Inventions
Take a look around the room you are sitting in right now. The chair, the screen, your clothes, and even the lights above you were all invented by someone! Humans have been inventing things for thousands of years to solve problems and make life better. But did you know that some of our greatest inventions happened completely by accident?
The World of Human Imagination!
They are very different! A discovery is finding something that already exists in nature, like discovering that evaporating liquids cool things down. An invention is using human imagination to build something completely brand new, like using that discovery to build a refrigerator!
No, some are total accidents! Sometimes inventors are trying to build one thing but make a mistake, only to realise their mistake is actually an amazing invention in disguise. Chocolate chip cookies and sticky notes were both accidental inventions!
Put Your Instincts to the Test
Think about how some of the most famous everyday objects were created. Pick an answer for each scenario, then see if your instincts were right.
He was trying to make superglue! Spencer Silver wanted to invent the world's strongest glue, but he accidentally created a very weak, removable glue instead. It took years to realise it was absolutely perfect for sticky notes!
He pumped all the air out! Fire needs oxygen to burn. By creating a vacuum inside the glass bulb, the filament could glow white-hot without actually catching on fire.
Aerodynamics! The dimples change the way air flows over the ball. This effectively thins the boundary layer of air, which drastically reduces drag and allows the ball to fly much further down the course.
Understanding the Science
Inventing is a process. You rarely get it right on the very first try. You have to design, test, fail, and go straight back to the drawing board! Tap the cards below to reveal the keywords of the invention process.
Key Concepts
Invention
Tap to learn moreA completely new object, process, or tool created by human imagination to solve a specific problem, like building a refrigerator or a computer.
Discovery
Tap to learn moreFinding or observing something that already naturally exists in the universe, which often inspires a brand new invention later on.
Iteration
Tap to learn moreThe scientific process of repeating a design, testing it, finding the flaws, and making continuous improvements until it finally works perfectly.
Filament
Tap to learn moreThe tiny, delicate wire or fibre inside a traditional lightbulb that glows incredibly hot to produce bright light when electricity passes through it.
Vacuum
Tap to learn moreA sealed space completely empty of all matter and gases, including oxygen, which completely prevents lightbulb filaments from catching fire.
Aerodynamics
Tap to learn moreThe study of how air flows around physical objects, which inventors must deeply understand to build aeroplanes or design faster golf balls.
Accidental Invention
Tap to learn moreA highly useful product created by pure mistake when an inventor was actually trying to build something completely different.
Vaccine
Tap to learn moreA medical invention created after scientists discovered that the human body could build up a powerful natural resistance to terrible diseases.
Interactive: The Inventor's Iteration Lab
Thomas Edison meticulously tested over 300 different materials before he found the right combination to invent a working lightbulb! Step up to the workbench, select a Filament Material, and choose a glass bulb Environment. Press "TEST INVENTION" to run electricity through your prototype. Can you find the perfect combinations through iterative testing?
Apply Your Knowledge
Let us see if you can correctly identify the essential scientific terminology associated with engineering and inventions.
Match the Concepts
Click a scientific term to select it, then click the matching description to place it.
Real-World Challenge
Look around your classroom or bedroom and find one everyday object that frustrates you (maybe a pencil that always breaks, or a charging cable that is far too short). Put on your inventor's hat, how would you completely redesign this physical object to permanently solve the problem?
The 30-Year Evolution of Invention
This episode originally aired in 1995. Since then, human imagination has pushed technology forward at an incredible pace. Here are five major ways our inventions have evolved!
1995: We mostly used the hot, fragile incandescent bulbs originally invented by Thomas Edison.
Today: We use LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). They do not use a vacuum or a burning filament; they use advanced microchips to create incredibly bright light while staying completely cool!
1995: The episode shows the amazing invention of the heavy, bulky cordless drill.
Today: The invention of the Lithium-Ion battery has completely changed the world, giving us incredibly lightweight, highly powerful cordless tools and even electric cars that can drive for hundreds of miles on a single charge.
1995: Bill Nye the Science Guy highlights the Wright Brothers inventing planes that a human pilot could steer.
Today: We have invented drones and UAVs (Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles). These incredible machines use complex computer sensors to fly entirely by themselves to deliver packages, monitor crops, and film movies.
1995: The telephone, the camera, the compass, and the television were all completely separate physical inventions.
Today: The modern smartphone successfully merged all of these separate inventions into one single, incredibly powerful device that fits right in your pocket.
1995: The episode mentions the brilliant invention of traditional vaccines to fight diseases.
Today: Scientists have invented mRNA technology. Instead of using weakened viruses, we can now invent digital genetic instructions that teach the human body exactly how to naturally fight off new diseases!
Test Your Understanding
Answer these 10 questions and get instant feedback. How many can you get right?
Results
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Reflection
Inventors do not give up when they fail; they use their failures as data to learn how to succeed! Think about a time you tried to build or create something and it completely failed. What did that failure actually teach you for your next attempt?
Episode Discussion
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