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Have an idea for Subject of the Month?
August 2015
Selectors: Marilyn Weiss and Emily Brush
"I believe that dreams - day dreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and your brain-machinery whizzing - are likely to lead to the betterment of the world. The imaginative child will become the imaginative man or woman most apt to create, to invent, and therefore to foster civilization.”
- L. Frank Baum, The Lost Princess of Oz
19th Century
- Historical development of modern anesthesiaOf all milestones and achievements in medicine, conquering pain must be one of the very few that has potentially affected every human being in the world. It was in 1846 that one of mankind's greatest fears, the pain of surgery, was eliminated.
- The painful story behind modern anesthesiaOne of the truly great moments in the long history of medicine occurred on a tense fall morning in the surgical amphitheater of Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital.
It was there, on Oct. 16, 1846, that a dentist named William T. G. Morton administered an effective anesthetic to a surgical patient.
Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev formulated the Periodic Law, created his own version of the periodic table of elements, and used it to correct the properties of some already discovered elements and also to predict the properties of eight elements yet to be discovered. This is Mendeleev's 1871 periodic table.
A Well-Ordered Thing by Call Number: Undergraduate Library QD 22 .M43 G67 2004ISBN: 046502775XPublication Date: 2004-04-28Dmitrii Mendeleev: It's a name we recognize, but only as the disheveled scientist pictured in our high school chemistry textbook, the creator of the periodic table of elements. Until now little has been known about the man, but "A Well-Ordered Thing" draws a portrait of this chemist in three full dimensions.
The Bewildered Nobel Committee by Call Number: electronic resourceISBN: 9789814295956Publication Date: 2011-02-28Lagerkvist, who was a member of the Swedish Academy of Sciences and has participated in judging nominations for the chemistry prize, concludes “It is in the nature of the Nobel Prize that there will always be a number candidates who obviously deserve to be rewarded but never get the accolade” - Mendeleev was one of those.
Lincoln the Inventor by Call Number: electronic resourceISBN: 9780809386710Publication Date: 2009-01-01In "Lincoln the Inventor," Jason Emerson offers the first treatment of Abraham Lincoln's invention of a device to buoy vessels over shoals and its subsequent patent as more than mere historical footnote.
- Abraham Lincoln: The Ingenious InventorIn 1849, a future president patented an amazing addition to transportation technology.
Ferris Wheel at Michigan State Fair. 1949.
WSU Virtual Motor City Collection.
- George FerrisThere is nothing in the World's Columbian exposition that compares in genuine novelty and sensationalism with the great vertical wheel which stands in the very center of Midway plaisance.
- Chicago History Museum Lesson Plans: The First Ferris WheelStudents will explore the creative inspiration behind the wheel, the collaborative process of fabricating the wheel, and the features of riding on the wheel. They will analyze primary source materials, including photographs, an advertising poster, and telegrams exchanged between George Ferris, the inventor of the wheel, and Luther Rice, the engineer supervising construction of the wheel. At the conclusion of this unit, students will appreciate the uniqueness of the Ferris wheel and the process and creativity necessary to generate an idea and then turn it into a physical reality.
20th Century
Impacts of antibiotic-resistant bacteria : Thanks to penicillin-- He will come home! by Call Number: electronic resourceISBN: 0160483387Publication Date: 1995-01-01
Penicillin by Call Number: Storage Blue RS 165 .P38 H63 1985ISBN: 0300032250Publication Date: 1985-09-10Traces the history of penicillin, recounts how it was isolated, studied, and first produced on a commercial scale, and assesses the importance of its discovery.
- Ordering from StorageDo you want to order Penicillin: Meeting the Challenge by Gladys L. Hobby or another item from storage? Here is the link to the WSU Library System Storage Request Form.
In 1888, Nikola Tesla invented the first practicable AC motor and polyphase
power transmission system, which revolutionizes industry and commerce.
- PBS: Tesla, Master of LightningPBS gathers resources, discussions, and information for teachers about Nikola Tesla, the Master of Lightning.
The Inventions, Researches and Writings of Nikola Tesla by Call Number: electronic resourceISBN: 1454910763Publication Date: 2014-04-01During the early twentieth century, the eccentric and brilliant inventor Nikola Tesla blazed the path that electrical development followed for many years to come. This fascinating illustrated record of Tesla's pioneering work gathers many of his most famous findings and theories, allowing contemporary readers to experience the amazing range of his thinking.
Tesla by Call Number: electronic resourceISBN: 1400846552Publication Date: 2013-05-07Nikola Tesla was a major contributor to the electrical revolution that transformed daily life at the turn of the twentieth century. His inventions, patents, and theoretical work formed the basis of modern AC electricity, and contributed to the development of radio and television.
Although better known for her Silver Screen exploits, Austrian actress Hedy Lamarr (born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler) also became a pioneer in the field of wireless communications following her emigration to the United States.
- Hedy Lamarr: Invention of Spread Spectrum TechnologyAlthough better known for her Silver Screen exploits, Austrian actress Hedy Lamarr (born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler) also became a pioneer in the field of wireless communications following her emigration to the United States.
- How Ralph Baer persisted with a rejected idea, and eventually launched the first video gameWhile developing a TV receiver in 1951, a thought occurred to engineer Ralph Baer: why not use a TV screen for something other than watching broadcasted shows - playing a game, for example? His employers rejected the idea, but Baer would return to it and develop the first video game.
