John Harvey Kellogg Believed Light Could Cure Diabetes
And a whole lot of other diseases
The First Bar Code Was Round
The tagging system was invented years before it became practical.
The Earliest Crash Test Dummies Were Cadavers
Injuries are the most common cause of death if you're under 44, and about one-fifth are connected to car accidents.
The First Batch of Gatorade Tasted Terrible
So they added lemon.
The Sound Recorder That Changed Film
Stefan Kudelski set out to explore robotics. He changed the film industry instead.
The Role of the Supernatural in the Discovery of EEGs
After Hans Berger received an uncanny telegram, he spent years trying to measure psychic energy.
The Original Galaxy Quest
Ninety years ago, astronomers weren't sure if the Milky Way was all there was. Now we know we're not alone.
The Man Who First Juiced
One of the health trend's first advocates was perhaps a little bit of a huckster.
The Very First Forecast
Robert FitzRoy published his first weather report in 1861. It was largely accurate.
How WWII Made Rock Climbing Safer
Falling is never a good idea, but it used to be way worse.
Cholera Gave a British Doctor the Idea for IVs
Patients need fluid, somehow.
How Elephant Teeth Taught Scientists Extinction Exists
In 1796, Georges Cuvier convinced his fellow researchers that some bones belonged to a species that no longer roamed the Earth.
The Holy Grail of the TV Industry
From the moment the first LCD screen was created, the goal was to create a flat television.
Aluminum Was Once One of the Most Expensive Metals in the World
Before two twentysomethings simultaneously figured out how to isolate the element cheaply and efficiently, it was one of the most valuable metals in the world.
The First Plastic Football Helmet Often Broke on Impact
Early headgear was meant to prevent death. Today's versions attempt to prevent concussions, but protecting players who take repeated hits is hard.
Thank Cyclists, Not Drivers, for Early Road Improvements
Edward N. Hines became passionate about transportation reform as an avid biker—inventing the first center line to divide a street in two.
The First Pap Smears Were Done on Drunk Guinea Pigs
A Greek doctor found himself unable to experiment on humans when he came to America, so he used animals instead.
What Happens to a Pill After You Pop It?
Patients prefer to swallow drugs in little balls, but their ability to actually deliver drugs has a spotty history.
The Plane Crash That Gave Americans GPS
The Reagan administration sped up the implementation of location-finding services for civilian use after the Soviet military shot down a passenger aircraft.
The History of Digital Imaging Began With a Baby Picture
Could it have been any other way?
How Sick Chickens and Rice Led Scientists to Vitamin B1
The discovery of thiamine began with the search for a microbe.
Moving Meat Was Once a Messy Business
It was clear frozen protein was safe; keeping it cold was a whole different question.
The Granddaddy of Today's Drones
One of the U.S. military's first attempts at creating a helicopter looked a lot like modern quadcopters.
Without Clean Rooms, There'd Be No Smartphones
When you're making a tiny electronic system, dust particles can be massively destructive.
How Retirement Was Invented
The earliest schemes for financial support in old age were pegged to life expectancy.
The Elusive 'Bilingual' Molecule
It took more than a decade after Watson & Crick modeled DNA for scientists to figure out what its translator looked like.
American Apartments Came From Paris
Today's staple of city living was once an innovation.
Shampoo Is Dead, Long Live Shampoo
The sudsy soap isn't dying; it's returning to its roots as smelly stuff you rub into your head.
What Happens When Chemists Don't Wash Their Hands
Three different artificial sweeteners have been the result of scientists with poor hand hygiene.
Deep Dive: The Life and Times of Ocean Rovers
Now every big oil company has an ROV, but once they were on the cutting edge of gathering lost nuclear warheads from the sea floor.
The Peril of Being a Black Inventor in the Old South
Some fire departments cared more that Garrett Morgan was black than that his invention—the gas mask—could save firefighters' lives.
The British Monarchy's First Vacuum Cleaner
H. Cecil Booth's contraption might not have been the first of its kind, but it was the only one endorsed by royalty.
Searching for Superconductivity
The discovery involved "little heroism, more luck than good management, and a starring role for a trainee instrument-maker who dozed off." Maybe.
The Woman Who Invented Disposable Diapers
Today, 95 percent of American babies wear them. But when Marion Donavan tried to find a manufacturer for her idea, the men who controlled the industry brushed her off.
Snowboarding Was Almost Called 'Snurfing'
The man who first patented a "surf-type snow ski" ultimately lost the battle to name the sport.
How the Plastic Bag Became So Popular
It took years of industry advocacy before the cellophane sack, invented in the 1960s, caught on.
The First Soft Contact Lenses Were Created With a Toy Construction Set
Otto Wichterle figured out how to spin plastic by watching his coffee.
NASA Should Have Put a Ring on Orbit
Nineteen professors were given 10 weeks to design an off-Earth colony. Here's what they came up with.
New York Literally Invented Nightlife
The way many Americans go out now—dark restaurants and dance floors—did not exist until the 1920s.
Brewing Bad: The All-Natural Origins of Meth
The drug might be a prototypically contemporary vice, but its discovery was rooted in traditional Eastern medicine.
The Future of Surgery: Less Cutting, More Robots
Tube goes in; appendix comes out.
The Great Soda-Water Shake Up
A controversial clergyman and theologian discovered how to make the ubiquitous bubbly beverage.
The Man Who Made Jogging a Thing
In the 1950s, Jerry Morris showed for the first time that sitting all day is bad for our hearts.
From Ballooners to Bombers: A History of the Backpack Parachute
Aviators once scorned the life saving device, seeing it as something for circus performers, not pilots.
Peering Ever Deeper Into Matter
As microscope technology improves scientists figure out better ways to "see" incredibly small things.
The Great Era of Underwater Tunneling
Some of today's most iconic undersea tunnels were first conceived of in the 19th century—but it wasn't until recently that we had the technology to actually build them.
The Creation Myth of Chocolate-Chip Cookies
75 years ago, it was not obvious that the cocoa morsels belonged.
The Strongest, Most Expensive Material on Earth
Graphene's most problematic superlative is its cost.
How Two Men Unlocked Modern Encryption
The idea of public-key cryptography is surprisingly simple, once you've figured it out.
It Wasn't Relativity That Won Einstein His Nobel Prize
At 26, the famous physicist explained the science behind today's solar energy revolution.
Single-Stream Recycling Is Easier for Consumers, but Is It Better?
At some point, someone has to sort out paper from metal from plastic.
Making Babies Outside of the Womb Has Never Been So Easy
Today, one percent of American kids are conceived using some form of assisted reproductive technology.
Before Computers, People Programmed Looms
Just punch out 2,000 or so cards, string them together, and start weaving.
Cement Makes the Modern World Possible
The Romans might have made it better, but right now cement is one of the world's most used materials, period.
The First 'Picturephone' for Video Chatting Was a Colossal Failure
Bell Labs started selling commercial image and phone service in 1970, but it was too expensive—and a little too intimate.
Generations Are an Invention—Here's How They Came to Be
Europeans created the idea that individuals share something important with, as one lexicographer put it in 1863, "all men living more or less at the same time"
Inventing the LED Lightbulb
An effort to make a semiconductor laser led to a totally new device
The Built-From-Scratch Heart
Medical researchers are getting closer to creating whole, working human hearts.
How Gore-Tex Was Born
One night in a basement, Bob Gore accidentally made camping much, much more comfortable—and himself the richest man in Delaware.
The Next Big Thing in Fancy Food
High-end chefs are beginning to work with farmers to breed custom new creations for their kitchens.