10 Great Inventions by Women

Summary

This script takes us on a historical journey, highlighting ten remarkable inventions credited to women. From the ancient Sumerian beer to modern marvels like Kevlar and frequency hopping, it showcases the ingenuity of female inventors. It also emphasizes the importance of women in STEM, encouraging more to join and contribute to a future where digital advancements are reshaping our world.

Takeaways

• 🍻 The first batch of beer was invented by women nearly seven thousand years ago by the Sumerians.
• 🛍️ Margaret Knight revolutionized the paper bag industry in 1867 by inventing the flat-bottom paper bag, which replaced the work of 30 people with one machine.
• 🌧️ Mary Anderson invented the windscreen wiper in 1903 to improve safety for drivers who had to manually wipe their windshields.
• 🍽️ Josephine Cochrane, in 1886, created the first successful automatic dishwasher to prevent her fine china from being damaged during washing.
• 🎮 Kevlar, invented in 1965, is a material five times stronger than steel and lighter, used in bulletproof vests and other applications.
• ☀️ Dr. Maria Telkes, known as the 'Sun Queen,' was a pioneer in solar thermal storage systems and a prolific inventor of practical thermal devices.
• 📞 Shirley Ann Jackson, the first African American woman to receive a doctorate from MIT, invented call ID in the 1970s and contributed to the development of fax machines and solar cells.
• 💻 Ada Lovelace is considered the first computer programmer, having written an algorithm for the Analytical Engine in the mid-1800s, 80 years before the first modern computer was built.
• 🐛 Grace Hopper, a US Navy Admiral, helped invent the first compiler and coined the term 'bug' after discovering an actual insect causing issues in a computer.
• 🎬 Hedy Lamarr, a Hollywood starlet, also invented frequency hopping, a technology crucial to the development of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
• 👩‍💻 The script highlights the importance of women in STEM, encouraging more women to enter these fields and contribute to the ongoing chapters of technological innovation.

Q & A

Who were the first brewers of beer according to the script?

The first brewers of beer were women in Sumerian society.

What did Margaret Knight invent in 1867?

Margaret Knight invented the process of making the flat bottom paper bag.

What problem did Mary Anderson solve with her invention in 1903?

Mary Anderson invented the windscreen wiper to help drivers clear their windshields without having to manually wipe them.

What motivated Josephine Cochrane to invent the automatic dishwasher?

Josephine Cochrane was motivated to invent the automatic dishwasher to prevent her workers from damaging her fine china while washing it.

What is Kevlar, and who invented it?

Kevlar is a strong, lightweight material used in bulletproof vests and other applications, invented by chemist Stephanie Kwolek in 1965.

Why is Marie Curie referred to as the 'Sun Queen'?

Marie Curie is referred to as the 'Sun Queen' because of her significant contributions to the development of solar thermal storage systems and other practical thermal devices.

What invention is Shirley Ann Jackson known for, and what other contributions did she make?

Shirley Ann Jackson is known for inventing caller ID. She also contributed to the development of fax machines and solar cells.

What did Ada Lovelace contribute to the field of computing?

Ada Lovelace wrote the first algorithm intended for a computing machine, making her the first computer programmer.

What is Grace Hopper's contribution to computer science?

Grace Hopper helped invent the first compiler, a program that translates written instructions into computer code, and coined the term 'bug' for computer glitches.

What was Hedy Lamarr's significant invention, and how is it used today?

Hedy Lamarr invented frequency hopping, a technique to prevent radio signal jamming, which is crucial for the development of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies.

Outlines

00:00

🍻 Celebrating Women in Inventions: Beer and Beyond

The script opens with a tribute to women inventors, starting with the ancient invention of beer by Sumerian women around seven thousand years ago. It then introduces the audience to a journey through history to uncover the stories of ten remarkable female innovations. The narrator encourages viewers to subscribe and turn on notifications for future content. The first invention highlighted is the flat-bottom paper bag, invented by Margaret Knight in 1867, which revolutionized the paper bag industry by increasing efficiency and reducing the workforce required for production.

