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From agriculture to the X-ray machine, Stuff to Blow Your Mind hosts Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the inventions we created, and how they created us.

Invention

From agriculture to the X-ray machine, hosts Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the inventions we created, and how they created us.

 
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trailer: Daedalus

Automatons that sell goods on behalf of humans? Vending machines are so ubiquitous in our world that we tend to overlook the weirdness and wonder of the advancement. In this episode of Invention, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick quest after the first vending machines.

 
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The Vending Machine

The 18th century Guillotine represents the absolute pinnacle of mechanical decapitation. In this episode of Inventions, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore its origins and legacy.

 
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Guillotine

Chopsticks are such an intuitive and precise eating utensil, it’s easy to assume they’ve been with us. But as Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore, this neolithic invention didn’t really leave the kitchen for the dinner table in a major way till the fifth century CE. Prepare to explore the invention of chopsticks.

 
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Chopsticks

Toothpaste is a vital substance in our war against tooth decay, but when did we first rub this stuff into our teeth and gums? In this episode of Invention, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick squeeze out the history and origins of toothpaste.

 
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Toothpaste

It’s hard to imagine how anyone looked cool before the invention of sunglasses, but just when did humans pop their first pair of shades? In this episode of Invention, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss everything from the blinding white hell of arctic wastes to the blood-soaked spectacle of gladiatorial combat. 

 
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Sun Glasses

Just try to imagine modern medicine without x-rays. How did we ever get by without them and who is responsible for this amazing technological invention? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for another eye-opening episode of Invention.

 
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The X-Ray

From ancient myth and the inventions of Archimedes to the work of Tesla and countless sci-fi authors, the concept of a death ray is a powerful expression of technological might. But here’s the catch: they don’t quite exist. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they explore the various figures, inventors and frauds who claimed to have invented a death ray. 

 
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The Death Ray, Part 1

The Death Ray, Part 2

Few musical instruments are as associated with American music and culture as the saxophone, but it's origins go back to 19th century Belgian instrument maker's Parisian shop. Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this episode of Invention. 

 
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The Saxophone

A fungal accident in the early 20th century opened the door for the medical wonders of the antibiotic age. In this episode of Invention, Robert and Joe explore what came before and how Alexander Fleming’s discovery changed the world. (Originally published 7/15/19)

 
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Invention Classic: Penicillin

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