Early Origins

The earliest origins of sunscreen, much like many products, date back to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. In order to protect their skin from the sun’s harmful rays, the Greeks used olive oil and the Egyptians used extracts of jasmine, rice, and lupine plants. Although many of these are still active ingredients in skincare we use today, these ingredients don’t hold up as far as sun protection against our now chemically derived products. But those didn’t begin to circulate in our societies until the 20th century.

The Many Inventors Behind Sunscreen

The trek toward the invention of sunscreen started with H.A. Milton Blake, a chemist, who began experimenting with a sunburn cream in the 1930s. Then in 1938, a Swiss chemistry student named Franz Greiter suffered a sunburn while climbing Mount Piz Buin and he set out to create his own sunscreen product.

In the meantime, an airman and pharmacist named Benjamin Green was also in the process of creating his own version of sunscreen. He used a greasy substance called ‘red vet pet’ (red veterinary petrolatum) to protect himself and other soldiers from UV rays during WWII. Rather than being the traditional sunscreen we know as translucent, it was a heavier substance that was meant to act as a physical barrier between your skin and the sun.

Both men were working furiously to perfect their products and get them on the market. Green ended up mixing his original ‘red vet pet’ with cocoa butter and coconut oil and his product would later be bought by Coppertone and become the sunscreen we still know today. Greiter ended up coming out with a product called ‘Gletsher Creme’ or ‘Glacier Gream’ and was eventually picked up by a company called Piz Buin, which was named after the mountain trek that inspired his invention.

Although both men came out with their products around roughly the same time, Greiter’s most important contribution was that he invented the SPF rating in 1962. This is the measure of the fraction of sunburn producing UV rays that reach the skin. The SPF calculation was then adopted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1978 and it changed the way sunscreen was labeled. Once the rules had been adopted, the FDA issued a set of comprehensive guidelines to help consumers identify suitable sunscreen products.

All of these names have been tossed about in regard to who actually invented sunscreen and, since there seemed to be a case of parallel thought, it’s hard to say who was actually the first to invent it. But one thing we do know is that we couldn’t be more grateful for their invention on these 90 degree summer days.

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EARMUFFS

At the humble age of 15, Chester Greenwood just wanted to go ice skating. But when he got on the ice, he quickly retreated back to his house because his ears were too cold. He asked his grandmother to sew two bunches of fur between loops of wire. The manufacturing of these ear protectors, now known as earmuffs, kept his hometown of Farmington employed for nearly 60 years.  In fact, the first Saturday of December is designated as Chester Greenwood Day to celebrate the man and his invention.

DOWN JACKETS

The earliest known use of down feathers for insulation was in the 1600s- a Russian document lists “bird down” as being sold to Dutch merchants. Down feathers now typically come from domesticated geese but historically could be from anything from ducks to seagulls. It was first patented in the United States by none other than Eddie Bauer in 1940 and would become his most successful and iconic product. As the decade progressed, Bauer made several other products with down: comforters, pillows, a “sleeping robe” and a sleeping bag he guaranteed to keep people warm in temperatures as low as -60 degrees F.

SNOWSHOES

Snowshoes were invented in Central Asia, taking inspiration from the evolutionary traits of winter animals. The version most are familiar with- webbed with lacings- was created by Indigenous people. These consisted of flat leather surfaces and rounded wooden blocks and were meant to help the user walk over a large area without their foot sinking into the snow. Although a necessity when first invented, today they are more used for recreation and their design has changed accordingly.  Today’s modern snowshoe was created by Gene and Bill Prater in 1972 and is made out of aluminum and nylon.

GLOVES (AND MITTENS)

It’s hard to tell when wearing gloves for protection from the cold started, but most theorize it to be as old as clothing itself. Mittens, meanwhile, date back to Latvia around 1000 AD and actually keep your hands warmer than gloves. The story behind mittens is rather unique. When getting married, Latvian women were gifted with a hope chest filled with mittens, each with a different pattern to bless their homes, their husbands, their families and the world around them.  Side note: mittens with the string attached so they don’t get lost are called idiot mittens. Make of that what you will.

