INVENTIONS

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.

35 Lesser-Known Inventions of Famous Inventors

You know Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. But did you also know that Bell is the person we have to thank for the metal detector? In this week's List Show, Mental Floss editor-in-chief Erin McCarthy is sharing facts about 35 lesser-known inven

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.

Start Your Morning Right With the Alarm Clock That Makes You Coffee

Need help dragging yourself out of bed in the morning? The Barisieur is half coffeemaker, half alarm clock. It can brew coffee or loose-leaf tea, and even has compartments to for milk and sugar. Here's how to buy one for yourself.

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.

President Barack Obama presents George Carruthers with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in February 2013.

10 Black Inventors Who Changed the World

Get to know the brilliant African American innovators who brought you blood banks, personal computers, touch-tone telephones, and more.

The World’s First Smart Toilet for Dogs Has Arrived

It comes with built-in air freshener and dog treats.

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.

How Polygraphs Work—And Why They Aren't Admissible in Most Courts

Even its inventor was worried about calling it a "lie detector."

Pipe Dream: The Wacky Plan to Pump Antarctic Ice into Australia

Horse-powered cars, bombs with cat flaps, self-steering golf balls: Arthur Paul Pedrick may not have been the world's most successful inventor, but he was undoubtedly one of the most creative.

Ji-Elle, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Benjamin Franklin and History's Most Dangerous Musical Instrument

The glass armonica was Benjamin Franklin's biggest contribution to the world of music—and then it started to kill people.

12 Facts About Guglielmo Marconi

His invention saved <em>Titanic</em> passengers.

10 Electrifying Facts About Michael Faraday

Michael Faraday's formal schooling was limited, but his work as a bookbinder allowed him to learn about chemistry, physics, and a mysterious force called "electricity."

How a Hairdresser Found a Way to Fight Oil Spills With Hair Clippings

Hair booms sop up oil in a way that's gentle on the environment.

This Waterless Toilet Made of Mushrooms Could Be Key for Refugee Needs

It turns poop into compost.

Clumsy? This Faux Airbag Will Protect Your Dropped Phone

Spring clips deploy and absorb the shock.

25 of the Most Successful Products from Shark Tank

ABC’s "Shark Tank" is a launching pad for entrepreneurs and their inventions. Check out 25 of the show’s most successful products, including Bombas socks, the Comfy, and more.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

7 Giant Machines That Changed the World—And 1 That Might

From a 17-mile-long particle accelerator to a football field–sized space observatory, these machines are marvels.

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