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Exploring invention and innovation through stories, activities, and research.
Learn more!

Security screening at Berlin-Schönefeld Airport, 2005. Photo © Ralf Roletschek, via Wikimedia

Explore

Behind every invention, there is a story. Discover those stories here.

 

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Blog

The Two Inventors Who Made Airline Travel Safer

In 1970, two engineers invented the first low-dose X-ray scanner for airline passenger security screening.

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Blog

Illustrating "The Amateur Scientist" at Scientific American

Scientific American welcomed articles by amateur scientists and inventors—and Roger Hayward illustrated their ideas.

Dick Fosbury in mid-jump
Blog

The Fosbury Flop—A Game-Changing Technique

Dick Fosbury revolutionized high jumping by introducing a game changing technique.

Study

Scholars and students, join us in studying our passion: invention! Apply for a fellowship, travel grant, or internship. Explore our collections. Consult our research reports and best practices for documenting and collecting inventors’ materials. And check out our Lemelson Center/MIT Press book series.

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Lemelson Center Books

Lemelson Center Studies in Invention and Innovation

Books in the interdisciplinary Lemelson Center Studies in Invention and Innovation series explore the history of invention and innovation and the work of inventors and the technologies they create.

Research Opportunities

Lemelson Center Fellows 1996–Present

Meet our current and past Lemelson Center Fellows and read about their research projects.

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Lemelson Center Research

2020 Lemelson Center Activities Report

In 2020, the Center pivoted much of its work to the digital realm to serve our audiences.

Try

Get hands-on with the history and the process of invention! Try all sorts of ways to get creative!

An adult man is working with a young girl on an activity in SparkLab
Spark!Lab

About Spark!Lab

Draper Spark!Lab is where museum visitors become inventors.

DO Try This at Home!

Tinker Ball

Tinker Ball is back! Playing around with objects and ideas helps us see that there may be more than one solution.

Computer-generated sketch of tree picker machine
DO Try This at Home!

Design a 21st Century Farming Device

What types of farming will your device be used for? Who will use your invention?

Surprise me!

Events

In the news

  • Mar 25, 2021

    Dorothy Lemelson, 1926–2021

  • Oct 14, 2020

    Lemelson Center Director Emeritus Awarded Leonardo Da Vinci Medal

  • Oct 01, 2020

    Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center Receives Grant from National Science Foundation: $1.8 Million to Fund “Game Changers” Exhibition Project

  • Apr 13, 2020

    Kara Swanson Named 2020 Arthur Molella Distinguished Fellow

On view

Visit the Lemelson Hall of Invention and Innovation

The National Museum of American History will reopen to the public on Friday, May 21, 2021. We will be open Friday-Tuesday, 11:00 AM-4:00 PM. Free, timed-entry passes will be required for entry and will be available for the National Museum of American History beginning on Friday, May 14, 2021.

Draper Spark!Lab remains temporarily closed.

Reopening information about other Smithsonian museums, their hours of operation, and safety measures in place to protect everyone’s health may be found on the main Smithsonian website.

The Lemelson Hall of Invention and Innovation features:

Draper Spark!Lab, our hands-on invention workshop for children and families. Want to invent at home while Spark!Lab is closed? Check out the DO Try This at Home section of our website!

Places of Invention, an exhibition that explores what can happen when the right mix of inventive people, untapped resources, and inspiring surroundings come together.

Inventive Minds, a changing gallery that highlights the Lemelson Center’s work on documenting inventors.

Location and Hours:

The Lemelson Center, the Lemelson Hall of Invention and Innovation, and Spark!Lab are located at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

Click for visiting information. Hours are subject to change for holidays, inclement weather, and urgent maintenance issues. Please check the museum calendar for updates.

Learn more about our exhibitions

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Tweets by @SI_Invention

VIEW 2687 Matching Results

Found 2687 Stories

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  • Spark!Lab (Relevance: 3.3866765909937%)
  • Telegraph, telephone, and telecommunications (Relevance: 3.0517305545218%)
  • Textiles and clothing (Relevance: 3.2750279121697%)
  • Transportation (Relevance: 5.842947525121%)
  • Women inventors (Relevance: 3.0517305545218%)
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