The “natural kiln hypothesis” argues that intense wildfires taught prehistoric humans that fire hardened clay—and that this could be useful for making new tools.

"I wanted to create a bow that would be easier to transport and prepare for use," said an inventor from Las Cruces, New Mexico. "My invention would help archery users save time, reduce setup effort ...

Whether a film is a documentary or a fictional drama, all modern cinema is in a sense docu-fictional, because most viewers know that a documentary is carefully crafted to yield a narrative and that ...

"I wanted to create a better way to improve accuracy when measuring for metal beam placement," said an inventor from Maple Park, Illinois. "My invention would help workers see measurements more ...

How do patent rights affect innovation and downstream production? Patent protection was introduced for plant biotechnology in the United States in 1985, and it affected crops differentially depending ...

The invention of the airplane by Wilbur and Orville Wright is one of the great stories in American history. The Wright brothers’ invention not only solved a long-studied technical problem, but also ...

Damping vibrations is crucial for precision experiments, for example in astronomy. A new invention uses a special kind of magnets to achieve this -- electropermanent magnets. They consist of a ...

The Fast Company Executive Board is a private, fee-based network of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. BY Steve Anderson In a world ...

Michael Mosley, Cassie Newland and Mark Miodownik describe the scientific achievements of Richard Trevithick and George Stephenson. In 1801 Richard Trevithick built the first steam locomotive. In the ...

In 1931, the United States Supreme Court decided a landmark case on the patentability of inventions, De Forest Radio Co. v. General Electric Co., 283 U.S. 664 (1931), amended, 284 U.S. 571 (1931). The ...