Chances are, if you look in that drawer in your kitchen (you know, the “junk” one), there’s a good chance you’ll find a tube of super glue. While it has become an extremely valuable tool for a variety of uses, this seemingly magical adhesive was actually ...
Inventions Ahead of Their Time: Automatic Doors
Daily, we encounter automatic doors almost everywhere we go – from supermarkets to office buildings, airports, and even our favorite coffee shops. They have become integral to modern architecture, making our lives more convenient and efficient. But have ...
Inventions Ahead of Their Time: Flushing Toilets
Have you ever used the expression “going to the John” and wondered who John is and why his name is synonymous with toilets?? Well, the man in question is, in fact, Sir John Harington – the inventor who created flush toilets nearly 500 years ago! T ...
Accidental Invention: X-Ray Machine
Since their discovery in 1895, X-rays have revolutionized medicine and significantly contributed to various industries. Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, a German physicist, accidentally stumbled upon X-rays one day while conducting experiments with cathode rays, ...
Inventions Ahead of Their Time: Corrective Lens/Contact Lens
Today, a large portion of the population wears eyeglasses or contacts regularly. But how long ago would you suppose corrective lenses were first utilized? 100 years ago? 500? 1,000? How about over 2,000? Yep, that’s right. Check out this article to learn ...
Mothers of Invention: Olga D. González-Sanabria
A minority in many facets of her life, Olga D. Gonzalez-Sanabria was one of the few women who earned an engineering degree from the University of Puerto Rico and eventually became the highest-ranking Hispanic employee at NASA's Glenn Research Center. Her ...
Mothers of Invention: Josephine Cochrane and the Dishwasher
When you’re a fancy socialite and the servants keep breaking your fine china while washing it, you can either hire better help, or you can invent a machine to do the job right. Josephine Cochrane chose the latter. I’ll Do it Myself! The daughte ...
Accidental Invention: Penicillin
It was a simple mistake. You’ve probably even done it yourself: a trip out of town, a forgotten bowl of fruit… Next thing you know, you’ve invented penicillin. Admittedly, there were a few more steps involved in creating usable penicillin, but it just go ...
History of Tums
When your stomach is upset, it’s convenient to have a pharmacist for a husband. When your husband/pharmacist makes something that works so well it becomes a best-selling product within two years, you’ve got yourself the History of Tums. Something ...
Engineer’s Obsessions: Running Through the Grand Canyon
Dean Casady, Technical Services Director at Custom Powder, has been a runner for 45 years. Recently, he decided to take on one of the most rigorous runs on earth: A run into the Grand Canyon, traveling from rim to rim to rim, also known as R2R2R. “It’ ...