Inventions and Innovations

What do the most ravishingly beautiful actress of the 1930s and '40s and the inventor whose concepts were the basis of cell phone and Bluetooth technology have in common? They are both Hedy Lamarr, the glamour icon whose ravishing visage was the inspiration for Snow White and Cat Woman and a technological trailblazer who perfected a radio system to throw Nazi torpedoes off course during WWII.

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Take a mind-blowing journey through human history, told through six iconic objects: the car, the airplane, the smartphone, the rocket, the robot, and the telescope.

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Featuring brilliant thinkers from coast to coast to coast, and others from around the world who now call Canada home, this book profiles some of the most inventive and creative Canadians and the ideas that are making Canada a leading nation in innovation. Featured profiles includes first director of engineering at Google, a PhD in nuclear physics who has twice won the Scotiabank Giller Prize, and the linguist who works with Indigenous people to make online dictionaries. And don't forget the engineer who grew human cells on apples, a feat that is leading to the creation of replacement organs that do not require donors.

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Edison's Ghosts is filled with examples of the so-called best of humanity doing, to put it bluntly, some really dumb things. You'll discover stories that deserve to be told but never are: the hilarious, regrettable, and downright bafflingly lesser-known achievements that never made it into our history books, until now.

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Renowned neuroradiologist Dr. Kieran Murphy tells the story of medical invention, from the development of anesthesia and safe surgery, through to the advent of vaccines against smallpox, polio, and COVID-19, that have changed the very foundation of patient care. Dr. Murphy captures the mind of the inventor - their turmoil, their persistence, their rejection by their peers - and how a small percentage are eventually recognized. Dr. Murphy celebrates the creative energy of courageous men and women who changed the world through medical science.

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"Marie Benedict brings human warmth and in-depth science to a novel on the life of Rosalind Franklin...A humanly as well as scientifically engaging read." —Financial Times The new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie! She changed the world with her discovery. Three men took the credit. Rosalind Franklin has always been an outsider—brilliant, but different. Whether working at the laboratory she adored in Paris or toiling at a university in London, she feels closest to the science, those unchanging laws of physics and chemistry that guide her experiments. When she is assigned to work on DNA, she believes she can unearth its secrets. Rosalind knows if she just takes one more X-ray picture—one more after thousands—she can unlock the building blocks of life. Never again will she have to listen to her colleagues complain about her, especially Maurice Wilkins who'd rather conspire about genetics with James Watson and Francis Crick than work alongside her. Then it finally happens—the double helix structure of DNA reveals itself to her with perfect clarity. But what unfolds next, Rosalind could have never predicted. Marie Benedict's powerful new novel shines a light on a woman who sacrificed her life to discover the nature of our very DNA, a woman whose world-changing contributions were hidden by the men around her but whose relentless drive advanced our understanding of humankind. Also By Marie Benedict: The Other Einstein Carnegie's Maid The Only Woman in the Room Lady Clementine The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

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"Dyson has become a byword for high-performing products, technology, design, and invention. Now, James Dyson, the inventor and entrepreneur who made it all happen, tells his remarkable and inspirational story in Invention: A Life. Famously, over a four-year period, James Dyson made 5,127 prototypes of the cyclonic vacuum cleaner that would transform the way houses are cleaned around the world. In devoting all his resources to iteratively developing the technology, he risked it all, but out of many failures and setbacks came hard-fought success. His products--including vacuum cleaners, hair dryers and hair stylers, and fans and purifiers--are not only revolutionary technologies, but design classics. This was a legacy of his time studying at the Royal College of Art in the 1960s, when he was inspired by some of the most famous artists, designers, and inventors of the era, as well as his engineering heroes such as Frank Whittle and Alex Issigonis. In Invention: A Life, Dyson reveals how he came to set up his own company and led it to become one of the most inventive technology companies in the world. It is a compelling and dramatic tale, with many obstacles overcome. Dyson has always looked to the future, even setting up his own university to help provide the next generation of engineers and designers. For, as he says, "everything changes all the time, so experience is of little use." Whether you are someone who has an idea for a better product, an aspiring entrepreneur, whether you appreciate great design or a page-turning read, Invention: A Life offers you inspiration, hope, and much more."--Provided by publisher.

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"In biomimicry, scientists imitate traits found in nature. An engineer shapes the nose of his bullet train like a kingfisher's beak. A scientist models her solar cell on the mighty leaf. Discover how ten inventors were inspired by animals and plants to create cutting-edge technology."-- Provided by publisher.

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"The hidden history of one of the world's greatest inventors, a man who disrupted the status quo and then disappeared into thin air on the eve of World War I--this book answers the hundred-year-old mystery of what really became of Rudolf Diesel. September 29, 1913: the steamship Dresden is halfway between Belgium and England. On board is one of the most famous men in the world, Rudolf Diesel, whose new internal combustion engine is on the verge of revolutionizing global industry forever. But Diesel never arrives at his destination. He vanishes during the night and headlines around the world wonder if it was an accident, suicide, or murder. After rising from an impoverished European childhood, Diesel had become a multi-millionaire with his powerful engine that does not require expensive petroleum-based fuel. In doing so, he became not only an international celebrity but also the enemy of two extremely powerful men: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and the richest man in the world. The Kaiser wanted the engine to power a fleet of submarines that would finally allow him to challenge Great Britain's Royal Navy. But Diesel had intended for his engine to be used for the betterment of mankind and kept the technology out of the hands of the British or any other nation. For John D. Rockefeller, the engine was nothing less than an existential threat to his vast and lucrative oil empire. As electric lighting began to replace kerosene lamps, Rockefeller's bottom line depended on the world's growing thirst for gasoline to power its automobiles and industries. At the outset of this new age of electricity and oil, Europe stood on the precipice of war. Rudolf Diesel grew increasingly concerned about Germany's rising nationalism and military spending. The inventor was on his way to London to establish a new company that would help Britain improve its failing submarine program when he disappeared. Now, New York Times bestselling author Douglas Brunt reopens the case and provides an astonishing new conclusion about Diesel's fate" -- Provided by publisher.

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"A structural engineer examines the seven most basic building blocks of engineering that have shaped the modern world"-- Provided by publisher.

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