ELECTRIC BLANKETS

In 1912, physician Sidney Russel invented the first electric blanket. It was designed to be placed under a mattress and send heat upwards to the person in bed. The more traditional kind that let you snuggle directly underneath was developed by George Crowley in 1930. The addition of a thermostat to control temperature was added in 1936. Today, we can snuggle up under heated quilts and rest our heads on heated pillows… here’s hoping one day we’ll have a heated mattress. And while electric blankets may not seem like outdoor winter wear, tuberculosis patients were given them to keep warm while they slept outside for treatment…making them a mandatory piece of survival.

THERMAL UNDERWEAR

Thermal underwear, or “long johns,” were first introduced to the British public in the 17^th century. It wasn’t until the next century that they caught on as sleepwear. These garments were meant to be worn not only for sleeping but also under normal clothing to keep warm and insulate the body. Traditionally wool was used, but a much less itchy cotton or cotton-poly blend are commonly used today.

BALACLAVA

During the Crimean War, the battle of Balaclava was fought. Due to the name and location, the facemasks the soldiers wore were nicknamed “balaclavas.” While primarily used for protection from the elements, the garment was designed to be multi-purpose. The modern ski mask is a variation of the balaclava meant for the wear and tear of sports.

The post Invention Spotlight: Winter Wear appeared first on Inventionland.

STRING LIGHTS

While they might be a hassle to get untangled, prior to their release, people would decorate their trees with live candles. As you can imagine, this was actually pretty dangerous, so Edward Johnson sought to create a safer alternative. Johnson, the protégé of Thomas Edison, debuted his electric Christmas lights to the public in the late 1800s and the tradition of wrestling with them each year has persisted ever since.

GIFT CARDS

These popular stocking stuffers and gifts from relatives you don’t really speak with first debuted in 1998. Nancy Gensburg and Carol Jacobsohn of Swift Gifts in Illinois combined the magic of modern credit cards with store-specific gift certificates and gift cards were born. They were an instant hit and now most retailers have some version of a gift card.

YULE LOGS

Few people burn actual yule logs anymore. The tradition started as a pagan ritual to celebrate the winter solstice, usually burning pine, birch, oak, or aspen (with each type of wood having a different meaning). The modern equivalent is the yule log cake or “Buche de Noel.”  A chocolate sponge cake is rolled around cream and decorated to look like a traditional yule log. It was first created by a French pastry chef in the late 1880s.

THE DREIDEL

Before becoming the game of choice at Hanukah gatherings, the dreidel started as a top popular in Germany during Christmastime. The Jewish community soon adopted the toy, changing the letters on the top from German to Yiddish. Some stories also suggest that they were used as a cover-up after illegally reading the Torah while hiding from the Seleucids.

CANDY CANES

White sugar candy sticks were popular treats, but in 1670 the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral decided to bend them to look like shepherd’s crooks. They were handed out to children to keep them quiet during services. It wasn’t until the 1900s that the peppermint flavor and iconic red stripes were added, making them the wintertime snack we all know and love.

GREETING CARDS

Surprisingly, Hallmark had nothing to do with the first Christmas card, although they did help popularize them years later. The first card was designed in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole and his friend, artist John Horsley. The inscription was a simple “A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” Believe it or not, the card was actually quite controversial because it included an image of a child being given a glass of wine. But one controversial card didn’t stop this fad. Today, thanks to sites like Shutterfly, many families send out personalize cards with family photos so you can see just how much everyone has grown in the last year.

WRAPPING PAPER

We have Hallmark to thank for wrapping paper, naturally. People traditionally wrapped their presents in fabric or plain papers, but the Kansas City, Missouri Hall Brothers store ran out of the latter one day in 1917. They started offering patterned envelope liners as an alternative. Shoppers loved it and gift wrap hasn’t been the same since. Today, you can find gift wrap decorated with everything from donuts to dinosaurs, and it’s become an art to match the gift wrap with the receiver’s personality.

ARTIFICIAL CHRISTMAS TREES

While going out as a family to pick out the perfect Christmas tree is considered iconic, nowadays many pull the artificial one from the basement. Early artificial trees were made in Germany out of wire covered in green-dyed feathers. In the 1930s, the plastic tree most are familiar with was introduced by Addis, a toilet brush company and the first trees were made out of, you guessed it–toilet brush bristles. We’ve come a long way since then and now you can get trees pre-lit, snow covered and in all colors of the rainbow.

