inventions

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

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

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.

Happy National Popcorn Day!

Thank him for making tasty frozen pizza a reality.

Julius Neubronner/Jennavecia, Wikimedia Commons // Public domain

An ingenious way to take aerial photos.

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

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

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

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

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."

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

It turns poop into compost.

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

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

"Nobody is ever going to buy this sh*t!"

As a teenager, Chester Greenwood of Farmington, Maine, had sensitive ears and a creative imagination.

The actress invented a technology that would become the basis for Wi-Fi, but it wasn’t until 1990 that her accomplishments were recognized—which is the subject of a new documentary.