Inventions

The invention: Jonas Salk’s vaccine was the first that prevented polio,resulting in the virtual eradication of crippling polio epidemics...

The invention: Albert Bruce Sabin’s vaccine was the first to stimulate long-lasting immunity against polio without the risk of causing p...

The invention: The first portable and reliable hand-held calculator capable of performing a wide range of mathematical computations. Th...

The invention: The first totally synthetic thermosetting plastic, which paved the way for modern materials science. The people behind ...

Photovoltaic cell The invention: Drawing their energy directly from the Sun, the first photovoltaic cells powered instruments on early s...

The invention: The first devices to make practical use of the photoelectric effect, photoelectric cells were of decisive importance in ...

The invention: Originally a tradename of the IBM Corporation, “personal computer” has become a generic term for increasingly powerful de...

The invention: The first successful and widely used antibiotic drug, penicillin has been called the twentieth century’s greatest “wonder...

The invention: A cytologic technique the diagnosing uterine cancer, the second most common fatal cancer in American women. The people b...

The invention:  A small device using transistor circuitry that regulates the heartbeat of the patient in whom it is surgically empl...

The invention: A synthetic fiber made from polyacrylonitrile that has become widely used in textiles and in the preparation of high-stre...

The invention:Anonmagnetic storage medium for computers that can hold much greater quantities of data than similar size magnetic media,...

The invention: Arotary cone drill bit that enabled oil-well drillers to penetrate hard rock formations. The people behind the invention...

The invention: A resilient, high-strength polymer with applications ranging from women’s hose to safety nets used in space flights. ...

The invention:  The first nuclear reactor to produce substantial quantities of plutonium, making it practical to produce usable amoun...

The invention:  The first full-scale commercial nuclear power plant, which gave birth to the nuclear power industry.   The peopl...

The invention:  Procedure that uses hydrogen atoms in the human body, strong electromagnets, radio waves, and detection equipment to pr...

The invention:Adevice that provided the first direct evidence that the Sun runs on thermonuclear power and challenged existing models of ...

The invention: The first commercially practical synthetic rubber, Neoprene gave a boost to polymer chemistry and the search for new mater...

The invention: System of high-speed cooking that uses microwave radition to agitate liquid molecules to raise temperatures by friction. T...

Memory metal The invention: Known as nitinol, a metal alloy that returns to its original shape, after being deformed, when it is heated...

The invention: The first device used to measure the mass of atoms, which was found to be the result of the combination of isotopes. The p...

The invention: Early digital calculator designed to solve differential equations that was a forerunner of modern computers. The people be...

The invention: The first X-ray procedure for detecting and diagnosing breast cancer. The people behind the invention: Albert Salomon, the...

The invention: System for conveying voice signals via wires over long distances. The people behind the invention: Alexander Graham Bell (...

The invention: The first radio transmissions fromthe United States to Europe opened a new era in telecommunications. The people behind th...

The invention: Technique using laser light beams to vaporize the plaque that clogs arteries. The people behind the invention: Albert Eins...

The invention: The first significant clinical ophthalmic application of any laser system was the treatment of retinal tears with a pulse...

The invention: Video and audio playback system that uses a lowpower laser to decode information digitally stored on reflective disks. The...

The invention: Taking its name from the acronym for light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation, a laser is a beam of elec...