Inventing America

Norman Breakey’s paint roller changed how we decorate our homes, yet he made almost nothing from it. This episode explores how one overlooked invention revolutionized work, design, and everyday life—quietly.

Mary Golda Ross broke barriers as a Cherokee woman in top-secret aerospace engineering. Her work on spaceflight trajectories and missile systems was hidden for decades. This episode highlights her role in building the foundation of America’s space program.

Otis Boykin’s precision resistor changed how we regulate electrical flow in everything from pacemakers to computers. This episode explores his vital but underappreciated role in both medical and technological history.

Marian Croak helped invent the foundation of modern voice communication on the internet—VoIP. This episode traces her breakthrough work at Bell Labs, her impact on digital communication, and her ongoing role in ethical AI.

The alkaline battery powers nearly everything—but most people have never heard of the man who invented it. This episode explores the life of Lewis Urry and his race to energize the modern world.

Victor Wouk built a working hybrid car in the early 1970s—decades before the world was ready. This episode explores the engineering, politics, and timing that buried a solution we now take for granted.

In the shadows of Cold War secrecy, Mary Sherman Morgan invented a fuel that helped launch America into space. This episode uncovers the life and legacy of a chemist whose brilliance was nearly lost to history.

Richard Gatling invented one of history’s first rapid-fire weapons—not out of a desire for destruction, but to reduce battlefield deaths. This episode explores the paradox of inventing weapons for peace, and the complicated legacy Gatling left behind.

Clarence Birdseye’s Arctic observations led to the invention of flash-freezing—a discovery that transformed how the world eats. This episode traces his unlikely path from fur trapper to food industry pioneer.

She was a 1940s screen goddess—but behind the scenes, Hedy Lamarr co-invented the radio technology that paved the way for today’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This episode dives into her double life, her critical wartime invention, and her long-overdue recognition.

Meet Margaret Knight, the 19th-century inventor who created the flat-bottomed paper bag and defended her patent in court after a man tried to steal it. This episode explores her ingenuity, her legal battle, and the quiet legacy she left on American industry.

This episode explores the remarkable story of Philo T. Farnsworth, the young American farm boy who invented electronic television—but spent years in legal battles defending his work against powerful corporate interests. From a field in Idaho to the courtrooms of patent law, Farnsworth’s journey is a tale of genius, grit, and grace.