05:00

🚗 Innovations on Wheels: From Paper Bags to Windshield Wipers

The script continues to recount the story of Mary Anderson, who in 1903 invented the windshield wiper to improve driver safety. Despite initial rejection by the automotive industry, her invention eventually became standard in vehicles. The narrative then shifts to Josephine Cochrane, who, in 1886, created the first automatic dishwasher to prevent her fine china from being damaged during washing. This invention featured separate compartments and pressurized jets of soapy water for efficient cleaning.

🛡️ From Dishwashers to Kevlar: The Strength of Female Ingenuity

The script moves on to discuss the invention of Kevlar by chemist Stephanie Kwolek in 1965. Known for its strength and light weight, Kevlar is widely used in bulletproof vests and various other applications. The narrative then honors Marie Tacke, dubbed the 'Sun Queen' for her contributions to solar thermal storage systems and her numerous practical thermal devices.

🌞 Pioneers of Modern Communication: Call ID and Beyond

Shirley Ann Jackson is recognized for her invention of call ID in the 1970s, which allowed users to see who was calling before answering. She was also the first African American woman to earn a doctorate from MIT and contributed to the development of fax machines and solar cells. The script also pays homage to Ada Lovelace, who is celebrated as the first computer programmer for her algorithm designed for the Analytical Engine in the mid-1800s.

💻 Trailblazers in Computing: Compilers, Bugs, and Beyond

Grace Hopper, a US Navy Admiral, is credited with inventing the first compiler, a program that translates human-readable instructions into machine code. She also coined the term 'bug' after discovering an actual insect causing issues within a computer. The script concludes with Hedy Lamarr, a Hollywood actress who, along with her invention of frequency hopping, played a crucial role in the development of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

🌟 Shining Stars in STEM: A Future Brightened by Women

The final paragraph emphasizes the importance of recognizing and promoting women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It highlights the role of women in writing the history of invention and encourages the belief that they can contribute equally to future innovations. The script ends on a hopeful note about the increasing participation of women in STEM fields and the potential for closing the digital gender divide.

Keywords

💡Invention

Invention refers to the creation of something new and original, typically a device, method, or process that serves a particular purpose or solves a problem. In the context of the video, the theme revolves around highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of women to various inventions throughout history. The script mentions several examples of inventions by women, such as the flat-bottom paper bag and the automatic dishwasher, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and celebrating these achievements.

💡Beer

Beer is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grains, typically barley, and is one of the oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic drinks in the world. In the video, beer is mentioned as one of the earliest inventions attributed to women, dating back nearly seven thousand years to the Sumerians, although the exact inventor is not known. This serves as an example of how women have been instrumental in shaping human culture and innovation from ancient times.

💡Flat-bottom paper bag

A flat-bottom paper bag is a type of paper bag with a flat base, allowing it to stand upright and hold more contents efficiently. The video credits Margaret Knight with inventing the process to make this type of bag in 1867, which revolutionized the paper bag industry by increasing efficiency and reducing the amount of paper needed. This invention exemplifies the practical problem-solving capabilities of women inventors.

💡Windscreen wiper

The windscreen wiper is a device used on vehicles to remove rain, snow, or other debris from the windshield, improving visibility for drivers. The script tells the story of Mary Anderson who, in 1903, invented the windscreen wiper to address the dangerous practice of drivers leaning out of their cars to clean their windows. Although initially rejected by the automotive industry, her invention eventually became standard, showcasing the persistence and foresight of female inventors.

💡Dishwasher

A dishwasher is a machine that cleans dishes automatically, using pressurized jets of water and detergent. Josephine Catron is highlighted in the video for inventing the first successful automatic dishwasher in 1886, which not only saved time and effort but also prevented damage to fine china. This invention is a testament to the innovative spirit of women in improving everyday life.

💡Kevlar

Kevlar is a heat-resistant and strong synthetic fiber, known for its use in bulletproof vests due to its high tensile strength-to-weight ratio. Invented by chemist Stephanie Kwolek in 1965 while researching liquid crystalline polymers, Kevlar's applications extend beyond protective gear to various industries, demonstrating the broad impact of women's contributions to material science.

💡Solar power

Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either through photovoltaic cells or concentrated solar power systems. Marie Van Brittan Brown, referred to as the 'Sun Queen' in the video, is recognized as one of the inventors of solar thermal storage systems. Her work in the field of solar energy underlines the significant role women have played in advancing renewable energy technologies.

