This is the first biography of the important but long-forgotten American inventor Charles Francis Jenkins (1867-1934). Historian Donald G. Godfrey documents the life of Jenkins from his childhood in Indiana and early life in the West to his work as a prolific inventor whose productivity was cut short by an early death. Jenkins was an inventor who made a difference.

As one of America's greatest independent inventors, Jenkins's passion was to meet the needs of his day and the future. In 1895 he produced the first film projector able to show a motion picture on a large screen, coincidentally igniting the first film boycott among his Quaker viewers when the film he screened showed a woman's ankle. Jenkins produced the first American television pictures in 1923, and developed the only fully operating broadcast television station in Washington, D.C. transmitting to ham operators from coast to coast as well as programming for his local audience.

Godfrey's biography raises the profile of C. Francis Jenkins from his former place in the footnotes to his rightful position as a true pioneer of today's film and television. Along the way, it provides a window into the earliest days of both motion pictures and television as well as the now-vanished world of the independent inventor.

This book reveals the life, drama and mystery surrounding the creator of groundbreaking inventions. It posthumously found renewed fame as the subject of conspiracy theories and as a pop culture idol. It includes historical comics and photos that highlight key events and figures in Tesla's spectacular life. Who was Nikola Tesla? A visionary inventor? Eccentric genius? Outsider rebel? Now David Kent reveals the life, drama and mystery surrounding the romantic figure. An immigrant from what is now Croatia, Tesla would move to America and go on to create groundbreaking inventions including some that would change the world. He even electrified visitors at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with an amazing never-before-seen electrical light display. Despite his successes, Tesla would become largely forgotten over the remaining dozen years of his life as others got credit for his remarkable scientific contributions. But after his death, he found renewed fame as the subject of conspiracy theories and as a pop culture idol. Through this fascinating book, you'll come to know the dashing man that continues to capture imaginations today.

Discover the inventions that have made our world what it is today

A great invention opens the door to a new era in human history. The stone axe, for example, invented some 2 million years ago in East Africa, enabled us to enter the human path of endless improvements through inventions. The taming of fire enabled us to cook food as well as leave the warmth of Africa and move to the frigid lands of the North. From the stone axe to the computer and the Internet, this book provides a fascinating tour of the most important inventions and inventors throughout history. You'll discover the landmark achievements and the men and women that made the world what it is today.

"Great Inventions That Changed the World" is written by Professor James Wei, a renowned educator and engineer who holds several patents for his own inventions. Following an introductory chapter examining the role of inventors and inventions in fueling innovation and global advancement, the book is organized to show how inventions are spurred by human needs and desires, including: WorkFood, clothing, and housingHealth and reproductionSecurity

As you progress through the book, you'll not only learn about inventions and inventors, but also the impact they have had on our lives and the society and environment in which we live today. Inventions solve problems, but as this book so expertly demonstrates, they can also directly or indirectly create new problems as well, from pollution to global warming to bioterrorism. By enabling us to understand the impact of inventions throughout history, this book can help guide the next generation of citizens, decision makers, and inventors.

Frank Julian Sprague invented a system for distributing electricity to streetcars from overhead wires. Within a year, electric streetcars had begun to replace horsecars, sparking a revolution in urban transportation. Sprague (1857 1934) was an American naval officer turned inventor who worked briefly for Thomas Edison before striking out on his own. Sprague contributed to the development of the electric motor, electric railways, and electric elevators. His innovations would help transform the urban space of the 20th century, enabling cities to grow larger and skyscrapers taller. The Middletons generously illustrated biography is an engrossing study of the life and times of a maverick innovator."

The American entrepreneurial spirit burns bright today. As of 2018, the US Patent & Trademark Office had granted its ten millionth patent. But with over 500,000 applications now being filed annually, fewer than half of these applicants will be granted patents and far fewer still will realize commercial success. Some are flawed by mistakes or missing details, others too ridiculous to take seriously, still others simply ahead of their time. From the best and worst to the wackiest and most bizarre inventions and products -- from the horse headlight and Viagra to a motorized spaghetti fork and Slinky -- this collection of 100 life-altering and entertaining patents from the US Patent and Trademark Office includes humorous and informative descriptions of each patent and dozens of original diagrams, figures, and illustrations. The guide also provides insight into the creation and execution of great and not-so-great ideas, what most successful patents have in common, and how great inventors view the world.

China has given birth to numerous scientific and technological inventions, and for many centuries led the world in such innovations. Indeed, some of the most important inventions in the history of human civilization originated in China - not least the compass, gunpowder, paper and printing. Ancient Chinese Inventions provides an accessible, illustrated introduction to the many inventions to which China can lay claim, from the aforementioned seminal discoveries to mining technology, the production of silk and ceramics, and brilliant advances in astronomy, mathematics and medicine.

Discover the trials & triumphs of great female inventors

Astrolabe
Automatic Dishwasher
Barbie® Doll
Buffered Aspirin
COBOL
Cotton Gin
Disposable Phone
Drip Coffeemaker
Fabric Softener Sheets
Hang Glider
IV Fluids
Jell-O®
Kevlar®
Mars Rover
Nystatin
PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)
Protease Inhibitors
Rolfing
Smallpox Variolation
Space Suit
Spic & Span®
Tract Housing
Vacuum Canning
Windshield Wipers
Zig-Zag Sewing Machine
Zovirax®

and many, many more!

