Inventions

Cholera Belt, Dodd & Monk, Albert Mill, Canal Street, Congleton, Cheshire, 1882. With little understood about the disease, there were many bogus treatments and preventative measures against cholera. "The cholera belt seems like the most unlikely protection," writes Halls. "However, it was believed that a chilled body could cause disease, and that keeping the stomach and abdomen warm could protect against bowel complaints."

10 Victorian Inventions That Never Quite Took Off

Flops from a "knife and fork cleaner" to a "cholera belt" provide a curious look at life in 19th century England

Kevin Ashton Describes "the Internet of Things"

The innovator weighs in on what human life will be like a century from now

Outfitting Football Helmets With Magnets Could Reduce Concussions

Strong magnets can repel at least 300 lbs of force, preventing heads from colliding

This past weekend an innovation festival at the National Air and Space Museum celebrated inventions from across the United States.

Here’s What You Missed at the Smithsonian Innovation Festival

Inventors and museum staff alike inspired the crowd to see the world through the prism of innovation

The Smithsonian Celebrates American Invention at This Weekend's Innovation Festival

How do you bring an idea to life? The inventors of new technologies will share their stories at a two-day event at the National Air and Space Museum

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This Umbrella Creates an Air “Force Field” to Keep Rain Away

The umbrellas are still in the testing phase but are expected to ship out by next December

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Instead of Growing Meat in a Lab, Why Not Make It Out of Plants?

"Plant blood" is the secret behind the I-can't-believe-it-isn't-meat company, Impossible Foods

Bionic Hands Partially Restore Users' Sense of Touch

The hand's sensors communicate directly with the wearer's nerves

New Marine Robots Could One Day Patrol the Oceans

How do you keep an eye on the oceans? With robots

Breast pumping equipment

A New MIT Challenge: Hack the Breast Pump

Last weekend, MIT's Media Lab hosted the "Make the Breast Pump Not Suck" Hackathon

Irish students refine their winning entry, a method for promoting crop growth

Meet the Teen Winners of Google's Science Fair

A flying fruit fly-inspired robot and a bacterial solution for world hunger are among the three winners

The corner in downtown Hartford where the first pay phone was installed

The Pay Phone's Journey From Patent to Urban Relic

The history of the device that is well on its way to becoming, well, history

Vote for the Winner of the 2014 People's Design Award

Marvel at these breakthroughs in innovative design and select your favorite

Esplanade park in Helsinki

In the Summer, Helsinki's Buildings Are Cooled by an Underground Lake

Underneath a park in Helsinki, Finland is a lake used to cool buildings in the city

The little 1/3 drone hoverbike in action.

Hoverbikes Get One Step Closer to Reality

Chris Malloy is raising money on Kickstarter to continue development of his hoverbike

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Benjamin Franklin Worked Here

Step into the London house where the inventor, scientist and founding father lived and worked

Thomas Edison's House of Wizardry

A visit to the invention factory where Edison would earn the nickname “Wizard of Menlo Park”

Faye Wu, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, demonstrates the "supernumerary robotic fingers."

Multitask Like Never Before With These Robotic Fingers

Many hands make light work, right? Well, MIT researchers have created a wrist-worn robot with a couple extra digits

Google hosts its fourth-annual science fair. Shown here, the 2013 winners.

Google Thinks These 18 Teenagers Will Change the World

The global finalists of this year’s Google Science Fair take on cyberbullying countermeasures, tar sands cleanup and wearable tech

The FBI's Next Worry: Self-Driving Car Bombs

That's ok. It's their job to worry

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