The Stuff of Genius
Have you ever had an idea that seemed crazy -- maybe crazy enough to work? Every invention starts out as an idea, and it only takes a bit of genius to make it reality. See how some of the greatest inventions were brought to life ...
Have you ever had an idea that seemed crazy -- maybe crazy enough to work? Every invention starts out as an idea, and it only takes a bit of genius to make it reality. See how some of the greatest inventions were brought to life in The Stuff of Genius from HowStuffWorks.com. When George de Mestral and his dog set out on a leisurely mountain stroll, they returned covered in burrs. Learn how an afternoon walk inspired the creation of Velcro in this video podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
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The QWERTY Keyboard
Although the keys on the original typewriter keyboard were alphabetized, ...
Although the keys on the original typewriter keyboard were alphabetized, consumers quickly realized the swift taps of typists would inevitably jam the machine. Learn how Christopher Sholes saved the keyboard in this episode of Stuff of Genius.
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The Refined Sugar Story
Before Norbert Rillieux's sugar evaporator, slaves across the New World ...
Before Norbert Rillieux's sugar evaporator, slaves across the New World risked severe -- and often fatal -- injury while refining sugar. Learn how this Stuff of Genius saved hundreds of lives and modernized sugar in this podcast.
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Ralph Baer and Video Games
Ralph Baer was working for a U.S. defense company when ...
Ralph Baer was working for a U.S. defense company when he invented the world's first video game system. Luckily, this Stuff of Genius was too fun to remain locked away from the public. Learn more about video games in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
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Peter Henlein and the Wristwatch
Nowadays, wristwatches aren't anything to write home about... but this ...
Nowadays, wristwatches aren't anything to write home about... but this wasn't always the case. Learn how locksmiths like Peter Henlein miniaturized the dubious clocks of the day to create portable timepieces in this episode of Stuff of Genius.
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George Ferris and His Amazing Wheel
When Chicago began planning for the World's Columbian Exhibition of ...
When Chicago began planning for the World's Columbian Exhibition of 1893, the city's planners asked George Ferris to build something "original, daring, and unique." Tune in to learn more about his invention -- and why it's considered the Stuff of Genius.
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The Man Behind Mercator Projections
Mercator projections are a common sight in classrooms across the ...
Mercator projections are a common sight in classrooms across the planet, but who invented them? Tune in to find out.
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Joshua Silver and the Self-adjustable Glasses
Professor Joshua Silver isn't an optometrist, but his self-adjustable eyeglasses ...
Professor Joshua Silver isn't an optometrist, but his self-adjustable eyeglasses have improved the vision of people across the developing world. Tune in and learn how this Oxford physicist plans to improve the vision of a billion people by 2020.
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The Man Behind The Metronome
Today metronomes are a fairly common sight in music halls ...
Today metronomes are a fairly common sight in music halls and studios around the world. But who invented them? Tune in to learn more about the metronome.
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Willem Einthoven and the ECG
Today, doctors across the planet use the ECG -- also ...
Today, doctors across the planet use the ECG -- also known as the EKG -- to detect and diagnose heart conditions that might otherwise go unnoticed. But who gets the credit for making the first reliable ECG? Tune in to find out.
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Whitcomb Judson and the Amazing Zipper
Nowadays zippers are everywhere -- they're faster than buttons, convenient ...
Nowadays zippers are everywhere -- they're faster than buttons, convenient and reliable. But where did they come from? Tune in and learn more about Whitcomb Judson's stuff of genius in this episode.
