Inventing Lives

How would your life be different, if no one had ever created Superglue, sewing machines, suspension bridges, or food preservatives? Maybe you can imagine the answer that question, but thanks to some amazing and creative inventors, you'll never know for sure.

To honor those inventors, and others, the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) will induct them on Monday, May 3, in Akron, Ohio. "The 20 inventors have patented inventions that have impacted our lives in very significant and beneficial ways," Rick Nydegger, NIHF President says.

The NIHF is a nonprofit organization that fosters creativity and invention by honoring the people responsible for the technological advances that make human, social and economic progress possible. Since its opening in 1973, 184 inventors have been recognized and added to its halls.

This week, you'll meet some of those inductees, and then you'll spend some time with two of history's most prominent inventors -- Thomas Edison and Leonardo daVinci. You'll also get a brief look at inventions created by ancient civilizations.

The Hall of Famers

Begin your tour at the National Inventors Hall of Fame and read the overview. Then click to the Induction Info page, and go to the 2004 Inductees list.

Browse through the list, from Frederick Banting, to Vannevar Bush, Ray Dolby, Edith Flanigen, Lloyd Augustus Hall, Charles D. Kelman, Norbert Rillieux, John Roebling, and Claude Shannon.

What exactly did each person invent? When did he or she invent it? In what ways did the original invention and intention lead to other inventions or uses?

If you have time, or want to later, you can browse through the Invention Channels, where the Hall of Famers can be browsed by group: Computers, Communications, Agriculture, Electricity, Chemistry, Imaging, Medical, Industrial, and Nobel Prize Winners are listed.

You can also browse the inventors by year inducted back at the Induction Info page.

Thomas Edison

Next, let's go over to the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation to learn more about Thomas Alva Edison. Read the introduction, then click Play Edison Invents! After it sets up the game, find a matched pair of inventions. When you find one, one of the squares in the timeline will light up and buzz. Click it to learn more about that invention and that period of time in Edison's life.

When you've won the game, click to read Edison's Story on the home page.

Why was Edison fascinated by locomotives? How did his love for trains lead to other experiences? What activities happened at the Menlo Park lab? What inventions fueled those activities? What other inventions did Edison create?

Leonardo daVinci

Next up is inventor, artist, and all-around Renaissance Man, Leonardo daVinci. Here at the Museum of Science, visit the Exploring Leonardo section. Read the overview, then step into the Inventor's Workshop.

Read through the introduction, then browse through the gallery at the bottom of the page. How did The Elements of Machines that were commonly used at the time of Leonardo contribute to his own inventions? Make sure to check out Leonardo's Mystery Machines and his Visions for the Future.

Lastly, discover the What, Where and When of Leonardo's life. In what ways did these activities, places, and time periods shape his life? How did his creative mind shape his life?

Ancient Inventors

Of course, inventors lived long before Leonardo was even born, since, as you've learned, Leonardo built much of his own designs around machines already created and in service.

So now let's go browse around the Museum of Ancient Inventions at the Smith College Museum of Science.

Click on a handful or all of the thumbnail images in the gallery. For example, check out the ancient fashion scene with the Bronze Age String Skirt and the Egyptian Eyeliner. Or, if you're more interested in Sumerian music, often played using the Bull Lyre or the Harp. And, don't forget, some of your household basics evolved from earlier versions, like Olive Oil Soap, Candles, Calendars, and Stools.

Now think about all the inventions you've learned about today. Which inventions would you say touch upon your life in some way every day? What would you do alternatively, if that invention had never been created?

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Newspaper Activities

Look through a current issue of Targetnewspaper and look at all of the photographs. How many inventions are pictured? Which inventions rely on one or more other inventions to work? Which inventions are more recent than others?