Great inventions

Explains the diseases that led to the discovery of vaccines, how vaccines work, and how that has changed the history of medicine.

An introduction to the ideas and technical developments that produced today's computers. Includes a "hands on" activity.

Explains the mechanics of the first printing press, invented in Germany by Gutenberg in the fifteenth century, and describes the press's revolutionary impact on the world.

Explains the mechanics of the cotton gin, invented in the late eighteenth century by Eli Whitney, and describes how it enabled, tragically, the vast expansion of the American slave trade.

Looks at how warfare was conducted before the invention of gunpowder, and discusses the effects of gunpowder on weapons and the ways of war.

Looks at how early civilizations thought about and measured time, discusses attempts to make time visible, and examines the invention of the clock and its effects on the course of world history.

Presents an introduction to the ideas and technical developments that led to the production of modern automobiles, and includes a related activity.