http://inventors.about.com/ Get the latest headlines from the About.com http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hh http://www.about.com/ 118 20 en-us 2013-05-12T01:20:28Z Sun, 12 May 2013 01:20:28 +0000 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/15/crayola-crayon-inventors.htm <p><img src="http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/9/2/1/crayonblog.jpg" border="2" alt="crayons" align="right" />The brand's first box of eight <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/crayons.htm">Crayola crayons</a> made its debut in 1903. The crayons were sold for a nickel and the colors were black, brown, blue, red, purple, orange, yellow, and green. Today, there over one hundred different types of crayons being made by Crayola including <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/crayons.htm">crayons</a> that: sparkle with glitter, glow in the dark, smell like flowers, change colors, and wash off walls and other surfaces and materials.</p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/15/crayola-crayon-inventors.htm Wed, 15 May 2013 01:12:41 +0000 2013-05-15T01:12:41Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/12/how-to-where-to-and-why-to-patent-an-idea.htm <p><img src="http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/W/5/1/patideablog.jpg" border="1" alt="patent an idea" hspace="5" align="right" />If you got it flaunt it. This is an introductory article I have written aimed at those of you who do not know how to patent it yourself. One hot tip, patent early, especially now when the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/firsttoinvent/First_to_Invent_Rule.htm">first to file</a> rule came into effect in the United States, and especially if your invention is in a highly competitive field.<em> Illustration: Getty Images/Chad Baker</em></p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/12/how-to-where-to-and-why-to-patent-an-idea.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/12/how-to-where-to-and-why-to-patent-an-idea.htm Sun, 12 May 2013 01:20:28 +0000 2013-05-12T01:20:28Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/11/capturing-light-shadows.htm <p><img src="http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/R/L/horsejumping.jpg" border="1" alt="muybridge" align="right" />San Francisco photographer, <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/mstartinventors/a/Muybridge.htm">Eadweard Muybridge</a> conducted motion-sequence still photographic experiments and is often called the "Father of the motion picture" even though he did not make films in the manner ...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/11/capturing-light-shadows.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/11/capturing-light-shadows.htm Sat, 11 May 2013 10:21:44 +0000 2013-05-11T10:21:44Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/10/i-scream-for-ice-cream-2.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/inventors/1/H/P/9/1/icecream.jpg" border="2" alt="A bowl of ice cream with wafers" hspace="5" align="right" /></p> <p>Shout out to Michelle Barbara and Cowabunga Ice Cream for sending me the following tasty <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/foodrelatedinventions/a/ice_cream.htm">ice cream</a> facts.</p> <p>In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month (July 17, 2011) as National Ice Cream Day. <em>Photo Credit: James Ross/Getty Images</em></p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/10/i-scream-for-ice-cream-2.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/10/i-scream-for-ice-cream-2.htm Fri, 10 May 2013 19:16:29 +0000 2013-05-10T19:16:29Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/05/glow-in-the-dark-science.htm <p><img src="http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/v/-/1/Photoluminescen2.jpg" alt="photoluminescence" align="right" />Photo-luminescence by definition is the emission of light from a molecule or atom that has absorbed electromagnetic energy: examples include fluorescence and phosphorescence materials. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/Photoluminescen.htm">Photo-luminescence spectroscopy</a> is a contact-less, nondestructive method of probing the electronic structure of materials.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/05/glow-in-the-dark-science.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/05/glow-in-the-dark-science.htm Sun, 05 May 2013 00:22:36 +0000 2013-05-05T00:22:36Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/04/radioactive-atm.htm <p><img src="http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/G/m/-/1/atm.jpg" border="1" alt="atm" hspace="5" align="left" />Well, just slightly radioactive. According to a BBC News report, the world's first <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/astartinventions/a/atm.htm">ATM</a> was installed in a branch of Barclays in Enfield, North London. At that time plastic atm cards did not exist. The Barclay <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/astartinventions/a/atm_2.htm">atm machine</a> took checks that were impregnated with carbon 14, a slightly radioactive substance. To learn about an invention with real radioactivity try the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/astartinventions/a/atomic_bomb.htm">atomic bomb</a>. <em>Photo Credit:&#160; stock.xchng/Andy Culpin</em></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/04/radioactive-atm.htm Sat, 04 May 2013 23:59:22 +0000 2013-05-04T23:59:22Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/04/may-is-now-national-inventors-month.htm <p>National Inventors Month which used to be held in <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/todayinhistory/a/august.htm">August</a> is now being held in <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/todayinhistory/a/may.htm">May</a>. The senate had agreed to the switch after appeals made by Edison Nation and Inventors Digest, supporters and founders of National Inventors Month. August traditionally has been National Inventors Month. The move to May better aligns with the academic calendar, explained Inventors Digest Editor Mike Drummond.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/04/may-is-now-national-inventors-month.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/05/04/may-is-now-national-inventors-month.htm Sat, 04 May 2013 23:58:55 +0000 2013-05-04T23:58:55Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/04/29/so-how-does-a-telephone-work.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/inventors/1/9/5/E/1/goldtelephone.jpg" align="left" hspace="5" border="2" alt="How a telephone works - overview" /></p> <p>Some times it is the simplest things in life that we take for granted. For example, have you ever wondered just <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/tstartinventions/ss/How-A-Telephone-Works.htm">How A Telephone Works</a>?</p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/04/29/so-how-does-a-telephone-work.htm Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:48:25 +0000 2013-04-29T22:48:25Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/04/29/bad-predictions.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/inventors/1/9/f/B/1/bad_predictions.jpg" border="2" alt="Bad Predictions" hspace="5" align="right" />You might find this in some way encouraging, the facts are that&#160; many inventions that are now famous and have achieved a tremendous amount of success, were once ridiculed and laughed at. That's right. The telephone, television, radio, movies, computers, lightbulbs, and the airplane were all predicted to fail. So maybe, if they are laughing at what you are inventing today, tomorrow will prove them all wrong. <em>Photo credit: Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty Images</em></p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/04/29/bad-predictions.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/04/29/bad-predictions.htm Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:31:20 +0000 2013-04-29T21:31:20Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/04/27/who-said-the-following-quotes.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/inventors/1/9/4/E/1/blankquotes.JPG" border="2" alt="Quotes" hspace="5" align="right" />"All bibles are man-made."</p> <p>"I know this world is ruled by infinite intelligence. Everything that surrounds us, everything that exists, proves that there are infinite laws behind it. There can be no denying this fact. It is mathematical in its precision."</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/04/27/who-said-the-following-quotes.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2013/04/27/who-said-the-following-quotes.htm Sat, 27 Apr 2013 21:58:13 +0000 2013-04-27T21:58:13Z