The Long History of the Condom

Mike Daisy — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 05:24:57 -0700

Geocomo CasanovaCurious about the history of the condom?

Here's a bit of the obvious for you: men and women have been having sex for as long as there have been humans. Discounting any origin of the species theories involving extraterrestrials, that works out to around 250,000 years for Homo sapiens as a distinct species of primate. read more »

Much Ado About Almost Nothing by Hans Camenzind : Review

Mike Daisy — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 03:47:35 -0700

The “Nothing,” in the title of Hans Camenzind’s Much Ado About Almost Nothing, is the electron. The book is a fascinating tale about the history of that infinitesimally small, negatively charged particle around which so much of our everyday lives revolve. It’s the story of man’s effort to understand it, make sense of it, and ultimately make use of it. read more »

Invention History: The Father of FM

Mike Daisy — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 06:55:47 -0700

Radio TowerCurious about who invented FM?

The tragic story of Edwin Howard Armstrong is an updating of the classic David and Goliath tale, as well as a cautionary account about individual creativity suppressed by corporate power misused.

Unless you're an engineer or a techie-type, you've probably never heard of Armstrong. He wasn't adept at self-promotion as were Thomas Edison, and Bill Gates, or any of the inspirations for the endless number of eponymous products and services out there. Still, he was the real deal.

read more »

Robert Adler: Making Life Safe for Couch Potatoes

Mike Daisy — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 14:26:44 -0700

Robert Adler made the world safe for couch potatoes.

If not for the estimable work of Robert Adler, the simple act of watching TV - that ubiquitous appliance considered an essential part of every home - would be very different from the experience to which we've become accustomed. Without Adler's contributions, not only might the act of watching the tube be very different, the TV-itself might still be a small, funny-looking box with tinny sound. read more »

Inventive Ingenuity: Father of the Fire Hydrant

Mike Daisy — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:24:22 -0800

Do you know anything about Birdsill Holly? He's an important inventor that invented something used to save millions of lives a year.

Michael Daisy, our Guest Blogger, is a freelance writer and publicist. He is also a history fan (or buff), and music fan currently working on an aural documentary of popular music in the U.S. from 1940-2000. He wanted to share his knowledge of the inventors and inventions that have touched our lives with the readers of AmericanInventorSpot.com.

Here's his article: read more »

Inventive Ingenuity: The Ramen King

Mike Daisy — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 18:04:27 -0800

It's a food you are sure to have eaten and perhaps fallen in love with. Do you know how that ingenious packet of instant ramen came about?

Here's his article: read more »