>
>In article <[log in to unmask]>,
> "mitchell miller" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> My son who is in the 4th grade needs to prepare a report 50 inventions and
> their inventors who have done the most to change the world.
> Anyone who has any ideas on where to get this information and is willing to
> share it with us please let us know.
> My son and I thank you!
Here is an article from UPSCALE magazine on inventors.
Enjoy,
Patricia Turner
We know of the famous
African-American inventors of the past,
Lewis H. Latimer who provided the
filament that made Thomas Edison's light
bulb burn so brightly; George
Washington Carver, who developed
peanut butter and countless other
inventions from the peanut; and Garrett
Morgan, who invented the first
automated stoplight and gas mask. But,
what about the inventors of today? We
searched the country to find those special
African-Americans whose creativity and
ingenuity have, in one way or another,
shaped our lives.
Dr. Philip Emeagwali
http://emeagwali.com
Research Scientist
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Who developed the fastest computer on
earth? Dr. Philip Emeagwali, an
interdisciplinary computer
scientist/inventor, used 65,000 processors
to perform the world's fastest
computation of 3.1 billion calculations
per second. His design was inspired by
the complex geometries of nature. From
geometrical theories, Emeagwali proved
that bees use the most efficient method
to construct their honeycombs, so a
computer which emulated the
honeycomb will be efficient and
powerful. Emeagwali's computers are
currently being used to forecast the
weather and predict future global
warming.
Dr. Thomas C. Cannon Jr.
Head of User Devices
Research Department
AT&T Bell Laboratories
Murray Hill, N.J.
Dr. Thomas C. Cannon Jr. lead a group
of engineers that developed the Tactical
Optical Fiber Connector (TOFC). The
TOFC was designed to terminate optical
fiber cables used in military combat.
Optical fiber cables are preferable to
conventional copper cables because they
are immune to electrical interference,
lightweight, have a high signal carrying
capacity, and do not radiate any
electromagnetic energy which might be
detected by the enemy. TOFC was the
first fiber optic connector actually
deployed under battlefied conditions, and
saw action in the Gulf War where it was
used to transmit firing signals to the
Patriot missile.
Ernest J. Jamieson
Retired Chemist
Brooklyn, N.Y.
During his tenure at the cities Service Oil
Co. in the late '60s, Ernest J. Jamieson
patented four inventions on the
improvement of current gasoline
compositions. One invention improved
hydrocarbon fuel compositions for use in
internal combustion engines by adding a
detergent that prevents icing and
corrosion. Another invention improved a
hydrocarbon fuel composition by adding
a X hydrocarbylacid phosphate salt that
reduced icing in the carburetor and 1
improved water tolerance, thus reducing
rust and hydrocarbon content in the
exhaust.
Kenneth J. Dunkley
President, Holospace Laboratories Inc.
Camp Hill, Pa.
Kenneth J. Dunkley discovered the
existence of two points located on the
periphery of a person's vision that, if
obstructed, will cause an ordinary picture
to appear three-dimensional. This
discovery led to the invention of the
Three-Dimensional Viewing Glasses
(3-DVG). The invention achieves 3-D
effects without lenses, mirrors or optical
elements of any kind.
Ruane Jeter
Industrial Designer
Ruje Designs
Los Angeles
Ruane Jeter invented a toaster with a
digital clock. It is called a Tiltster and
desired brownness is selected on a
control panel. The Tiltster not only toasts
bread, but bagels, waffles and Pop Tarts
as well. Jeter is currently seeking
investors for her invention.
Maxwell R. Mitchell
President
On-Line/Off-Line Inc.
Capitol Heights, Md.
Applying his many years of experience in
photography, Maxwell R. Mitchell has
developed a method to reduce documents
without losing resolution. The MICRO
ID SYSTEM, unlike a microfiche, can be
read easily using a special magnifying
glass --- no large, cumbersome machine
to operate. This special magnifying glass
is small enough to hold in your hand. To
envision the capability of this device,
imagine a 60-page document reduced to a
4 x 6-inch card. The system is relatively
inexpensive, costing under $100.
Kedrich Jackson
Hardware Design Engineer
Hewlett Packard
Camas, Wash.
Kedrich Jackson played an integral role in
the development of Hewlett Packard's
latest printers, HP's DeskJet 850C and
855C. The printers were almost delayed
for distribution because of the printer's
high noise level. But, Jackson developed
a spur gear which dampened the
vibration and thus reduced the noise. He
also invented a method to improve the
print quality of the printers.
Dr. Patricia E. Bath
Professor Emeritus of Ophthalmology
Los Angeles
Dr. Patricia E. Bath is a world-renowned
scientist who has dedicated most of her
life to the prevention and treatment of
blindness in African-Americans. She
revolutionized, cataract surgery by
inventing a laser called the Laserphaco
Probe. She currently has four patents on
this probe, covering the United states,
Canada, Japan and Europe.
Dr. Thomas Mensah
Chairman
Supercond Technology Inc.
Norcross, Ga.
During the Gulf War, Smart Weapons,
including the Patriot missile and laser
guided bombs, made a significant
difference in the outcome of the
confrontation between the United States
and Iraq. Dr. Thomas Mensah, inventor,
scientist and entrepreneur, is leading the
design of such advanced laser guided
weapons. He holds seven patents in fiber
optics, three on fiber optic guided missile
technology and four on manufacturing
fiber optics inexpensively. This will
impact how we use a fax, electronic
banking and other electronic
communication.
James McLurkin
Research Scientist
Cambridge, Mass.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT)
James McLurkin is currently designing
microbots that work together in
accomplishing a particular task. Each
robot has a small computer, three motors
and 17 sensors. Inspiration for this
research comes from ant colonies. An
ant, which is virtually powerless as a
single entity, can perform the most
impossible tasks when a group of ants
work together. Applications include
foraging cluster bombs, remote
surveillance, pipe inspection and even
picking up crumbs off the floor.
Dr. Joycelyn Simpson
Research Scientist
NASA Langley Research Center
Hampton, Ma.
Dr. Joycelyn Simpson co-developed a
novel class of high performance
piezoelectric polymers which have
superior properties over conventional
materials. A piezoelectric material
generates electricity when pressure is
applied. The inventors envision that this
new polymer technology may
dramatically improve power generation
by providing a new, low cost,
environmentally safe source of electricity.
An array of their new durable
piezoelectric polymers, covering fives
square miles subjected to pressure
fluctuations generated by wind or ocean
waves, could conceivably supply
electricity for 7.5 million people at a cost
of only two to four cents per kilo-watt
hour.
Lonnie G. Johnson
President
Johnson Research & Development Co.
Smyrna, Ga.
As a child, Lonnie G. Johnson tinkered
with toys. Now, as president of his own
company, he has over 20 patents, which
include environmentally friendly heat
pumps and toy water guns. His most
popular invention, the Super Soaker, has
been hailed as the world's most
successful toy water gun generating over
$100 million in retail sales.
For more information on the inventors
profiled in this article, contact Lady
Saga Shabazz, Curator, Black Inventions
Museum Inc., R O. Box 76122, Los
Angeles, Calif. 90076, (310) 859-4602.
Reported in the February 1996 issue of
Upscale magazine.
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