stored those on a cassette tape. He chose to store 30 photos per cassette due not to technical limitations but because Kodak sold film in 24 and 36 exposure rolls. Kodak … Continue reading "Digital Camera"
AutomobileIt’s difficult, and arguably pointless, to separate the innovation of the automobile and Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). The use of an ICE for a “horseless carriage” was so obvious that early engines were all used for cars. Engine propelled buggies were, by far, the most popular use case though ICE’s also powered other applications. Early … Continue reading "Automobile"
Nuclear Aircraft CarrierNuclear aircraft carriers are enormous ships capable of traveling the world indefinitely. Indeed, the ships feature relatively large flight-decks capable of launching and landing fixed-wing aircraft, typically fighters. At 1,123 ft. (342 m.) the USS Enterprise is an enormous ship. In contrast, only oil supertankers are larger. The Enterprise supported 4,600 service members. First launched … Continue reading "Nuclear Aircraft Carrier"
Electric Arc FurnaceElectric arc furnaces are giant pots that melt steel. They enable the recycling of scrap steel. Recycled steel both costs far less than creating steel from raw materials and has a lower environmental impact. The process involves three-phase electrodes which create an arc that reaches about 3000°C (5400°F). Frenchman Paul Héroult (co-inventor of aluminum smelting) … Continue reading "Electric Arc Furnace"
Metric SystemThe metric system standardized weights and measures enabling trade and improving communication. Before the metric system, every country and also countless regions, used different forms of measurement. This vastly complicated international trade. Metric The metric system derives from the natural world and uses a decimal counting system for simplicity. Length derives from the meter, a … Continue reading "Metric System"
DialysisDialysis machines do the work of kidneys, cleaning the blood of impurities. After two years of experimentation on terminal patients, 15 who died, Kolff successfully kept a woman suffering renal failure alive with his “artificial kidney” dialysis machine. After WWII he donated the machines to hospitals around the world then immigrated to the US in … Continue reading "Dialysis"