💡Call ID

Call ID, or caller ID, is a telephone feature that displays the caller's phone number on the recipient's device before they answer the call. Shirley Ann Jackson, a brilliant physicist, is credited with the invention of call ID in the 1970s. This invention has greatly enhanced personal security and convenience in telecommunication, illustrating the influence of women in shaping modern technology.

💡Computer program

A computer program is a sequence of instructions that a computer can execute to perform a specific task or solve a problem. Ada Lovelace is widely recognized as the first computer programmer for her algorithm designed for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine in the mid-1800s. Her work in programming laid the foundation for future advancements in computer science, highlighting the pioneering role of women in the field.

💡Compiler

A compiler is a software that translates high-level programming language code into machine code that a computer can execute. Grace Hopper, a US Navy Admiral, is noted for helping to invent the first compiler, which facilitated the translation of worded instructions into computer-readable code. Her contributions to computing, including the term 'bug', underscore the significant role women have had in developing programming languages and tools.

💡Frequency hopping

Frequency hopping is a method of rapidly switching a carrier signal among many different frequency channels, used to avoid interference or jamming. Hedy Lamarr, known for her Hollywood career, co-invented this technology during the 1940s, which has been crucial to the development of modern communication systems like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Lamarr's invention exemplifies how women have made groundbreaking contributions to telecommunications.

💡STEM

STEM is an educational acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, referring to the fields that are often male-dominated but are increasingly welcoming women. The video script emphasizes the importance of encouraging more women to join STEM fields and the role of organizations in advocating for equal opportunities and reducing the digital gender divide. This keyword is central to the video's message of promoting gender equality and diversity in innovation.

Highlights

Beer was invented nearly 7,000 years ago by Sumerians, with the first batch of brewers likely being women.

Margaret Knight invented the flat-bottom paper bag in 1867, revolutionizing the paper bag industry and increasing efficiency.

Mary Anderson invented the windscreen wiper in 1903 to improve driver safety and convenience.

Josephine Cochrane created the first successful automatic dishwasher in 1886 to prevent her fine china from being damaged.

Kevlar, invented in 1965 by Stephanie Kwolek, is five times stronger than steel and lighter, used in bulletproof vests and other applications.

Marie Van Brittan Brown, known as the 'Sun Queen', was a prolific inventor of practical thermal devices and a founder of solar thermal storage systems.

Shirley Ann Jackson invented call ID in the 1970s, also contributing to the development of fax machines and solar cells.

Ada Lovelace is considered the first computer programmer, having written an algorithm for the Analytical Engine in the mid-1800s, 80 years before modern computers.

Grace Hopper, a US Navy Admiral, helped invent the first compiler and coined the term 'bug' after discovering an actual insect causing issues in a computer.

Hedy Lamarr, a Hollywood starlet, also invented frequency hopping, crucial to the development of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The transcript emphasizes the significant contributions of women inventors throughout history and encourages more women to enter STEM fields.

The digital age offers opportunities for women to make new contributions to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

There is a push for more women to join STEM fields and receive equal opportunities, helping to close the digital gender divide.

The transcript provides a historical perspective on women's inventions and their impact, highlighting the potential for future contributions.

The list of female inventors and their inventions serves as an inspiration and reminder of women's capabilities in innovation.

The transcript aims to challenge the perception that women are less capable inventors by showcasing a long history of female-led inventions.

The future of invention is bright with more women entering STEM and making their mark in various fields of science and technology.

