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Story Archives of 'inventions'Inventors Turn to Online VideoBy Avishay Artsy on Sunday, October 26, 2008.Back in the old days, inventors would publish their new ideas in specialized journals or deliver them at conferences, to seek affirmation from their peers. But that would take months for their ideas to catch on. Now, The New York Times reports, the viral aspect of online video has become a deciding element in an inventor's success. Inventing The FutureBy Virginia Prescott on Thursday, October 16, 2008. Popular Mechanics magazine announced the winners of its 2008 "Breakthrough Awards" this week. The awards recognize the people and products that have made big contributions to the fields of science, technology and exploration. This year’s list of honorees include some gadgets you may have already heard of – like Spore, the video game where players create an entire universe, and the Kindle, Amazon’s electronic book reading device. But there are some real eye-openers included in this year’s awards – like a vehicle that gets hundreds of miles to the gallon, and a powder that can purify the dirtiest, feces-filled water. Jerry Beilinson is an editor at Popular Mechanics, and he’s on the line to tell us about some of this year’s winners. By the way, one of the big winners of this year's breakthrough awards was Amy Smith of MIT. She’s been creating simple engineering solutions for people in developing countries. We spoke with Amy on Word of Mouth in August. You can listen to our interview by clicking here. (Photograph of the Aptera by Patrick Fraser) listen:
  Science's Greatest MysteriesBy Virginia Prescott on Thursday, August 14, 2008.Today on Word of Mouth we’re looking at the things that make scientists want to tear their hair out - the mysteries that defy explanation, the unanswered questions that lie just outside the frontier of knowledge.
But Dr. Michael Brooks is more interested in what scientists don’t know. His new book is "Thirteen Things That Don't Make Sense: The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of Our Time." He was formerly the senior features editor at New Scientist magazine. He joins Word of Mouth by phone from his home in England to discuss some embarassing problems for scientists, including dark matter and dark energy, cold fusion, the search for extraterrestrial life, the placebo effect, free will, and the evolutionary origins of death and sex. (Photo by ~BostonBill~) listen:
Gadget NationBy Abby Goldstein on Wednesday, July 23, 2008.
The Octodog, Clocky and the peanut butter mixer are all inventions chronicled in a new book called Gadget Nation, a journey through the eccentric world of invention. Its author, Steve Greenberg, is a self-confessed gadget junkie, a former reporter for HGTV, a freelance writer and member of a family of patent filers. listen:
Human-Inspired InventionsBy Virginia Prescott on Wednesday, July 2, 2008.
Artificial intelligence aims to recreate the ways human think, robots imitate the way we move, and right now, in labs across the world, inventors are looking at our five senses to create new tools and gadgets. Eric Griffith wrote about some of the most cutting edge of these developments for PC Magazine. listen:
The Inventions of TomorrowBy Virginia Prescott on Tuesday, May 20, 2008.We’re living in challenging times. Global warming and fuel shortages call for new ways to meet our energy needs. Major bridge collapses and earthquakes prompt us to rethink how we construct cities. Terminal illnesses and other injuries drive the search for effective treatment.
A zero-emission one-wheeled motorcycle, a steam engine for cars, a transmitter that detects lost miners using a motion sensor, and more. To find out about these inventors and the devices that could change our lives, we spoke with Mike Haney, executive editor of Popular Science. Read the full list of Popular Science's 2008 Invention Awards winners (Photo of Harry Schoell and his steam engine by John B. Carnett) listen:
My, What Big Ears You HaveBy Andrew Walsh on Tuesday, May 6, 2008.So many nifty gadgets and products make their way around the internet every day, it's hard to keep up. But one particular new novelty caught our eye today (or should I say "caught our ear"?): Full-sized audio speakers fashioned after iPod ear buds:  Inventions Great and SmallBy Shay Zeller on Thursday, August 17, 2006.This episode of the Front Porch is not available on CD or Cassette Tonight on the Front Porch, we'll hear first-person recollections from folks who knew Orville and Wilbur Wright, the grandfathers of modern aviation. We'll look at the real lives of the men who've become legends in American history. This piece comes to us by way of the Public Radio Exchange. Click here to go directly to the story and share your thoughts on it. And later in the show, we talk with Bob Parks, author of Makers: All Kinds of People Making Amazing Things In Their Backyard, Basement or Garage. It profiles the scientific-minded folks who are using everyday materials to try to build a better mousetrap. Makers is published by the people at Make Magazine. ***This interview originally aired December 29, 2005*** listen:
Young Inventors to the RescueBy Shannon Mullen on Monday, June 19, 2006.Two teams of New Hampshire engineers have come up with a pair of new inventions to help solve problems in their communities. They developed their gadgets with support from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But these aren’t your everyday inventors -- they’re teenagers. New Hampshire Public Radio correspondent Shannon Mullen has the story. listen:
Everyday Inventors and the Future Value of the NH TokenBy Shay Zeller on Thursday, December 29, 2005.A new book profiles amateur inventors from around the country. We'll find out about the people who really are building better mousetraps and all kinds of strange things, like motorized walking tables and shirts made out of computer fans. Shay's guest is Bob Parks, author of Makers: All Kinds of People Making Amazing Things In Their Backyard, Basement or Garage. The book is published by the people at Make Magazine. We'll also check in with coin expert David Bowers to find out if the state's highway tokens are worth more dead than alive. The state toll collectors will stop accepting the special coins as of January 1st to make way for the new E-Z Pass system. That could make the tokens attractive in the eye of collectors, but maybe not enough to gain much value. David Bowers is numismatic director at American Numismatic Rarities in Wolfeboro. listen:
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Science reporting tends to herald new explanations for things - the latest ideas on how the universe was formed, how our brains work, or uncovering a new species. 
Last night I cooked hot dogs. They were good enough, but if I’d had the Octodog, I could have made them look like octopi. Curious? So was I. And what about Clocky? It's an alarm clock that rolls away from you when you hit the snooze button, forcing you to get out of bed and chase it down the next time it goes off. Or what about a metal crank that you put in your jar of natural peanut butter that mixes it up without making a mess?
Some eye-opening inventions could be headed our way soon. New technologies often take their cues from the human brain and the human body. In the same way early aviation tinkerers studied the wings of birds, many of today’s top researchers look in the mirror for inspiration. 
Some answers are arriving from laboratories and universities. But solutions are also being dreamed up in garages and the basement next door. For the second year in a row,