Engines of Our Ingenuity

Engines of Our Ingenuity

The story of technological progress is one of drama and intrigue, sudden insight and plain hard work. Let’s explore technology’s spectacular failures and many magnificent success stories. This content is in service of Houston Public Media’s education mission and is sponsored by the University of Houston. It is not a product of our news team.

Episodes

The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3235: Verna Fields, “Mother Cutter”

July 2, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 3235 Gender, labor history, and the devaluation of film editing.  Today, the mother of all film editors.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3317: Railcars

July 1, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 3317 Specialized Railcars for Heavy Cargo. Today, how railroads move the unmovable.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3316: Research

June 30, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 3316 A look at what the word Research really means.  Today, let’s think about research.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1399: The Circus

June 29, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 1399 The passing of the classical circus.  Today, we go to a circus.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1398: Back to the Beginning

June 28, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 1398 Back to the Beginning: First we commit. Then we see. Today, a process within a process
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1397: John Fitch

June 27, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 1397 John Fitch and America's first successful steamboat.  Today, America's first steamboat.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2480: Stephanie Kwolek and Kevlar

June 26, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 2480 Stephanie Kwolek: Inventor of Kevlar.  Today, not-so-shining armor.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3065: Victor and Eva Saxl

June 25, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 3065 Victor and Eva Saxl: Love, War and Homemade Insulin.  Today, love, war and insulin.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2448: Rachmaninoff Unblocked

June 24, 2025 • 4 mins
Episode: 2448 Sergei Rachmaninoff visits a hypnotist to remove his writer's block.  Today, a composer unblocked.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3315: History Deep-Sixed

June 23, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 3315 In which an engineering failure vanishes from the historical record.  Today, a fragment of history quietly disappears.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1396: An Engineer Named Calder

June 22, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 1396 An engineer named Calder.  Today, an engineer takes up sculpture.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1395: Worst Airplanes

June 21, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 1395 The World's Worst Aircraft: learning what constitutes bad.  Today, the worst airplanes ever built!
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1393: Inventing the Telegraph

June 20, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 1393 Early inventions of the electric telegraph.  Today, we look at ninety years of electric telegraphy before Morse.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2478: Metal Wood

June 19, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 2478 Metal Wood: the Evolution of Wooden Golf Clubs.  Today, metal wood.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2798: Behold the Mighty Transistor

June 18, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 2798 Behold the Mighty Transistor.  Today, a small item creates a large impact.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2597: History and Math

June 17, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 2597 Mathematical models of historical events.  Today, let's see what mathematics tells us about history.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1392: Fog in the Woods

June 16, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 1392 The nature of fog and of redwood trees.  Today, fog in the forest.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1391: The Johnstown Flood

June 15, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 1391 The Johnstown Flood. They didn't see it coming.  Today, a dam breaks.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3133: The Liar That Helped Win D-Day

June 13, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 3133 Juan Pujol García: the Liar Who Helped Win D-Day.  Today, a great big liar saves the day.
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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2475: Friedrich Fröbel and Kindergarten

June 12, 2025 • 3 mins
Episode: 2475 Friedrich Fröbel and Kindergarten.  Today, we play.
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