I learned about four inventions this week and they were roller skates, barbed wire, cowboy hats, and pasteurization. First, I learned about roller skates. Merlin invented early skates but James Plimpton invented modern skates in 1863. Roller skates are just shoes on wheels but are a lot of fun to use. It led to skating rinks and skateboarding in 1950.

Second, I learned about barbed wire. Free roaming cattle became an increasing problem and Michael Kelly solved it by inventing barbed wire for fences. Barbed wire is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges and can last 10-20 years. It helped cowboys and farmers keep cattle from roaming into danger.

Third, I learned about the cowboy hat. John B. Stetson, born in New Jersey in 1830, traveled west and took notice of hats and discovered coonskin hats had fleas. The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat and made of waterproof fur felt. It became iconic to the wild west and films and television shows emerged depicting cowboys and their hats.

Finally, I learned about pasteurization. Louis Pasteur was born in France in 1822 and investigated why wine was turning sour. Pasteurization kills microbes in food and drinks. Most milk is pasteurized today and also led to the development of the modern field of immunology.