I learned about four inventions this week and they were the light switch, skyscrapers, the dishwasher, and electromagnetic waves. First, I learned about the light switch. John Henry Holmes, born in England, in 1857, attended Swan’s demonstration who developed the early light bulb company. A light switch is a switch used to operate electric lights and can be turned on or off. It’s a simple but important invention and it led to other switch types.

Second, I learned about skyscrapers. William Jenney, born in 1832, in Massachusetts, learned engineering in France and fought in the civil war. A skyscraper is a tall building having multiple floors that can be 328 feet tall or more. Taller and taller buildings have been constructed every year since then. 

Third, I learned about the dishwasher. Josephine Cochrane, born in Ohio, in 1839, hosted large parties in fine China and wanted an easier way to clean dishes. A dishwasher is a machine that is used to clean dishes automatically.  Dishwashers save both water and energy, making it easier to wash dishes than hand washing. 

Finally I learned about electromagnetic waves. Heinrich Hertz, born in 1857, in Germany, studied engineering with Helmnoltz in Berlin and thought it was too difficult at first to prove Maxwell’s waves. Electromagnetic waves create a result of vibrations between an electric field and a magnetic field. The discovery of electromagnetic waves opened up a wide range of possible applications for electricity.

I learned about four inventions this week and they were the light bulb, the cash register, the thermostat, and the steam turbine. First, I learned about the light bulb. Thomas Edison, born in 1847, in Ohio, tried 3,000 different versions of the light bulb and tested 6,000 kinds of plant matter for filaments. The light bulb is a device used to convert electricity into light. It lit up New York in 1882 and there is a power industry thanks to Edison’s bulb.

Second, I learned about the cash register. James Ritty, born in 1836, in Ohio, opened a saloon which his employees were stealing from him. The cash register is a machine used in places of business for calculating money. It made it difficult for dishonest salespeople to steal.

Third, I learned about the thermostat. Warren Johnson, born in 1847, in Vermont, became a science professor at 34 years old and invented the thermostat in 1883. A thermostat is a device used to adjust heat and also is used with air conditioning systems. It led to the development of hot water heaters.

Finally, I learned about the steam turbine. Charles Parsons, born in 1854, in England, assisted in his father’s astronomical work and learned about shipbuilding and weapons manufacture. Steam turbines convert heat into rotation. Steam turbines are cheap power sources converted into electricity and now power everything we do.

I learned about four inventions this week and they were the telephone, the carpet sweeper, phonograph, and motion pictures. First, I learned about the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell, born in Scotland in 1847, was inspired by his mother’s deafness to study acoustics. Telephones allow people to talk to each other remotely. Federal government broke up AT&T’s monopoly in 1982 and then the baby bells merged back into each other.

Second, I learned about carpet sweeper. Melville Bissel, born in New York in 1843, opened own grocery store and then recession struck in 1873. Sweepers are mechanically powered vacuums that have brush roller and trash reservoir. Bissell’s sweeper led to the vacuum and then robots like roombas came along.

Third, I learned about the phonograph. Thomas Edison, born in Ohio in 1847, was trained by his mother to be a self learner. Today, the phonograph is called a record player. It marks waveforms into disc surfaces. It created the audio entertainment industry and vinyl records are still sold today. 

Finally, I learned about motion pictures. Edward Muggeridge, born in England in 1830, became a photographer in the 1860s. Motion pictures give fast moving images an appearance of motion and one movie is equal to 10,000 feet of the film. Hollywood was controlled by entrepreneurs of Christian movies and modern R-rated films assaulted.

I learned about four inventions this week and they were blue jeans, fire sprinklers, QWERTY keyboard, and the dental drill. First, I learned about blue jeans. Levi Strauss, born in 1829 in Germany, had his family enter the dry goods business and moved to San Francisco during the gold rush. Blue jeans are made from denim and are more durable than work pants. They are part of a cow boy uniform and sometimes are referred to as Levis. 

Second, I learned about fire sprinklers. Henry Parmalee, born in 1846 in Ohio, faced high insurance costs for his piano factory. Fire sprinklers activate automatically after it detects heat. Grinnel launched the modern fire protection industry and they reduce damage and repair costs.

Third, I learned about the QWERTY keyboard. Christopher Latham was a sholes editor in Wisconsin and improved the typewriter. The QWERTY keyboard optimizes typing speed and you can type 100 words per minute. It was very successful and the DVORAK layout was invented in 1936.

Finally, I learned about the dental drill. Before the dental drill, there was the clockwork drill and the air drill. Soon after, in 1875, George Green invented the dental drill. It was vital for fixing tooth problems and used in filling cavities. It changed dentistry forever and modern dentistry minimizes the pain.

I learned about four inventions this week and they were the air brakes, the traffic light, the tape measure, and the pipe wrench. First, I learned about the air brakes. George Westinghouse, born in New York, in 1846, joined the army during the civil war and invented a portable steam engine. A type of friction brake for vehicles in which compressed air pressing on a piston in which drives a brake shoe against the wheel. Thousands of passengers’ and workers’ lives have been saved.

Second, I learned about the traffic light. J.P. Knight, born in England, in 1828, was a talented railroad traffic manager. Traffic lights regulate the flow of traffic and create order by establishing rules. The lights decreased the need for police labor, and increased the volume on videos. 

Third, I learned about the tape measure. Alvin J. Fellows, born in Connecticut, heard that a spring tape measure was invented and he improved it. Tape measures are flexible rulers and are wound around liners for compact storage. They improve the efficiency of house construction and digital technology has been added to further enhance features. 

