INVENTIONS

Joseph Lee: The 19th-Century Black Baking Pioneer Whose Bread-Crumbing Machine Revolutionized Hotel Kitchens

Joseph Lee was sick of seeing slightly stale bread get tossed in the trash, so he found a way to give it a second life.

Sadly, Congress voted 'No' on using Thomas Edison's voting machine.

Thomas Edison’s First Patented Invention—a Voting Machine for Congress—Was a Total Flop

“If there is any invention on earth that we don't want down here, that is it,” a Congressman said about Edison’s voting machine.

Remembering Sara Little Turnbull, Whose Bra Cup Design Became the N95 Mask

Design expert Sara Little Turnbull was consulting for 3M in 1958 when she was tasked with creating a better bra cup. Eventually, her design would inspire the N95 mask.

Alexander Graham Bell

Explore the life of inventor Alexander Graham Bell, the man responsible for giving us the telephone.

Franz Reichelt is now remembered as the "flying tailor."

14 Experiments Gone Wrong

In this episode of 'The List Show,' we take a look at experiments throughout history that definitely did not go according to plan.

The Smartduvet's Smart Layer fastens between your own duvet cover and top sheet.

Say Goodbye to Making Your Bed Every Morning—the Smartduvet Will Do It for You

The Smartduvet’s merits far outweigh any visual similarities it may have to the titular antagonist of the 1977 horror film ‘Death Bed: The Bed That Eats.’

Vietnam Installs Innovative ‘Rice ATMs’ to Give Food to Local Residents

Residents stand on bright orange tiles spaced a safe 6 feet away from each other while they wait to fill their bags with free rice.

An Explosive History of the T-Shirt Cannon

The apparel arms race at sporting events began when the San Antonio Spurs mascot wanted to blast people in the upper deck with free stuff.

The Unkindest Cut: The Chainsaw Was Invented to Assist With Difficult Childbirths

The serrated-chain blade we associate with striking down trees was originally invented to slice through pelvic bone during deliveries.

Anze Furlan/psgtproductions/iStock via Getty Images

How the Pizza Saver Transformed Pizza Delivery

The tiny plastic disc costs less than a penny, but the number of pizzas it has saved from a cheesy demise is incalculable.

Inventor Elijah McCoy is may or may not be "The Real McCoy."

Who Is 'The Real McCoy'?

The popularity of the surname McCoy makes it difficult to pinpoint one origin on the phrase, but here are the leading theories.

A Show of Support: The Creators of the Sports Bra Are Now in the National Inventors Hall of Fame

In the late 1970s, three Vermont women saw a need for more athletic support. Their invention—the sports bra—changed athletics forever.

Waze Just Added a Feature to Help Drivers Steer Clear of Unplowed Roads

Waze is making driving safety even easier with a feature that shows you (and lets you report) dangerous and icy roads.

This Garbage Can Will Take Itself Out to the Curb

The motorized attachment can be placed on most municipal garbage bins. It uses a timer to drive itself out for collection.

This Caturday, Watch Two Kitties Duke It Out in the World’s Oldest Cat 'Video'

With this early film of a staged cat fight, Thomas Edison may have inadvertently predicted our viral cat video obsession.

Who Invented the Cardboard Box?

The ubiquitous packaging is everywhere, from cereal to deliveries to impromptu cat beds. But where did it come from?

A 12-Year-Old Designed a Teddy Bear to Make IV Infusions Less Scary for Kids

After feeling uneasy about IV treatment for her autoimmune disease, 12-year-old Ella Casano decided to give her IV pole a makeover.

This Magnetic Key and Wallet Organizer Will Get You Out the Door Faster

The Ferris line of personal item organizers allows you to grab only the things you need, leaving behind the things you don't.

The Time Nikola Tesla Paid for His Hotel Room With a 'Death Ray'

When an expensive bill came due and Tesla was broke, the famous scientist and inventor got creative.

Benjamin Franklin, whose ghost was said to have contributed some of the instructions for the New Motive Power

When 19th-Century Spiritualists Believed a "God Machine" Would Save Humanity

John Murray Spear said the spirits told him how to create a perpetual motion machine. But things didn't go quite according to plan.

MJC Plumbing, Wikimedia Commons // Public domain

5 Facts About Thomas Crapper

You may have heard some tales about Thomas Crapper, the Victorian-era inventor and sanitary engineer, but there’s a good chance those stories are untrue. In honor of Thomas Crapper Day on January 27, we want to set the record straight.

The $13,000 Epiphany That Made Orville Redenbacher a National Popcorn King

Happy National Popcorn Day!

Clarence Birdseye, the Father of the Frozen Foods Industry

Thank him for making tasty frozen pizza a reality.

Julius Neubronner/Jennavecia, Wikimedia Commons // Public domain

When Pigeon Photographers Offered a Real-Life Bird’s-Eye View of the World

An ingenious way to take aerial photos.

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