The post Invention Spotlight: Holiday Inventions appeared first on Inventionland.

Fittingly enough, this odd treat has an equally odd past. The origins of the s’more are vague and mysterious and we don’t actually know who originally invented them or how. The first public appearance of the treat was in a 1927 recipe in Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts. They titled the recipe “Some Mores” because it’s so yummy you’ll want some more. Cute, right?

As far as where the mysterious inventor (who we’re betting was a Girl Scout) got their inspiration, there’s some speculation. According to National Geographic, the origins could date back to the Victorian era. During that period, ‘sandwich cookies’ and sponge cakes filled with jam, lemon curd, and cream were fairly popular. A few other previous sources of inspiration for the treat could have been the Mallomar (a graham cracker cookie coated with chocolate with a marshmallow topping) which was first sold in 1913. The Moon Pie (two graham cracker cookies with a marshmallow filling dipped in chocolate) went on the market in 1917 (also prior to the creation of s’mores).

The key component of the s’more is the roasted marshmallow. The original marshmallow (Althaea Officinalis) was a swamp plant from Europe and West Asia that vaguely resembled hollyhock. The roots of the plant produce a sticky white sap which, for quite a while, was similar to cough drops. By the mid-1800s, the French had the idea of turning the sap into something more culinary. They whipped up the substance with egg whites and sugar and poured it into molds to form the first marshmallows. During this time, they were extremely expensive and only available to the upper class. It wasn’t until the late 1800s, when the sap was replaced by less expensive gelatin, that the treat became more accessible to the general public.

But roasting of these tiny fluffy treats didn’t come about until the 1890’s. The specifics of the origins are unclear, but all of a sudden roasting marshmallows became the latest summer fad. According to period newspaper reports, “The simplicity of this form of amusement is particularly charming. One buys two or three pounds of marshmallows, invites half a dozen friends, and that is all the preparation required.”

The original recipe for the s’more was a recipe for 8 and called for eight sticks, 16 graham crackers, 16 marshmallows, and 8 bars of plain chocolate (each bar broken in half). The original recipe instructs, “Toast two marshmallows over the coals to a crisp gooey state and then put them inside a graham cracker and chocolate bar sandwich. The heat of the marshmallow between the halves of chocolate bar will melt the chocolate a bit.”

Whether the treat originated from a genius inventor or from a humble girl scout, we can’t say (though we’re guessing the latter). What we can say, though, is this: whoever you are, thank you. You’ve helped make the transition from summer to fall a little sweeter.

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You have to agree, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as seeing your hard work recognized by others. Well, that’s how our Creationeers are feeling today because their hard work will be on QVC!

The Inventionland-designed PushPan Brownie Pan will be featured on QVC’s “Kitchen Unlimited with Carolyn” between 12 and 1 p.m. EST!

This innovative product is on set right now as we speak and will be showcased as a QVC exclusive.

Though this isn’t the first Inventionland-designed product to make its way on QVC airwaves, the excitement level of our Creationeers is through the roof!

On the show, the PushPan Brownie Pan, which we designed for our friends at Love Cooking Company, will be front and center as host Carolyn Gracie shows off just how easy this baking innovation is to use.

What’s on today’s QVC menu? Only time will tell because the PushPan Brownie Pan can make perfectly-portioned brownies, cake squares and even savory dishes like cornbread!

Since there are still a few hours until the product appears on QVC, here are a few snapshots of the PushPan Brownie Pan in action to curb your cravings for innovative products and sweet treats!

Set your DVR or tune in LIVE to see the PushPan Brownie Pan for yourself!

Copyright Inventionland, 2016

The post QVC, Here We Come! appeared first on Inventionland.

DADSS is a new technology that was invented to help determine whether or not a driver is intoxicated and it works in a way that eliminates the need for a breathalyzer.

This technology is the result of a research partnership between the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS), which represents 17 automobile manufacturers, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), to assess and develop alcohol-detection technology to prevent impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel.

The purpose of DADSS is to explore the feasibility and the potential benefits and challenges that are often associated with a more wide-spread use of in-vehicle technology to prevent drunk driving.

The new technology that is currently being developed is breath and touch sensors that can determine a person’s blood alcohol level and, in turn, disable a vehicle if the level is above the legal limit of .08.

