Invention Notebook

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  • The Food Allergy Detective

    The Food Allergy Detective

    This young inventor created an AI-enabled, electronic nose to sniff out allergens lurking in your food.

  • 5 Young Inventors Aim to Change the World

    5 Young Inventors Aim to Change the World

    Anyone can be an inventor. There are no restrictions on having a bright idea that can change the world. Note: This article was originally published in the Mechanical Engineering magazine at ASME. Click here to read more of ASME’s content. Hannah Herbst with President Barack Obama in front of her research for Beacon, a water energy-capturing device.…

  • Invention Roundup: Inventors Addressing COVID-19 Pandemic

    Invention Roundup: Inventors Addressing COVID-19 Pandemic

    From Rapid Testing in Low-Resource Countries to Ventilator Splitters In a global pandemic, one size does not always fit all when it comes to protective gear, equipment and diagnostic testing. Take, for example, the varied environmental factors that impact diagnostic testing methodologies. What might work in urban settings such as New York City may not…

  • This College Student Can Convert Your Gas-Guzzler Into a Zero-Carbon Ride

    This College Student Can Convert Your Gas-Guzzler Into a Zero-Carbon Ride

    (Pictured above from left to right: Sean Krivonogoff, Blake Turner, and Mel Turner pose on Blake’s 1963 Chevrolet Corvair) By creating a low-cost hydrogen conversion kit, inventor Blake Turner hopes to make owning an eco-friendly car more affordable. A 1963 Chevrolet Corvair might be stylish, but it doesn’t exactly say environmental sustainability. Unless Portland, Oregon…

  • During a Health Crisis, Look for the Inventors

    During a Health Crisis, Look for the Inventors

    UPDATE: Since this article’s publication, the Highlight product has been named one of the Best Infection Prevention Products by Newsweek. Catastrophe can be a powerful catalyst for invention. It was a deadly pathogen that turned Jason Kang and his friends into inventors. But it’s not the one you’re thinking of. In 2014, Ebola wasMore

  • Inventing a Better Insect Trap

    Inventing a Better Insect Trap

    How One Pennsylvania Teen Found Inspiration in Her Own Backyard How do you quash an insect invasion that threatens your favorite trees? For fourteen-year old Rachel Bergey of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, the answer involves inventing a new product out of garden netting and aluminum foil, and one key strategy: outsmarting the enemy. The spotted lanternfly is…

  • The Case for Invention Education

    The Case for Invention Education

    How Empathy in STEM Can Transform Learning for Students and Teachers UPDATE: In August 2020, Doug Scott was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Picture a group of high school students on a frozen pond in Massachusetts, their eyes trained intently on a moving object. No, it’s not a hockey puck. It’s…

  • Are Robots Really Coming For Our Jobs?

    Are Robots Really Coming For Our Jobs?

    What We’ve Learned From Previous Industrial Revolutions A fourth industrial revolution? According to a loose coalition of economists, techno-enthusiasts, and other analysts, we are in the early stages of a fourth revolutionary moment, during which innovations in technology bring about major changes to the production of goods and services, and significantly impact employment. The first…

  • Going Beyond the Horizon

    Going Beyond the Horizon

    Jim West has been at the forefront of acoustic science for nearly six decades. From his childhood in the segregated South to his recent work on an advanced digital stethoscope, West has always looked for “what exists beyond the horizon.” This article was originally published on USPTO.gov on November 2019. Each month, their Journeys of Innovation…

  • Inventing for Impact

    Inventing for Impact

    Why a Diverse Invention Ecosystem Is Crucial for Solving the World’s Biggest Problems Today is Edison’s birthday, which President Reagan designated “National Inventors’ Day.” Indeed, inventors have been recognized as essential to our country’s success since the days of our Founders, when George Washington urged the first Congress to set up the patent system. In…

  • Growing Global Invention Ecosystems to Solve Our Sustainable Development Challenges

    Growing Global Invention Ecosystems to Solve Our Sustainable Development Challenges

    Why Entrepreneur Ecosystems Are Not “One Size Fits All” For Global Entrepreneurship Week, millions of people across 170 countries participated in thousands of online events and in-person gatherings to discuss the state-of-the-state of global entrepreneurship, as well as what’s needed to grow entrepreneurial opportunity in the years ahead. One of the key themes for this…

  • A Teen Inventor’s Experience With Hurricane Sandy Spurs Innovation

    A Teen Inventor’s Experience With Hurricane Sandy Spurs Innovation

    That event spurred her to think about other communities vulnerable to natural disasters. Helen Lyons was inspired to invent by a problem she encountered close to home. When she was in fourth grade living in New York City, her neighborhood was devastated by Hurricane Sandy. “The streets turned into rivers, and I remember watching the…

  • Inspiring Students to Invent Can Transform Lives

    Inspiring Students to Invent Can Transform Lives

    A Teacher Motivates Her Student to become a Science Educator When teachers present their students with real-world challenges to solve, they show them that they have the power to improve lives in their community and beyond. For National Teacher Appreciation Week, we’re celebrating teachers who are inspiring their students through invention education. Clara Mabour was…