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Bee Hives Buzzing with Invention

Edward Kretchmer was born into a family of beekeepers and became an inventor and entrepreneur focused on the needs of his buzzing friends.

Blog

An Innovative Pizza Place

We asked Mozzeria, a newly opened Deaf-owned, Deaf-led pizza shop in Washington, DC, about being innovative during a pandemic.

Blog

One-Way Supermarket Aisles

The return of an invention from the 1910s.

Blog

When Technology Disrupts the Vibe

Growing pains in the digital age from the not-so-distant past . . .

Blog

Alexander Anderson and the Cereal Shot from Guns

How one inventor’s explosive discovery made a lasting impact on breakfast.

Blog

Who Invented the George Foreman Grill?

No, it’s not a trick question. Learn about Michael W. Boehm and the invention story behind the famous infomercial product.

Blog

Coffee in an Instant

Made in the cup at the table—instant coffee and one inventor's research

Blog

The Devil Is in the Details: Researching an Inventor’s Biography

The quest to confirm biographical details about the life and work of Percy Spencer

Invention Stories

Fungi in Focus

Do recent innovations using mushrooms have the promise to save the world?

Invention Stories

Potato Chip Inventions

Today they come in all flavors—salt and vinegar to prawn and ham. Here's the story behind the potato chip.

Invention Stories

The Elusive Perfectly Roasted Cup

The proliferation of specialty coffee shops has fundamentally changed how the world consumes coffee. But can there really ever be a perfect cup of coffee?

Invention Stories

Charlotte Cramer Sachs

Charlotte Cramer Sachs invented many things throughout her life, including instant mixes for muffins, frostings, puddings, and breads.

Places of Invention

Inventing the Modern Organic Farm

Without Eliot Coleman's innovations, the White House probably wouldn’t be growing greens in December.

Places of Invention

Disputed Culinary Invention Locations

There is intense community pride in inventing a culinary dish, especially if it becomes iconic for a country.

Invention Stories

Innovating New Traditions

A look at the tech behind some popular Thanksgiving traditions.

Invention Stories

Innovating to Avoid Turkey Trauma

About 30 million turkeys are sold each year with built-in pop-up timers designed to tell cooks when the bird has reached that magic temperature. Here's the story behind the pop-up timer's inventor.

Invention Stories

Innovations in "FOOD"

The kitchen is definitely a place of invention. Here are five invention stories from our food exhibition, "FOOD: Transforming the American Table, 1950 – 2000."

Invention Stories

Just Like Mom's: Will an Invention Finally Reveal her Secret Ingredient?

Will a new gadget finally let me recreate my favorite dish? Or is the secret ingredient really "love"?

Invention Stories

Starting the Day Right: Coffee Innovations

While I can’t remember the first great cup of coffee that I ever had, I can certainly remember the last. It was brewed here in our offices earlier this week with freshly ground coffee beans, the perfect amount of cream & sugar, and a strong caffeine kick that cleared my early morning brain f

Invention Stories

I’ll Take That Drink To Go!

Today we take cup holders in vehicles for granted, but this indispensable feature wasn’t common in the early 1960s.