Big Thinkers
A few incredible individuals are responsible for some of the biggest innovations. Learn about those who changed the world by thinking outside the box.
Barrels and Barrels of Aged Beer
HowStuffWorks: Candyland Comes Alive at Candytopia!
Electricity-free Fridge Could Change Millions of Lives
Who Invented the Toilet? A Brief History of the Flush
HowStuffWorks: How Porta Potties Work
Who invented sports drinks?
Who Invented the Light Bulb? It Wasn't Just Edison
Meet the Man Who Invented Cool Whip, Tang and Pop Rocks
Thomas Edison vs. Nikola Tesla Quiz
The Evolution of Dictaphones: A Comprehensive History
The Evolution of the Franklin Stove: From Invention to Modern Efficiency
The Fascinating History of the Mimeograph Machine
How WISE Works
How has NASA improved TV technology?
Who invented virtual reality technology?
Robot Revolution: Coming to a Restaurant Near You
How Patent Infringement Works
How Shrimp Shells Help Wounds Heal Faster
What is the history of the remote control?
10 New Uses for Old Inventions
5 Popular Invention Mashups
How could you confuse a rubber hand for your own hand?
Is it possible to fix a blown fuse with a chewing gum wrapper?
Do backscatter X-ray systems pose a risk to frequent fliers?
Why does a balloon stick to hair?
Why Do We Experiment on Mice?
Why do we experiment on animals?
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"Father of the Internet" is a term you might have heard, but does the Internet have a founding mother, too? Meet the engineer behind the moniker -- and find out what she thinks of the title.
Human beings seem to love building machines that can beat us at our own game -- sometimes literally. How can chess computers vanquish human chess masters -- and which machine was the first to do so?
In her legendary 60-year career, Jane Goodall has made being an intrepid scientist, environmentalist, writer and teacher look easy.
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The set of pioneering real-life scientists beat out other fan proposals including "Voltron," "Star Wars" and "Spaceballs" characters.
Although the MacArthur Foundation never intended to promote them that way, the financial awards it doles out have come to be known as "genius" grants. How are the recipients chosen?
If this were trivia night, your team could probably summon this answer without breaking a sweat. But in true polymath style, Engelbart's signature invention is only part of his computer genius. Meet him.
Technology has paved the way for all sorts of changes in our world. These are five of the people behind some of the greatest technological changes to benefit humankind.
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The concept of virtual reality is nothing new, but we bet you didn't know that a quirky, math-loving, dreadlocked dude is famous for coining the term. Meet Jaron Lanier.
Sure, Nobel Prize winners get money, a medal and bragging rights, but the rest of us often benefit from their accomplishments, too. Meet 10 of these game-changing people.
Galton was a pioneer in meteorology, psychology, statistics, biometrics, forensics and anthropology. But all of that is overshadowed by his promotion of and work on eugenics.
By Dave Roos
If you're a gamer, you've got Jerry Lawson to thank for inventing the first commercial home video game console with interchangeable game cartridges.