Transcripts

we all know the dude invented the light

bulb we kind of remember the last bill

press play and you certainly recognize

name of the gentleman we linked to the

phone but he named one inventor that was

a female frowning and worrying I see

well frown and worry no more he had the

top ten innovations that the ladies

deserve the credit for so ladies and

gentlemen boys and girls let's take a

trip through history and discover the

stories behind ten amazing inventions

don't forget to click subscribe and hit

the notification bell to keep up to date

with all of our future uploads number 10

we start off the list with the ultimate

social lubricant beer beer was invented

nearly seven thousand years ago by the

Sumerians although we don't have an

exact date or the name of the inventor

we do know that the first batch of beer

brewers world women could be a great

icebreaker the next time you're at a bar

so you know invented beer number nine

and number nine is the flat bottom paper

bag what a flat bottom paper bag needs

inventing and second what even is a flat

bottom paper bag well here it is before

this there was this as you can see the

old version paper bags were more like

envelopes and were very inefficient it

carried less and took more paper to make

a lady by the name of Margaret Knight

came along in 1867 and invented the

process of making the paper bag that we

know of today and innovations

revolutionized the paperback industry by

replacing the work of 30 people with one

machine number eight where Mary Anderson

came to New York in 1903 she noticed our

drivers there on the roads there needed

to constantly lean out of the car and

manually wipe their wing screens while

this may have been a great way to

getting some exercise while driving it

was also a quick way to get yourself

killed so Miss Andersen set her mind to

inventing what we now know as the

windscreen wiper she patented invention

and presented it to the Malta industry

but she was turned down as people didn't

believe there was a future for a device

wasn't until 20 years later for the

first car with window wipers that used

mary's basic design came on the market

and the rest is history

number seven Josephine Catrin was rich

in fact she was so rich there the

biggest noise was the fact that the

China was being damaged every time a

workers washed it but Josephine wasn't

going to meekly accept that sometimes

things just get broken she was going to

invent a machine that would

automatically wash her dishes without

anyone touching it so in 1886 with the

help of a mechanic she created the first

successful automatic dishwasher her

invention not only has separate

compartments for different things but

also used pressurized Jets of soap water

to do the cleaning

number six kevlar is a word familiar to

all nine gamers as that thing that stops

your character from dying five seconds

into a first-person shooter but in the

real world apart from being the key

material for manufacturing bulletproof

vests kevlar is also deployed widely in

many other areas it is five times

stronger than steel yet also five times

lighter was invented in 1965 by chemists

Hoss Stephanie was researching

the applications of liquid crystalline

polymers number 5 in the world of

inventors there aren't many nicknames

that can match the Sun Queen in terms of

elegance and power this is the nickname

the scientific community has given to

Marie attacks one of the inventors of

solar power tilt is considered one of

the founders of solar thermal storage

systems and she was a prolific inventor

of practical thermal devices number four

before Cole idea was invented picking up

the phone for like opening a box of

chocolates but a lady called Shirley Ann

Jackson decided to take away the fun of

guessing and give us the choice to not

pick up at all please leave a message

after the tone

Shirley Ann Jackson was behind the

invention of call ID in the 1970s she

was also the first African American

woman to receive a doctorate from MIT

she was a brilliant physicist and the

research also led to the invention of

fax machines and solar cells

ada lovelace was a mathematical genius

she was so ahead over time that she

invented what is widely considered to be

the first computer program 80 years

before the first modern computer was

even built she had written an algorithm

for computing machine called analytic

machine in her notebook in the mid-1800s

by a wide margin she was truly the first

ever computer programmer number 2 Grace

Hopper was not only a real Admiral of

the US Navy

she was also an unsung hero in history

of computing she helped to invent the

first complier of support in simple

terms the first computer program that

could translate words instructions into

code that computers could read if that's

not enough for you

she also coined the term bug as she

literally discovered the real bug

causing problems inside on computers

number 1 Hedy Lamarr was a Hollywood

starlet in the 1940s so perhaps the

girls were saying but she was beautiful

and talented however fans who knew her

only from the silver screen may not have

a guess as she was also a brilliant

inventor her most famous invention is

frequency hopping a way of jumping

around and radio frequencies in order to

avoid a third party jamming although

initially intended for military use

frequency hopping was crucial to the

development of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth the

groundbreaking inventive growth of God

at Oh star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

not many people can match that so that

was a long list of names and inventions

and I suppose you're unlikely to

remember them all don't worry if you

take just one thing from this I hope it

is that ladies can just be as good as

lots in terms of inventions a long

history of invention has already been

written but new chapters can always be

added in the future and what a future

will be with the rise of the digital age

more and more women are entering into

the fields of science technology

engineering and mathematics than ever

before hallway is a key player in

helping push for more women to join the

stem field pushing for women to get more

opportunities in their work and helping

close the gap of the digital gender

divide

so come with us on the journey for

brighter future