21st Century
- Esther TakeuchiDistinguished Professor in Chemistry Department at Stony Brook University in New York.
- Energy Innovator Esther Takeuchi Elected Fellow of Electrochemical SocietyStony Brook University professor and Brookhaven Lab scientist honored for leading advances in energy storage technology
- How This Artist Makes Perfect Clouds IndoorsThe lifespan of a typical Berndnaut Smilde sculpture is 10 seconds—just long enough to be photographed. And his sculptures are as unusual as they are ethereal: Smilde makes perfect miniature clouds in a diverse array of indoor locations, from coal mines to cathedrals.
Expresso Book Machine at the University of Michigan Library.
- The EBM TechnologyThe patented Espresso Book Machine® (EBM) makes a paperback book in minutes, at point of need. Through its EspressNet® digital catalog of content, books can be ordered online or onsite at bookstores, libraries, and non-bookstore retailers. Over seven million in-copyright and public-domain titles are available on the network. The technology is also ideal for self and custom publishing.
- The Espresso Book Machine: A Change Agent for LibrariesWith access to a catalog of millions of digital files the EBM can place a perfect bound book into a patron’s hands within a few minutes, to borrow and return, to purchase, or perhaps even to keep without paying. In an era of instant gratification, the EBM holds enormous promise for user services.
Picture of the Display
Detroit Inventors & Inventions
Faygo Beverage Company. Detroit. 1969.
WSU Virtual Motor City Collection.
- Faygo Pop History - Detroit Historical SocietyIn 1907, Ben and Perry Feigenson started bottling lager beer, mineral water and soda water. Recent Russian immigrants to Detroit, the brothers were trained as bakers. While packaging their soda water, they began playing around with the idea of creating soft drinks based on their frosting flavors.
Inspector William Potts presenting first signal light ever in use to James Bishop. 1938.
WSU Virtual Motor City Collection.
- Red Light, Green Light : The Invention of the Traffic SignalThe traffic signal was first invented in 1912 — by a Detroit policeman named Lester Wire — as a two-color, red-and-green light with a buzzer to warn pedestrians ahead of the impending transition. In 1920, this basic design was modified (by another policeman named William Potts) to include the tri-colored red, amber, and green lights widely used today.
- Digital Collection: WSU Virtual Motor CityBrowse Wayne State University's Virtual Motor City image collection for more images of the Faygo Beverage Company and the first Detroit traffic light.
Ford Motor Company Flywheel Magneto Assembly Line. 1913.
Changing Face of the Auto Industry.
- Digital Collection: Changing Face of the Auto IndustryThe Changing Face of the Auto Industry Collection contains images from the Detroit Public Library's National Automotive History Collection and Burton Historical Collections. These photographs and postcards document the auto industry in the Detroit area during the first half of the twentieth century.
National Inventors Hall of Fame
- National Inventors Hall of FameThe National Inventors Hall of Fame is committed to honoring visionaries, inspiring inventions and challenging the next generation. Our incomparable archives celebrate the life-changing achievements of U.S. patent holders, and our innovative programs cultivate the emerging inventor in every student.
National Inventors Hall of Fame. Alexandria, VA.
Children's Books
African American Inventors by Call Number: electronic resourceISBN: 0585295050Publication Date: 1998-01-01Meet the dreamers whose ideas and ingenuity changed the way we live. Profiles the lives of twenty-five African American inventors who made significant scientific contributions from the eighteenth century to modern times.
Girls Think of Everything by Call Number: Purdy-Kresge Library Juvenile 609.2273 T348gISBN: 0395937442Publication Date: 2000-04-24In kitchens and living rooms, in garages and labs and basements, even in converted chicken coops, women and girls have invented ingenious innovations that have made our lives simpler and better. Their creations are some of the most enduring (the windshield wiper) and best loved (the chocolate chip cookie). What inspired these women, and just how did they turn their ideas into realities? Features women inventors Ruth Wakefield, Mary Anderson, Stephanie Kwolek, Bette Nesmith Graham, Patsy O. Sherman, Ann Moore, Grace Murray Hopper, Margaret E. Knight, Jeanne Lee Crews, and Valerie L. Thomas, as well as young inventors ten-year-old Becky Schroeder and eleven-year-old Alexia Abernathy. Illustrated in vibrant collage by Caldecott Honor artist Melissa Sweet.
Penicillin by Call Number: Purdy-Kresge Library Juvenile 615 T151pISBN: 1575724170Publication Date: 2000-11-27Discover how a moldy melon helped revolutionize medicine. This book focuses on the discovery of penicillin, analyzing how it came about, describing it, and discussing its consequences on history. Investigate the timeline to understand crucial dates in medical breakthroughs.
We Have Conquered Pain by Call Number: Purdy-Kresge Library Juvenile 617.96 F841wISBN: 0689505876Publication Date: 1996-05-01An account of the work of four doctors involved in the debate over the credit for use of anesthetics in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century.
Marie Curie by Call Number: Purdy-Kresge Library Juvenile Biography C925M3ISBN: 155337570XPublication Date: 2004-08-01Marie Curie's discoveries in radiation changed the world. She became one of the most important women in science and her research is still important to scientists and doctors today.
Ferris Wheels by Call Number: Purdy-Kresge Library Juvenile 791.06 An24fISBN: 0394854608Publication Date: 1983-11-01Traces the history and influence of the Ferris wheel since 1893, when the first giant steel wheel, the invention of engineer George Ferris, was constructed for the Columbian Exposition in Chicago.