Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation

Invention of the Airplane

February 26, 2017, 2:05 pm

Actually Santos Dumont invented the airplane.On February 26, 2017, Andre added: "I visited Petropolis, where Santos Dumont lived."On June 19, 2017, Al added: "Santos Dumont, an enthusiastic aviator...

View Article

Phonograph

March 21, 2017, 1:40 pm

I lived in New Jersey. I did not live where Thomas Edison invented the phonograph which is West Orange. That is the place where he invented the phonograph.[Editor's note: Edison actually invented the...

View Article

Joseph Swan's Light Bulb

August 16, 2017, 1:07 pm

I live near Newcastle, England where Joseph Swan invented the light bulb before Thomas Edison.[Editor's note: From the "Lighting a Revolution" exhibition, 1st Floor, East Wing, Smithsonian's National...

View Article

Kreepy Krauly

December 22, 2017, 9:24 am

The Kreepy Krauly was invented in South-Africa; the first automatic pool cleaner. We also invented Pratley Putty used on US spaceships. And then of course we made Elon Musk![Editor's note: According to...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Patent Models and Prototypes on Display

June 18, 2018, 8:33 am

On Tuesday, June 19, 2018, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will issue its 10 millionth utility patent (9,957 unnumbered patents were issued before starting a numbering system on...

View Article

Florida Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee Biographical Video Collection,...

October 3, 2018, 4:38 am

Inventor NameFlorida Inventors Hall of Fame InducteesRepositoryFlorida Inventors Hall of FameUniversity of South Florida3702 Spectrum Blvd., Suite 165Tampa, FL 33612Phone:...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The Mother of All Demos

December 10, 2018, 12:22 pm

One of my favorite artifacts in the museum is the first computer mouse, which is currently on display in the Silicon Valley section of Places of Invention. The prototype was invented by Douglas...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

What’s Edison Got to Do with Tattoos?

September 30, 2019, 7:00 am

blog-havel-lauren-2019-09-30-c-seamus-heneghan-img-9798-450-inline-edit.jpgDragon engulfed in blue flames. Artwork by Jason Monroe at Electric Anvil Tattoo in Brooklyn, NY, April 2019. Drawn from my...

View Article

Beyond Bakelite: Leo Baekeland and the Business of Science and Invention

March 14, 2020, 9:00 pm

The Belgian-born American chemist, inventor, and entrepreneur Leo Baekeland (1863–1944) is best known for his invention of the first synthetic plastic—his near-namesake Bakelite—which had applications...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The Einstein-Szilard Refrigerator

December 8, 2020, 7:18 am

The refrigerators of the 1920s were deadly. Their motorized compressors easily malfunctioned, allowing the refrigerants—that is, toxic gases—to escape and sicken or kill whole families in their sleep....

View Article

More Pages to Explore .....

Latest Images