Reviews for Mothers of Invention by Ethlie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek

"It’s a fascinating and gratifying book….It gives us a positive view of women’s inventiveness, from the frivolous to the noble."
–The New York Times Book Review

"It is the wide spectrum of female humanity and ability in this book that makes it an especially valuable addition to the growing popular library on the accomplishments and work lives of women."
–Los Angeles Times

"An informative collection of talent, trivia, and history, Mothers of Invention will interest most anyone. More importantly, though, it will serve to inspire girls and women of all ages. For that reason, it belongs on the shelves of schools and public libraries everywhere."
–Tampa Tribune

"Wonderful….A book to be dipped into and sampled at one’s leisure."
–The Chicago Biweekly

"This fascinating volume will find a place in the browsing sections of both adult and YA collections…recommended."
–Library Journal

One of the "Best Books for Young Adults,"
American Library Association, 1988

Engineering transformed the world completely between the 17th and 21st centuries. Remarkable Engineers tells the stories of 51 of the key pioneers in this transformation, from the designers and builders of the world s railways, bridges and aeroplanes, to the founders of the modern electronics and communications revolutions. The focus throughout is on their varied life stories, and engineering and scientific detail is kept to a minimum. Engineer profiles are organized chronologically, inviting readers with an interest in engineering to follow the path by which these remarkable engineers utterly changed our lives.

'In his whistle-stop tour of inventions large and small, the scientist Trevor Norton shares the Gershwins' view that invention is fundamentally comic.' The Sunday Times Trevor Norton, who has been compared to Gerard Durrell and Bill Bryson, weaves an entertaining history with a seductive mix of eureka moments, disasters and dirty tricks. Although inventors were often scientists or engineers, many were not: Samuel Morse (Morse code) was a painter, Lazlow Biro (ballpoint) was a sculptor and hypnotist, and Logie Baird (TV) sold boot polish. The inventor of the automatic telephone switchboard was an undertaker who believed the operator was diverting his calls to rival morticians so he decided to make all telephone operators redundant. Inventors are mavericks indifferent to conventional wisdom so critics were dismissive of even their best ideas: radio had 'no future,' electric light was 'an idiotic idea' and X-rays were 'a hoax.' Even so, the state of New Jersey moved to ban X-ray opera glasses. The head of the General Post Office rejected telephones as unneccesary as there were 'plenty of small boys to run messages.' Inventomania is a magical place where eccentrics are always in season and their stories are usually unbelievable - but rest assured, nothing has been invented.

20 fun and inventive Makey Makey projects for Makers from beginner to expert This hands-on guide is filled with DIY projects that show readers, step-by-step, how to start creating and making cool inventions with the Makey Makey invention kit. Each project features easy-to-follow, fully-illustrated instructions and detailed photographs of the finished gadget. Readers will see how to apply these skills and start building their own Makey Makey projects. 20 Makey Makey Projects for the Evil Genius starts off with very approachable introductory projects, making it a great starting point for beginners. It then builds to more challenging projects, allowing more experienced users to go further by incorporating technologies like Raspberry Pi, Processing and Scratch programming, 3D Printing, and creating wearable electronics with Makey Makey. Projects are divided into four categories: "Fun and Games," Interactive," Hacks and Pranks," and "Makey Makey Go." * No prior programming or technical experience is required * Basic enough for beginners, but challenging enough for advanced makers * Written by two educators who believe in fostering creative innovation for all

The Maker's Manual is a practical and comprehensive guide to becoming a hero of the new industrial revolution. It features hundreds of color images, techniques to transform your ideas into physical projects, and must-have skills like electronics prototyping, 3d printing, and programming. This book's clear, precise explanations will help you unleash your creativity, make successful projects, and work toward a sustainable maker business. Written by the founders of Frankenstein Garage, which has organized courses since 2011 to help makers to realize their creations, The Maker's Manual answers your questions about the Maker Movement that is revolutionizing the way we design and produce things.

James Watt (1736-1819) was a pivotal figure of the Industrial Revolution. His career as a scientific instrument maker, inventor and engineer was developed in Scotland, his land of birth. His subsequent national and international significance as a scientist, technologist and businessman was formed in the Birmingham area. There, his partnership with Matthew Boulton and the intellectual and personal support of other members of the Lunar Society network, such as Erasmus Darwin, James Keir, William Small and Josiah Wedgwood, enabled him to translate his improvements in steam technology into efficient machines. His pumping and rotative steam engines represent a summit of technological achievement in the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries. This is the traditional picture of James Watt. After his death, his surviving son, James Watt junior projected his father's image through commissioning sculptures, medals, paintings and biographies which celebrated his reputation as a 'great man' of the Industrial Revolution. In popular historical understanding Watt has also become a hero of modernity, but the context in which he operated and the roles of others in shaping his ideas have been downplayed. This book explores new aspects of his work and evaluates him in his locational, family, social and intellectual contexts.

Eyes were one of the very first body parts to evolve more than 500 million years ago, and their structure has remained virtually unchanged through most of evolutionary history. But eyes alone were never enough for Homo sapiens. From the mastery of fire a million years ago to the smartphone today, humans have repeatedly invented new ways to see their surroundings, each other and themselves. Artificial light, art, mirrors, writing, lenses, printing, photography, film, television, smartphones - these tools didn't just add to our visual repertoire, they shaped cultures around the world and made us who we are. Drawing on sources from anthropology to zoology, neuroscience to Netflix, As Far As the Eye Can See traces the history of seeing from the first evolutionary stirrings of sight and discovers that each time we changed how or what we see, we changed ourselves and the world around us. Along the way, it finds, sight slowly eclipsed our other senses. Are we now at 'peak seeing', the author asks. Can our eyes keep up with technology? Have we gone as far as the eye can see?