Showing titles in Inventions & Inventors

Although Orville and Wilbur Wright are celebrated today as heroes for their revolutionary contributions to science and engineering - they are acknowledged as the first men to successfully achieve powered, piloted flight - their success was hard-earned. In fact, it took the self-taught engineers years of work and dozens of crashes before they managed a single 12-second flight! In this first installment of the brand new Epic Fails series, Ben Thompson and Erik Slader take listeners through the Wright brothers' many mishaps and misadventures as they paved the way for modern aviation.

At least as far back as the ancient myth of Icarus, humans longed to fly - but it wasn't until December 17, 1903, on the windy dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, that the dream finally came true. And it was all thanks to Orville and Wilbur Wright, two former bicycle mechanics who built their first toy plane - a rubber-band powered rotary - when they were just children.

Robots help people in many situations. Some robots rescue people trapped by tornadoes or earthquakes. Others explore volcanoes and the sea floor. And some help scientists protect our environment. How might helper robots affect your life? Listen to this audiobook to find out!

What do libraries, streetlights, and fire stations have in common? What about bifocal lenses and the odometer? Sayings like "haste makes waste?" Benjamin Franklin was a man of many talents: a scientist who experimented with electricity; a diplomat who served as envoy to France and negotiated peace with England; a mapmaker, printer, and writer famous for his Poor Richard's Almanack.

Winner of the Caldecott Medal, this stunning audiobook depicts Louis Bleriot's historic first cross-Channel flight. 

This audiobook introduces listeners to the science that makes Smartphones possible. Accessible text and engaging discussion topics make this short audiobook an exciting introduction to understanding technology.

This audiobook introduces listeners to the science that makes the Internet possible. Accessible text and engaging discussion topics make this short audiobook an exciting introduction to understanding technology.

As young boys, Orville and Wilbur Wright loved all things mechanical. As young men, they gained invaluable skills essential for their success by working with printing presses, bicycles, motors, and any sort of machinery they could get their hands on. As adults, the brothers worked together to invent, build, and fly the world's first successful airplane. This is the fascinating story of the two inventors and aviation pioneers who never lost sight of their dream: to fly, and to soar higher!

Gewohnt schwungvoll präsentieren Shary und Ralph Leckerbissen für Wissenshungrige. Diesmal führt das bekannte Moderatoren-Duo die größten Erfindungen aller Zeiten vor. Ob Dampflok, Kuckucksuhr oder Bügelfalte: Keine Errungenschaft bleibt unerwähnt. Wer hätte gedacht, dass Genie und WAh!nsinn oft so nAh! beieinanderliegen?

Learn about the history of the Printing Press with iMindsJNR audio-learning series for younger minds.

Alongside the invention of the wheel, electric light and the internet, the invention of the printing press was one of history’s great, transformative moments.

Historias dramatizadas en audio para ni?os de todas las edades. Con estas historias aprenderas sobre Louis Pasteur, Madam Curie y otros grandes cientificos. (Dramatized audio stories for children of all ages. Through these stories you will learn aobut Louis Pasteur, Madam Curie and other great scientists.)

Historias dramatizadas en audio para ni?os de todas las edades. Con estas historias aprenderas sobre Alejandro Graham Bell, Tomas Alba Edison, los hermanos Wright, Enrique Ford y otros grandes inventores. (Dramatized audio stories for children of all ages. Through these stories you will learn about Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, Henry Ford and other great inventors.)

Unsere Welt ist voller technischer Erfindungen, die auf genialen Ideen, Geistesblitzen und Forscherdrang beruhen. Unterhaltsam und informativ stellt diese erzählte Technikgeschichte bahnbrechende Erfindungen und ihre Entdecker vor: Man erfährt, wie Carl Benz das Auto entwickelte, was zur Erfindung des Dieselmotors führte, wie die Brüder Lumière die Bilder laufen lehrten, warum Melitta Bentz den Kaffeefilter erfand und vieles mehr!

Both Thomas Edison and Henry Ford started off as insatiably curious tinkerers. That curiosity led them to become inventors - with very different results. As Edison invented hit after commercial hit, gaining fame and fortune, Henry struggled to make a single invention (an affordable car) work. Witnessing Thomas' glorious career from afar, a frustrated Henry wondered about the secret to his success.

In a time when people believed flying was impossible, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier proved that the sky wasn’t the limit. When most thought horseback was the only way to race, Bertha and Karl Benz fired up their engines. From the invention of the bicycle and the passenger steam locomotive to the first liquid-fuel propelled rocket and industrial robot, inventors across the world have redefined travel. Informative and celebratory, this collective biography tells the story of the experiments, failures, and successes of visionaries who changed the way the world moves.

John Logie Baird loves inventing things! When he hears about another inventor who has built a machine to show real live pictures, John sets about trying to do the same. Equipped with bits and pieces found in his house, John begins a journey that will change the course of history forever.

Have you ever stared into the night sky, full of stars and planets? As a kid, Neil deGrasse Tyson was star-struck when he first visited a planetarium. The universe was calling him.  Tyson pursued his interest in astronomy and studied to be an astrophysicist. In 1996, he became the director of New York's Hayden Planetarium. He is passionate about teaching people about the universe. Known for making science fun and easy to understand, he has hosted and appeared on TV shows such as Nova ScienceNow and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Did you realize that swimming suits used to weigh 22 pounds (about 10 kilograms)? Or that the first people to wear high heels were French royalty (even the king!) in the 1500s? Get ready to learn the amazing stories behind inventions you use every day. From the society woman who invented bras to the Swiss inventor who came up with the idea for Velcro, you'll find out how we got some of our favorite fashion inventions.

Did you know that the world's first submarine traveled the Thames River in England way back in 1615? Or that early cars had three wheels instead of four? Get ready to learn the fascinating stories behind inventions you use every day. From the motorcycle inventor who died while riding his creation, to the engineers who figured out a better way to launch humans into space, you'll find out how we got the transportation inventions that get us where we're going.

Did you know that a scientist discovered X-rays by accident? Or that people have been taking pain medicine for more than 5,000 years? Get ready to learn the strange stories behind inventions you use every day. From the Roman warrior with a famous false hand, to the Boy Scouts who made Band-Aids a big deal, you'll find out how we got the medical wonders that help us heal faster and feel better.