A study from the NHTSA that was published in March 2014 revealed that 25% of drunk driving arrests were from repeat offenders.

Though that’s an outstanding statistic, there is good news and that is that drunk driving rates are falling in the United States and have gone down 30% since 2014.

Essentially, the DADSS program is centered on researching advanced driver assist technology that will be made available in future new vehicles.

To that note, currently 21 states – including Alabama, Illinois and New York – require the use of ignition interlock, which is a breathalyzer that controls the ignition of a car.

The ignition interlock isn’t fool-proof; however, the DADSS technology is much more effective than the former.

Take a look at this video:

DADSS is showing a lot of promise thanks to its advanced technology. It’s the hope that one day DADSS will be included as an optional safety feature for purchase in new cars.

Copyright Inventionland, 2015

Sources:

https://mashable.com/2015/07/27/schumer-drunk-driving/

https://www.nhtsa.gov/Vehicle+Safety/DADSS

Media:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2826/11064883376_82cb9baf63_o_d.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yykyT4YRw4A

The post DADSS Aims to Hit the Brakes on Drunk Driving appeared first on Inventionland.

The plan for the Prandtl-m seems to be right out of a science-fiction movie. It was designed and developed by a group of engineering students who were working at NASA as part of an internship program in 2012 and 2013.

The model that they created was known as the Prandtl-d.

As we’ve said time and time again, an invention is never complete on this first iteration. That’s because countless updates and changes are made throughout the invention process.

If NASA’s experimental program works out, the first aircraft on Mars could be a flying wing.

In its entirety, the Prandtl-m will be a flying wing glider that’s designed specifically to fly piggyback with a future Mars rover mission to provide low-altitude reconnaissance.

As of late, the Mars missions have only operated in two altitudes: on the ground and orbital.

However, NASA hopes to fill the void with the Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Land on Mars (Prandtl-m) prototype flying wing glider.

 The image above from NASA.gov shows what the Prandtl-m could look like when flying above the surface of Mars.

The simple design of the Prandtl-m allows for it to self-correct its altitude during descent. It’s made of composite material and it’s designed to fold up and deploy from 3U CubeSat, which are the uniform, miniature satellites that are used by NASA and others for a myriad of orbital experiments.

According to Al Bowers, NASA Armstrong chief scientist and Prandtl-m program manager, “It would be able to deploy and fly in the Martian atmosphere and glide down and land. The Prandtl-m could overfly some of the proposed landing sites for a future astronaut mission and send back to Earth very detailed high resolution photographic map images that could tell scientists about the suitability of those landing sites.”

However, before the Prandtl-m can ever take off for the first of three test flights, the design has to be finalized.

If all goes accordingly, the plane could potentially be launched into space via a rocket and then released for a dramatic re-entry flight.

The new prototype will be ready for test flights later this year.

Copyright Inventionland, 2015

Sources:

https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2015/06/30/Prandtl-m-prototype-could-pave-way-for-first-plane-on-Mars/5931435697644/

https://www.gizmag.com/nasa-mars-flying-wing-drone/38232/

Media:

https://images.gizmag.com/gallery_lrg/mars-prandtl-3.jpg

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/mars_prandtl-m.jpg?itok=vjFr2Kp2

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Disrupt Surfing, founded by Gary Elphick and Jason Rogers, is giving customers a Better Way to design their own surf boards online using 3D-printing software.

The inspiration for this invention came from Elphick’s realization that people love to be creative when it comes to their surfboards and snowboards. However, at the time when Disrupt Surfing came to be, the ability to customize boards wasn’t where it should be.

Since then, to break the barrier of mass-produced boards, Disrupt Surfing has given customers the opportunity to design a 3D prototype of their dream board.

Currently, the surfboard isn’t printed using additive 3D technology- rather, the file is used to guide a shaping machine. This process takes about six weeks.

Eventually, Disrupt Surfing is hoping to have 100 percent of each customized board be created using 3D- additive printing, so that the file can be developed on the spot.

As of late, the company, which was launched in late 2014, has made over 1,500 products. In the future, Disrupt Surfing hopes to find a Better Way to make a surfboard that’s both 3D-printable and ecologically friendly.

