Are the best inventors just grown up kids?
9/30/2002
Where do creativity and invention intersect with play? The subject is explored on this site, created to supplement a current exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The Smithsonian's Lemelson Center is dedicated to exploring invention in history and encouraging inventive creativity in young people. Insights from the inventors of Post-it Notes, Kevlar, Velcro, and the microwave oven show the similarities between "the way children and adults play and the creative processes used by innovators in science and technology." That is, you don't have to be a genius to be an inventor. In the "Invention Playhouse," you can create stories with other readers, test your problem-solving acumen, and design a cloud. We particularly like the "Inventors' Stories" section, where both famous and little-known inventors discuss the genesis of innovation. A fun and insightful site for creative types of all stripes.