Inventions & Science
Science and inventions have propelled human progress, as well as led to human destruction. From the creation of the first stone tools to reusable space rockets to the atomic bomb, each step builds upon the history of human knowledge.
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The epic race to standardize the electrical system—later known as the War of the Currents—lit up 19th-Century America.
Here are the milestones and innovations that drove the automotive revolution.
Some of the modern world's most groundbreaking technologies emerged during this 30-year period.
Barcode tech was first patented in 1949, but engineers came up with the UPC code in the 1970s to answer a need for better efficiency in grocery stores.
Top 10 Kitchen Inventions That Changed Food Forever
Top 10 Kitchen Inventions That Changed Food Forever
From fire to the air fryer, humans have a remarkable history of innovating in the kitchen. Discover the 10 kitchen inventions that changed food forever, in this episode of History Countdown.
3 Important Inventions Discovered by Accident
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This 1960s chatbot was a precursor to AI. Its maker grew to fear it.
After inspecting burrs that had stuck to his dog’s fur, a Swiss engineer got an idea.
They have actually been around since ancient times.
Phones have transformed since Alexander Graham Bell’s first call. Sprawling box sets and rotary dials led to push buttons and smartphones.
When Were Cars Invented? The 1901 Mercedes, designed by Wilhelm Maybach for Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, deserves credit for being the first modern motorcar in all essentials. Its thirty-five-horsepower engine weighed only fourteen pounds per horsepowe...
Many people associate aspirin with willow bark, but the pills in your cabinet don’t come from a tree.
While standing near a magnetron in an aerospace research facility, an engineer noticed that a chocolate bar in his pocket melted—and he got an idea.
Though video games are found today in homes worldwide, they actually got their start in the research labs of scientists early 1950s. Academics designed simple games, like tic-tac-toe and tennis for two, as part of their research or for fun on the side.
Whitney Learns About Cotton Eli Whitney was born on December 8, 1765, in Westborough, Massachusetts. Growing up, Whitney, whose father was a farmer, proved to be a talented mechanic and inventor. Among the objects he designed and built as a youth were a...
The first version of a magnifying lens dates back more than 2,700 years ago.
Sometimes, the unexpected inspires new inventions.
Edison's genius was improving on others' technologies and making them more practical for the general public.
Many of modern society’s most cherished institutions and ideas—not to mention the objects we use every day—can trace their origins back to the ancient world.
Electric appliances large and small promised reduced drudgery.
Frogs, cows and the positions of the planets all played a part in weather folklore.
