The Best Kid

Inventions in History

The Popsicle

In 1905, 11-year-old Frank Epperson invented the Popsicle completely by

accident. Frank left a cup of powdered soda, water and a stirring stick outside one cold

night and awoke to find a refreshing treat. Initially dubbed the "Epsicle," he

obtained a patent in 1923 and sold the rights to a large New

York company. Now available in 30 flavors, hundreds of

thousands of Epperson's Popsicles are eaten in the U.S.

each year.

The Popsicle

In 1905, 11-year-old Frank Epperson invented the Popsicle completely by

accident. Frank left a cup of powdered soda, water and a stirring stick outside one cold

night and awoke to find a refreshing treat. Initially dubbed the "Epsicle," he

obtained a patent in 1923 and sold the rights to a large New York company. Now available

in 30 flavors, hundreds of thousands of Epperson's

Popsicles are eaten in the U.S. each year.

Ear Muffs

Irked by how cold his ears became while ice skating

outdoors in his native Maine, 15-year-old Chester

Greenwood asked his grandmother to sew fur onto a

two-loop wire he'd made. Shortly thereafter, in the early 1870s, he obtained a patent

and made a final model for the ear protectors. On December

21, the state of Maine still celebrates "Chester

Greenwood Day" to celebrate its clever inventor.

Braille

LouisBraille was just 3 years old in 1812 when he was

injured and lost his vision. Later on, as a teen studying at The National Institute for Blind Youth in Paris, he designed a system using raised dots in specific patterns to aid in

reading. The first Braille book was released in 1829, and in

1837 Louis added symbols for math and music. Braille has

since been adapted for nearly every single language, from

Albanian to Zulu.

Early Television

While several inventors contributed to the creation of the television, Philo T. Farnsworth made a few indispensable advances. In 1921, the 15-year-old had the sketches, diagrams and notes to make an electronic television system. By 21, Farnsworth

transmitted his first electronic image and held the earliest public demonstration of a working TV. At the time of his death in 1971, the average television set included about 100 items that he originally patented.

Kidkare Ride-On Car

Upon visiting a children's hospital in 1998, 6-year-old Spencer Whale noticed that medical apparati often got in the way when sick children attempted to play. Spencer went home and created a

rideable car with an attached IV pole so that sick kids could

play safely and easily while receiving their medicine.

Several children's hospitals across the country now own

KidKare Cars and Trucks.

Sign Language Translator

After watching a translator order fast food for a group of deaf people in around 2002, 17-year-old Ryan Patterson

invented a glove with special sensors that translate the hand

motions of American Sign Language into written words

on a digital display. The gadget can also be customized to recognize an individual's

signing style and now includes audio features.

The Algae Mobile

In 2011, 17-year-old Param Jaggi invented a device that

uses algae to convert harmful carbon dioxide from an

automobile's exhaust pipe into clean oxygen, just as it would

in nature. A number of organizations, including The EPA, Intel and Forbes have

recognized Jaggi for his work—not too shabby, considering

the Texan still isn't old enough buy beer.

Screening Technique

In 2009, 16-year-old Janet Song and her 15-year-old

brother Benjamin came up with a new, less invasive way

to screen for early signs of cancer analyzing urine for DNA markers associated with liver,

colon and other cancers before more pronounced symptoms occur. While not yet available

for clinical use, it has the potential to greatly increase

survival rates.

Fire Prevention Devices

In 2011, 17-year-old high school senior and volunteer fire fighter Paul Hyman invented a sensor in dryers to detect when lint is in danger of catching fire, releasing carbon dioxide to put out potential flames. He also created a tiny infrared camera for

firefighter masks to help see through thick smoke and flames. Funded in full by Clarkson University, Hyman runs a fire safety business through his dorm room.

The Hot Seat

After hearing about three children dying in hot cars in the summer of

2010, Alissa Chavez from New Mexico decided to do something about it. "Hot Seat" is basically a

car alarm for car seats that will set off three alarms — one on the key

fob, one on a phone app and a vehicle alarm — to alert parents

who may have forgotten their child was still in the car. Chavez, 17, won three science fairs in a row with this invention that she thought of when she was in 8th

grade, and is now trying to fundraise to build a prototype.

A truly lifesaving device from an amazing girl.