Finally, I learned about the pipe wrench. Daniel Stillson, born in New Hampshire, in 1826, learned how to use machine tools and developed the pipe wrench in 1869. A pipe wrench is an adjustable wrench designed to grip soft iron pipes. It has given the ability to build longer pipelines and it can be used to install residential furnaces.

I learned about four inventions this week and they were dynamite, the chuckwagon, the typewriter, and ticker tape. First, I learned about dynamite. Alfred Nobel, born in 1833 in Sweden, helped his father make weapons for the Russian Tsar and studied chemistry in Paris. Dynamite is a very powerful explosive that stabilizes the nitroglycerin. It became a weapon for terrorism in the 1880s and led to the creation of the peace prize. 

Second, I learned about the chuckwagon. Charles Goodnight, born in Illinois in 1836, joined the confederacy with Loving and then they drove cows from Texas. A chuckwagon is a horse-drawn wagon operating as a mobile field kitchen and frequently covered with a white tarp. Cattle towns appeared along the trails and gave rise to the marshals and sheriffs.

Third, I learned about the typewriter. Christopher Latnam Sholes, born in Pennsylvania in 1819, tried inventing a typesetting machine and desired to easily print page numbers. Typewriters imprint neat writing into paper and later models reduced jamming. The QWERTY keyboard appeared and people entered the workforce as typists.

Finally, I learned about ticker tape. Ticker tape was invented in 1867 by Edward Carahn. Ticker tape is a narrow strip of paper with stock information printed on it and provides real time price updates. Ticker tape is obsolete today and ticker tape helped create the ticker tape parade.

 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.

I learned about four inventions this week and they were the postcard, the gatling gun, linoleum, and ratcheting wrench. First, I learned about the postcard. Postal service was reformed in Britain in 1837, and postage stamps made it cheaper for people to send mail. The postcard is simple and useful, making it possible to send cheap messages. Some people collect postcards as a hobby. They became useful in response marketing through mail.

Second, I learned about the gatling gun. Richard Gatling invented the gatling gun and was a store owner, doctor, and inventor. It is a rapid fire shotgun and hand crank rotated barrels to keep them cool. The British empire used them to expand the empire and Americans developed them in the Spanish American War.

Third, I learned about linoleum. Frederick Walton invented linoleum and experimented with drying the linseed linoleum. Linoleum is a durable floor covering and is made of linseed oil with saw dust and cork. It became a popular floor covering until the 1950s and is still used today.

Finally, I learned about the ratcheting wrench. J.J. Richardson invented the ratcheting wrench but the socket was not brand new. The ratchet only allows motion in one direction and is easier to get into small spaces. It is a standard technician tool and original models sell for a lot.

I learned about four inventions this week and they are the ironing board, the internal combustion engine, repeating rifle, and the twist drill. First, I learned about the ironing board. Before the ironing board, people used to use rocks to smoothe cloths and the ironing board was invented in 1858. An ironing board is a long narrow board which you can iron clothes on and with a foam surface for absorbing heat. Home ironing was a much easier task and massive time saver.

Second, I learned about the internal combustion engine. The inventor of the combustion engine, Etienne Lenior, born in Belgium in 1822,  became interested in electricity and used sparks to invent the combustion engine. A combustion engine is an engine which generates power by combusting fuel. It led to jet engines and the Cold War.

Third, I learned about the repeating rifle. The inventor of the repeating rifle, Benjamin Tyler Henry, born in New Hampshire in 1821, worked for Smith & Wesson and developed the lever action rifle. A repeating rifle is a rifle designed with a spring-loaded tubular box holding metal bullets, each that go into the chamber by a lever, pump, or bolt and hold up to 16 bullets or 16.44 to be exact. Rifles were used for military combat and  they allowed a greater rate of fire. 
Finally, I learned about the twist drill. Rotary tools have long been used to bore holes and the bow drill helps make fire. Stevon A. Morse invented the twist drill in 1861. Twist drills are used to drill holes in materials such as plastic, wood, and steel. It was used to carve Mt. Rushmore and build the Hoover Dam.

I learned about four inventions this week and they were the salt and pepper shakers, the mason jar, the pencil eraser, and the twine binder. First I learned about the salt and pepper shakers. John Mason invented the salt and pepper shakers in 1858. A salt and pepper shaker is a glass jar with a screw top lid that holds different spices, salts, and peppers. It is a simple but knowledgeable invention. 

Second, I learned about the mason jar. Nicolas Appert invented the canning process and canned all sorts of food. John Mason invented the mason jar in 1855. The mason jar is a glass jar with a screw top and metal lid. It’s a strong cheap soda lime glass and heating the food kills bacteria. It is mostly unchanged in design and allowed settlers to move to the pacific Northwest.

Third, I learned about the pencil eraser. Two men discovered rubber erasers in 1770 and Edward Narine accidentally discovered that rubber is a good eraser. Erasers quickly remove pencil marks and the eraser is in the  cylindrical metal barrel at the end of the pencil. Pencils with erasers are standard classroom tools and also important in college.

Finally, I learned about the twine binder. The inventor of the twine binder, John Appleby, born in New York in 1840, grew up on a farm and invented the twine binder in 1858. A twine binder is a knotting device that binds grain bundles with twine and twine is a safe and effective binding material. It was used until the 20th century and Deering and McCormick evolved into international harvesters.