SemiconductorsSemiconductors are solid-state electronic replacements for vacuum tubes. They vastly enhanced productivity and lowered cost. Semiconductors also lowered the amount of electricity computers, or any equipment that ran on tubes, required. In 1947, John Bardeen, William Shockley, and Water Brattain co-invented the semiconductor while working at Bell Labs for which they were awarded the Nobel … Continue reading "Semiconductors"
StatinsStatins dramatically lower blood cholesterol, and the likelihood of heart attacks. Akira Endo discovered statins. Akira Endo & His Molds Endo is a Japanese researcher with a lifelong fascination related to fungi. Recalling that Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin, he theorized that fungi might hold other miracle drugs. Endo noted that Americans are much heavier than … Continue reading "Statins"
RocketsIn 1914, Goddard patented the first rocket and, in 1926, Goddard fired the first liquid-fueled rocket. Goddard predicted rockets would one day enable space flight, a prediction widely ridiculed as science fiction. Eventually, in 1929, Oberth fired his modern liquid-fueled rocket. Oberth eventually taught Wernher von Braun, who perfect modern rocketry. In time, both Oberth … Continue reading "Rockets"
Chemical WarfareChemical warfare refers to using chemicals as a weapon of mass destruction, killing many people at once. Fritz Haber, the inventor of the ammonia extraction process, is also the father of modern chemical warfare. On Jan. 31, 1915, Germany used a type of tear gas on allied troops. Due to the temperature, the chemicals failed … Continue reading "Chemical Warfare"
Multi-Shot Revolver“God created men equal, Sam Colt made them equal.” Samuel Colt Overview Colt’s revolver reduced the cost and risk of settling the US. Before the revolver, Native Americans could shoot arrows faster than pioneers could reload muskets, making westward travel and settlement dangerous. The Colt revolver reversed the dynamics and is widely credited with winning … Continue reading "Multi-Shot Revolver"
Float GlassBefore float glass (also called flat glass), each piece of glass was individually poured and polished. This was a time consuming and expensive process that left the contours of glass uneven. Pilkington invented a method of floating the glass in a bath or iron tin, leaving both sides of glass perfectly smooth. Float glass took … Continue reading "Float Glass"
Steel Frame SkyscraperJenney left Harvard to study architecture at the prestigious École Centrale Paris, then the world’s most prominent architectural school. He graduated one year after Gustave Eiffel, builder of the Eiffel Tower. After time spent in the army, Jenney opened an architecture firm in Chicago. Urban legend is that while speaking to his wife, she set … Continue reading "Steel Frame Skyscraper"
PolypropylenePolypropylene: Has a high melting point making it useful for food containers suitable for cooking. Does not react with water, detergents, or other corrosives. Resists cracks, making it useful for building supplies. Natta and Ziegler (a long-time plastics researcher) worked together to innovate polypropylene, the second most commonly used plastic as of 2018. Afterwards, Natta … Continue reading "Polypropylene"
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)MEMS are literally microscopic-machines. The best-known MEMS are the accelerometers that have become ubiquitous in smartphones, allowing precise tracking of movement on the X, Y, and Z-axis. Significantly, MEMS are the reason your phone can sense movement. Additionally, other MEMS devices include miniature microphones, projectors, cameras, and countless others. MEMS were first proposed in 1959 … Continue reading "Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)"
Repo LoansRepo loans are a type of loan, typically from one bank to another, with a very short term for repayment. One day repo loans are common. Despite the name, “repo loans” have nothing to do with repossessions. Background Repo loans came about after the US finally chartered a single, all-powerful central bank in December 1913. … Continue reading "Repo Loans"
Electricity Factory & Distribution NetworkAfter inventing the long-lasting light bulb, Edison needed an electrical grid to deploy his innovation. Remember that, at this time, all electrically powered devices ran off batteries. Background The Edison Electric Illuminating Company, founded after the light bulb company, funded both an electrical generation station, grid, and all supporting equipment. Edison innovated better dynamos, circuits, … Continue reading "Electricity Factory & Distribution Network"
Suez CanalThe Suez Canal connects the Arabian and Red Sea to the Mediterranean. The canal is one of the two most important human-engineered waterways in the world. Background Think your remodel took a long time? Or your software project went horribly over time and budget? Maybe a movie took too long to make? North Korea has … Continue reading "Suez Canal"
Supersonic FlightOn Tuesday, October 14, 1947, a B-29 bomber took off in the Mojave Desert in California. Instead of a bomb, it carried another plane. Chuck Yeager & the X-1 The Bell X-1 “research vehicle” was a rocket fired aircraft. As the bomber climbed, test pilot Capt. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager, climbed into the rocket aircraft. … Continue reading "Supersonic Flight"
Industrial RobotThough understated at the time, few inventions have had as much impact as the industrial robot. Industrial robots were invented by George Devol. A prolific innovator, Devol patented the “Unimate” – a term he coined – in 1954 to name his robot. Robots have existed in science fiction for ages, often as machines in human … Continue reading "Industrial Robot"
MusketWhile Guttenberg’s forge was working to bring about the Renaissance, a more common use was to create weapons to kill one another. One of the most noteworthy is the musket. Background Early muskets were more like small cannons than the later-day rifles. Sometimes two-people needed to operate the earliest weapons due to their weight. Armies … Continue reading "Musket"