Supertall SkyscraperBuildings higher than 300 meters (984 ft.) are supertall skyscrapers. During the late 1920s there was an unofficial competition to see who could build the tallest building in New York City. Background In 1913, the Woolworth Building was the highest in New York City, at 792 feet. New York architects William Van Alen and Craig … Continue reading "Supertall Skyscraper"
Adding MachineBlaise Pascal was a French mathematician who lived in the 1600s. He is most known for his work in geometry and statistics but is included here for building the first non-abacus adding machine. Going back briefly, the abacus dates back to at least 300BC. Our earliest cutoff date for innovations is the printing press or … Continue reading "Adding Machine"
SonographySonography is the process of using sound waves as an imaging device, typically for medical purposes. Background Indeed, the principles of sonography come from the natural world. For example, bats and whales are mammals that use sound waves for navigation. In 1794, after performing medical studies on bats, Lazzaro Spallanzani gained a basic understanding of … Continue reading "Sonography"
Voice Over IP (VOIP)Voice Over IP (VOIP) transmits voice calls over the internet, allowing people to speak to one another. Invented in 1995, VOIP came about after countless seemingly more complex inventions including web-based video. Interestingly, the likely reason for the late invention date is incentives. Businesses believed that the internet would work well for broadcasting, displacing other … Continue reading "Voice Over IP (VOIP)"
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)MEMS are literally microscopic-machines. The best-known MEMS are the accelerometers that have become ubiquitous in smartphones, allowing precise tracking of movement on the X, Y, and Z-axis. Significantly, MEMS are the reason your phone can sense movement. Additionally, other MEMS devices include miniature microphones, projectors, cameras, and countless others. MEMS were first proposed in 1959 … Continue reading "Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)"
SCUBAEarly bell suits that contained air hoses allowed people to function underwater. These bell diving suits were heavy and dangerous. Later systems relied upon compressed air and regulators, yet these were still large and impractical. In 1942 Nazi-occupied France, Frenchmen Cousteau and Gagnan invented the first practical underwater breathing apparatus, Aqua-Lung. In their system, called … Continue reading "SCUBA"
MotorcycleAfter engineering a buggy that runs on four wheels it didn’t take long to realize a motorized bicycle would work well. Motorcycles are more efficient than cars: they use less fuel and take less space. However, they’re more dangerous than cars, offering far less protection in the event of a crash. They’re also fun. In … Continue reading "Motorcycle"
NylonNylon is a popular low-cost high-strength silk alternative. It vastly lowered the cost of producing silk-like fabric. Carothers started undergraduate school, at Tarkio College in Missouri, as an English major but switched to chemistry due to an influential professor. He excelled, working as an instructor during his undergraduate years. He went on to earn a … Continue reading "Nylon"
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"
MicrocomputerThe first microcomputer, the Altair 8800, was like a French bulldog. That is, it was ugly, expensive, and not all that bright, but people loved it. The Altair didn’t even have a display, just LED’s that lit up. Most significantly, it served as the inspiration for a small number of future computer entrepreneurs. The cover … Continue reading "Microcomputer"
CellucottonCellucotton is the raw material used to make bandages, tissues, sanitary napkins, and tampons. In 1886, Johnson & Johnson introduced predecessor product “Lister’s Towels,” the first disposable menstrual product, sold primarily in Europe. Eventually, Kimberly-Clark (“K-C”) invented “Cellucotton” ー a highly absorbent wood-pulp by-product ー as a bandage for WWI. No sooner did the WWI … Continue reading "Cellucotton"
Stainless Steel1913 Harry BrearleyW.H. Hatfield Stainless steel is strong and has high heat resistance, just like ordinary steel. It resists corrosion, it’s formable and weldable and, unlike regular steel, does not rust. It lowered the cost of everyday items. For example, rather than silver, tableware could be made from stainless steel. Stainless steel also lowered the … Continue reading "Stainless Steel"
Air ConditioningCombining prior innovations and ideas, Carrier added his own ー related to humidity ー and created modern air conditioning. Tasked with controlling the humidity in a printing plant, because humidity affects paper, he found the connection between humidity and temperature. Carrier designed equipment to control humidity that also controlled temperature, modern air conditioning. By 1911, … Continue reading "Air Conditioning"
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"
Electricity Factory & Distribution NetworkAfter inventing the long-lasting light bulb, Edison needed an electrical grid to deploy his innovation. Remember that, at this time, all electrically powered devices ran off batteries. Background The Edison Electric Illuminating Company, founded after the light bulb company, funded both an electrical generation station, grid, and all supporting equipment. Edison innovated better dynamos, circuits, … Continue reading "Electricity Factory & Distribution Network"
