Patented: History of Inventions
By History Hit
This podcast investigates the curious history of invention and innovation. Did Thomas Edison take credit for things he didn’t actually invent? What everyday items have surprising origins? And would man have ever got to the moon without… the bra?
Each episode host Dallas Campbell dives into stories of flukey discoveries, erased individuals and merky marketing ploys with the help of experts, scientists and historians.
Expect new episodes every Wednesday and Sunday.
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Latest episode
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Space Food
If humans travel to Mars then by the time they come home all the food they eat will be five years old. Want a bite?Food often gets overlooked in stories about space flight. Yet space food has a fascinating history and will become an eve… -
FORENSICS: Fingerprinting
We hear from London’s most inaccessible museum, the Met police’s Crime Museum, and take you back to India in the time of the British Raj. We hear about the first murder case ever to hinge on fingerprint evidence.No one had to invent fin… -
Perfume
First Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel shocked the world’s eyeballs with her fashion designs. Then she shocked its nostrils with a new smell - Chanel No. 5. “It’s punk rock but with feather boas and fragrance”. That’s how today’s guest, Suz… -
FORENSICS: the beginning
Death by tiger bites. Death by prodding. Death from sexual excess. Deaths from over-eating and over-drinking. The opening of graves.These are a few of the chapter headings in a 13th century Chinese book called ‘The Washing Away of Wrong… -
PowerPoint
We take PowerPoint for granted. It's as much a fact of life as concrete. Or rainy afternoons. But it hasn’t always been here. It has a story. And once you’ve heard it, you’ll never look at PowerPoint the same way again.Those old enough … -
Virtual Assistants ft. the real Siri
We talk to the real life Siri in this episode. Susan Bennett was the original voice of Siri back in 2011, although she didn't know it at the time...But before that it's a conversation with Dallas's friend Ali Maggs (from Chaos Created) … -
Contact Lenses
The Contact Lens. The humble Contact Lens. Oh boy, do we have a rip-roaring episode for you about the humble contact lens.Nazi villains, arrests by secret police, chance encounters on trains and fear of Soviet invasion. And in the middl… -
Sports Bra
Two jockstraps cleverly sewn together. That was how the very first sports bra was made in 1977. -
Cryptocurrency
Blockchain, Bitcoin, and Data Mining explained -
Home Security System
The patent for the Ring doorbell cites this as the starting point. A Heath Robinson looking design with peep holes, sliding cameras and radio controlled alarms. An invention, and an inventor, ahead of their time.Marie van Brittan Brown …
