Innovation

The water frame was a revolutionary textile machine that mechanized spinning, transforming the cotton industry and driving industrialization.

By Desiree Bowie

Steamships quickly replaced sails in the early 1800s. Learn more about the origins of steamships and the innovations that led to their creation.

By Yara Simón

James Watt’s steam engine propelled the world forward. Learn about the Watt steam engine’s impact and the innovations that helped make it possible.

By Yara Simón

As the result of a happy accident, scientists have created a sustainable paint that's lighter, longer-lasting and more cooling than traditional paint.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Despite a ho-hum name, paper shredders have an extraordinary (and juicy) history featuring the likes of Oliver North, Enron and all sorts of spies. What story will thrust this commonplace technology back in the limelight next?

By Kate Kershner

Stethoscopes started as a way for 19th-century doctors to put some distance between themselves and grubby patients. Today though, this simple listening tool is one of the best ways to diagnose a range of problems.

By Julia Layton

Ahhhh, the good old No. 2 pencil and its oft-used eraser. Have you ever wondered exactly what science is at work when that pink, rubbery lifesaver eradicates your blunders?

By Maria Trimarchi

In 1925, after an auto paint job gone wrong, a young research assistant was struck by the idea for adhesive tape. But how does tape actually stick, and how are we able to peel it off a roll?

By Julia Layton

You might have heard of George Washington Carver and Neil deGrasse Tyson. But what about Patricia Bath? Or Percy Julian? Meet 10 African American scientists who have made the world a better place for everyone.

By Laurie L. Dove

After the success of craft breweries, it was perhaps inevitable that moonshine would get its own day in the sun. But while you can make both beer and whiskey at home, there are some major differences between them – starting with legality.

By Laurie L. Dove

People have been making (and drinking) wine for 8,000 years -- which means lots of innovations both now and in the past, from creating Champagne to quirky wine labels.

By Becky Striepe

Smartphones, tablets and other devices are not just useful; they can improve your social life. We'll look at some of the newest ways to integrate social media into whatever you're doing.

By Dave Roos

With the launch of the Kepler telescope and observatory in 2009, scientists’ knowledge of our universe has taken a quantum leap forward in a little more than five years. Orbiting our own planet, Kepler’s mission is a simple one: Search for habitable planets elsewhere in the universe. This orbiting telescope is so powerful that it […] The post 10 Mindblowing Discoveries of the Universe appeared first on Goliath.

By Jack Sackman

For generations science fiction writers have helped to shape the future with their imaginations. In his classic novel From the Earth to the Moon, Jules Verne wrote a fictional account of traveling to space nearly a century before it actually happened. What’s more, radar, geostationary satellites, and powerful computers that fit in your pocket were all […] The post 12 Of The Coolest Theoretical Ideas From Science Fiction appeared first on Goliath.

By Wes Walcott

The light bulb literally brightened the whole world and Thomas Edison generally gets the credit for inventing it. But did he?

By Dylan Ris & Yara Simón

From the moment we are awoken by our alarm clock in the morning, right through to when we turn out the light before going to sleep, we use an enormous amount of inventions that make our day to day lives much easier. Many of these are relatively new inventions, whilst there are also dozens of […] The post 10 Amazing Inventions We Don’t Appreciate Enough appeared first on Goliath.

By Jonny Hughes

Not every wonderful invention was created intentionally. Some of the products we cherish most were born because of clumsiness or lazy tendencies. While others were discovered by watching how others interact with things differently than we do. For researchers who spend months, or even years experimenting, this spontaneous discovery can be thrilling. While not every […] The post 15 Of The Coolest Accidental Inventions appeared first on Goliath.

By Rachel Despres

Ah, the pride of leaving your name on a discovery as a lasting legacy of your time here on Earth. As the 10 discoveries on this list demonstrate, you probably won't get to revel in that pride while you're still alive.

By Maria Trimarchi

He had patents and pigeons galore. His role in history books could be more. So come ye science fans, and read up on your Tesla facts, myths and lore.

By Nicholas Gerbis

Although many still remember Nikola Tesla, his name doesn't carry the weight it once did during his famous battles with Thomas Edison. What was this eccentric genius like?

By John Kelly

Algae represents big money to some investors and could provide protein to help solve the problem of world hunger.

By Stell Simonton

Salt is something most of us use without thinking about it. But with so many options available, how do we know what's best?

By Shaun Chavis

You've seen them. Those iconic, mesmerizing liquid sculptures that dance inside a glass bottle, casting a warm and nostalgic glow. Yes, we're talking about the lava lamp. But, how do lava lamps work?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors & Austin Henderson

In her legendary 60-year career, Jane Goodall has made being an intrepid scientist, environmentalist, writer and teacher look easy.

By Jesslyn Shields