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American Science & Invention

Inventors & Invention | Science & Scientists | Technology & Industry

Inventors & Invention

Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin
The textile industry was revolutionized when Eli Whitney invented a machine to separate the seeds from the cotton. The Cotton Engine, or Cotton Gin took a tedious and time-intensive process and turned it into a simple...

Alexander Graham Bell
The Bell System produced this movie during the anniversary of the birth of Alexander Graham Bell. This short biopic covers the invention of the telephone and Bell's commitment to the helping the hearing impaired.

Thomas Alva Edison
Thomas Alva Edison's inventions improvments to existing technologies helped shape the 20th century. The lightbulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture are just a few of his contributions.

Thomas Edison - The Light Bulb
Thomas Edison is known as one of history's greatest inventors. His success in creating a long-burning light bulb made a dramatic impact on the entire world.

The Wright Brothers
Learn about the Wright Brothers. See their house and shop as well as their famous flight in Kitty Hawk, NC. This film also shows the progression of aviation in the U.S. through the first half of the 20th century.

Henry Ford's Quadricycle
Although not the first successful gasoline powered automobile, Henry Ford's Quadricycle in 1896 started a chain of events launching a new industrial age.

Model T Ford and the Assembly-Line
Although not the first successful gasoline powered authomobile, Henry Ford's Quadricycle in 1896 started a chain of events launching a new industrial age.

From Dreams to Reality - Tribute to Minority Inventors
Narrated by Ossie Davis, this tribute to minority inventors touches upon many inventions that have contributed to American science, technology, and medicine. Motivates junior and senior high school students...

U.S. Patent Office Auctions Off Invention Models
As the U.S. Patent Office no longer required working models of inventions submitted for patent approval, it auctioned off its storehouse of over 150,000 treasures - inventions from years passed.

The Vest Pocket Cycle
1933: Inventor Alex Brun of Cincinnati, Ohio has invented the Vest Pocket Cycle. This is what today would be a minibike or a motorized scooter.

Betty Boop's Crazy Inventions
Even cartoon characters wanted to be inventors. Betty Boop and Ko Ko demonstrate their elaborate, yet useless and crazy inventions. This was released in 1933, the same year as Alex Brun's Vest Pocket Cycle(above).

Inventors & Invention | Science & Scientists | Technology & Industry

Science & Scientists

Albert Einstein dead at the age of 76
Albert Einstein was best known for his theory of relativity and receiving the Nobel Prize in Physics. He was named by Time magazine as the person of the century.

George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver lived a long and productive life as a scientist, inventor, educator and contributer to society. Born during the Civil War, Carver overcame the many barriers he faced as an African-American....

Inventors & Invention | Science & Scientists | Technology & Industry

Technology & Industry

Frontiers of the Future
This film made during the Great Depression was an attempt to calm fears of the future by presenting how scientists are hard at work trying to solve the problems of the universe.

Dickson Experimental Movie
This is a very early sound movie experiment from 1894 It was recovered and put back together only a few years ago. Listen to perhaps the first synchronized sound movie ever made.

Energy: The American Experience
Energy sources, machines and inventions that drive industry and are part of our everyday lives are chronicled from colonial times through the 1970s. Although almost 35 years old, our need for alternative energy sources...

Niagara Hydroelectric Station The Niagara Falls Hydroelectric Station
This electricity station uses water to turn massive turbines which generate electricity. Take a tour of the area and see how the United States and Canada balance the use of water with each other and for the falls.

Magic In the Air: Television is on its Way
The early 1940s saw the promise of a new technology ready to take off - Television! But, all plans were put on hold the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. After the war, plans resumed and by 1947, regularly scheduled...

The Story of Television
Television has been the king of modern entertainment and communication for nearly three quarters of a century. Learn about its beginnings and how it works. This is RCAs account of that history.

The American Look: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Produced by Chevrolet, American Look is a tribute to designers and engineers and a car commercial wrapped up in one. It showcases household items,furniture, applicances, architectural design, outdoor & recreational.