Here’s a better look at Disrupt Surfing’s printing process:

Copyright Inventionland, 2015

Sources:

https://www.brw.com.au/p/tech-gadgets/disrupt_surfing_and_toyprint_among_30QaWqm3X9A3yDmwQWT3GO

https://mashable.com/2015/06/01/australia-technology-surfing/

Media:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/bc/b6/34/bcb63401219d7b73c7e523665e55e339.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0PjifNGlBg

The post Disrupt Surfing is Riding the Wave of Innovation appeared first on Inventionland.

In this tech-focused world that we live in, we are constantly connected; whether it’s through our phones or tablets, we always have our hands wrapped around what’s trending.  But, just as we are constantly connected, the bane of most people’s existence is a dying phone and no way to charge it!

This is where the story begins…

Tejas Shastry, Mike Geier and Alex Smith, all met at NUvention Energy, an entrepreneurship course at Northwestern University. It was during this course that they were tasked with inventing a product for the sustainable energy or clean tech industry.

This inventor-trio had a couple of things in common.  To begin, they loved to work out and they also used their cell phones frequently which led to their phone batteries dying. It was these similarities among the three PhD students that prompted them to invent the AMPY.

Inventions are usually created to solve a problem and the AMPY was invented to solve the problem of a dead smartphone before the day was over.

This small, square, wearable device receives energy from human motion. The energy is then turned into a portable charger for a phone or USB-powered device.

The AMPY encourages its users to be active, so they decided to create a device that would recharge their smartphones as a person burns calories through walking, biking or running.  They would be recharge their smartphones through that energy.

This portable charger can generate enough energy to charge a smartphone for three hours. That means for every hour of biking, 30 minutes of running or 10,000 steps of walking, it can create enough energy to charge a smartphone for three hours!

The AMPY works with Androids, iPhones and other devices that utilize a USB port to charge.

Portability is the main feature and the AMPY weighs in at about 0.3 pounds and is half the size of an iPhone 5; this design maximizes its ability to be taken anywhere.

The AMPY also comes with an armband, clip and sleeve to be worn on the go.  However, if you’d rather not have this invention visible, it can still collect energy while in a person’s pocket.

Check out this portable charger in action, here!

In short, the AMPY motivates people to get moving in order to get charging! A simple concept that the inventors hope will resonate with the public in the near future!

Copyright Inventionland, 2014

Sources:

https://college.usatoday.com/2014/10/25/northwestern-students-invention-charges-phones-conserves-energy/

Media:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vis3IxkkuPM

The post Portable Charger Gets People Moving appeared first on Inventionland.

Now, you might be asking yourself, “How can everyone have a window seat if there are no windows on the plane?”

The answer is simple; the cabin on this concept plane from the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) will be lined with curved high-definition screens and cameras that are mounted on the exterior of the aircraft. These cameras will then supply live video footage that makes it look like the walls are see-through.

What this means is that there aren’t actually windows, just screens that give passengers the illusion that the walls are transparent, allowing them to see what’s happening outside, thousands of feet in the air!

CPI, the UK based tech company that is behind this great invention, hopes to be the first to design a windowless airplane.

Though this innovative concept isn’t exactly new, because a Paris-based company had a similar project in development, CPI believes that in 10 years, this invention concept could become a reality.

But, despite the obvious “cool factor” of a plane with no windows, this windowless airplane has the potential to lead to less costly flights, due to its thinner walls that would be stronger and more lightweight than what airplanes currently have.

To continue on the “less costly” route, according to CPI’s calculations, every time the weight of the plane reduces one percent, there’s a 0.75 percent savings in fuel cost. This savings creates a domino effect in that the passengers, manufacturer and airline will all save money.

Here’s a quick clip from CPI that will give you an in-depth look at their windowless airplane:

As it stands now, the windowless airplane is still in the works and it may take some time to be adapted for commercial use. However, for the already anxious flyer, you might want to book your next flight on a more traditional airline! Nonetheless, the windowless airplane is sure to have passengers’ heads in the clouds!

Copyright Inventionland, 2014

Sources:

https://mashable.com/2014/10/27/windowless-plane-oled/

https://www.cnbc.com/id/102127848#

Media:

https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2013/11/30/15/56/wing-221526_640.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga3PMsrHpjU

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