Life Savers
This dense, light and strong fiber is worn by police for protection. It is also used as a sleek decal on cars.
What is kevlar?
Invented in 1966 by S. Kwolek; it is a strong and lightweight plastic.
A common appliance in most homes. You will likely open it today at home to get a cold beverage/snack.
What is an electric refrigerator?
Until 1914, people used ice-boxes or salt to keep food, this was invented and improved upon by F. Parpart.
Used by doctors around the globe to quickly administer doses.
What is the one-handed medical syringe?
L. Geer patented this in 1899. Prior to this, the tool was more expensive, two-handed, and fragile. This invention made it more accessible and a staple of the medical world.
This item is common in most primary classrooms, and was used to show the earth’s daily rotation.
What is the Fitz Globe?
E. Fitz Pendleton invented this in 1875 as a tutor in Canada to teach students how the oceans could change based on Earth's rotation around the sun.
Babies used to waddle around in their own filth; these disposable coverings made it so that they could store and then dispose any excrement.
What are disposable diapers?
M. Donovan pitched these as fully disposable, but people thought them unnecessary and impractical… it wasn’t till 1950 and Donovan sold them at Saks Fifth Avenue!
Seen in ads daily on TV; people buy these to protect their homes.
What is the Home Security System?
In 1969, M. Van Brittan Brown created a closed circuit TV system for residents in the downtrodden streets of NYC.
An item used by addicts around the world and a staple of many homes. Simply pour hot water over grounds to get your fix.
What is the coffee filter?
M. Benz, the German inventor made this in 1908 to create a simple pour over coffee. These are now everywhere!
Keeps you warm in the car; a source of frustration by your parents when you don’t turn it off when windows are down.
What is the car heater?
M. Wilcox cleverly took advantage of the combustion created in engines when cars run and redirected it into the cab of the vehicle in 1893.
This MIT researcher used thermal energy to generate power for their home in 1947, creating this type of power source.
What is the thermoelectric power generator?
M. Telkes invented this by creating the first solar-heated system in their home! It is now used for major corporations globally.
To combat pollution, these were attached to trains to funneling smoke through water and trap airborne chemicals.
What is the locomotive chimney?
M. Walton (1879) was passionate about trains and combating pollution - also invented a way to reduce noises for trains in NYC!
Seen on ships, and is often told to be boarded by women and children first!
What are life rafts?
Serial inventor M. Beasley improved original life rafts by making them foldable, fireproof, and storable in 1882. They have saved countless lives (including 700 on the Titanic!)
Your parents may yell at you till their mouth dry up, but you will rarely use this device to freshen and press your clothes.
What is a folding ironing board?
These existed in some form, but in 1892, S. Boone made it with a narrow double-sided arm to get those sleeves without forming creases!
Driving in the rain necessitates this device.
What is the windshield wiper?
In 1903, this invention deemed as ‘lacking in practical value.’ Only 10 years later was M. Anderson’s invention used on cars (after patent expired).
NASA used this to launch (and keep) their rockets and satellites in space. Fuels their travel.
What is Hydyne rocket fuel?
Explorer 1, the first US satellite ever launched into orbit in 1957 used M. Morgans fuel to explore the cosmos!
Used to clean streets WITHOUT splattering you with dirt. Sweeping up the filth!
What is the Parpat street sweeper?
F. Parpat was sprayed by street sweepers that existed at the time, but in 1900, got sick of it and made one that was more efficient and quickly adopted across the US.
A common feature in apartment buildings in major American cities, these are placed outside a building and connect multiple apartments and floors.
What is a fire escape?
A. Connelly made surviving fires much more manageable in 1887 by creating another way for people to escape fires that would normally have killed residents in the 1900s
When you’re fully fed, content, and don’t want to clean, you drop your used utensils here.
What is a dishwasher?
J. Cochran made it possible to use water pressure to clean dishes in 1872 - saving both the plates and your arms.
If you have a dog; you know you need this when going on a walk (ESPECIALLY to restrain bigger dogs).
What is the retractable dog leash?
M. Delaney wanted a tool that could shorten at a moments notice so that your dog wouldn’t run on the other side of a lamp post, excitedly ‘kiss’ a stranger, or pick a bark-off with another dog. - 1908
This drug was used for chemotherapy patients and even organ transplants. It is a suppressive, that works in your immune system.
What are immunosuppressive drugs?
G. Elion helped create this in 1957, but also worked on drugs to treat AIDS, malaria, herpes, and cancer!
This is everywhere now, but before 1971, you were not able to type words into a computer and then print. This processor made it possible.
What is a word processor?
E. Berezin created the first word processor, allowing people to enter text to a machine and ultimately print it! This was 1971!
This was made by 2 researchers in NYC that is effective to fight fungal infections and diseases.
What is an anti-fungal drug?
Invented by R. Fuller Brown and E. Lee Hazen in 1950 to combat fungal infections. Was largely done over the mail as they couldn’t experiment in proper facilities!
You use this to identify who it is, ignore your parents, holla at bae, and identify besties.
What is Caller ID and call-waiting?
S. Ann Jackson - award winning theoretical physicist contributed to telecommunications with their inventions. Also paved the way for solar cells and fiber optic cables during the 1970s.
Though never utilized, this was the first of its kind to use natural gas to warm a home. It’s now standard in most modern homes.
What is central heating?
A. Parker created the first method of heating an entire unit with gas in 1919 - no more relying on those fireplaces or sweater to survive the winter!
The international Space Station utilizes solar energy, but when behind the earth, it uses these to power itself during the ‘dark rotation.’
What are space station batteries?
A third of the space stations rotation is in the dark. O. Gonzalez-Sanabria was essential in creating the ‘Long Cycle-Life Nickel-Hydrogen Battery’ in 1980.
Creating hot water used to be done by gas. This made it possible to be done electrically.
What is the electric hot water heater?
I. Forbes invented a machine that allowed you to heat water without a gas source! Showers, coffee, teas, pasta changed FOREVER in 1917.