Inventions by women that changed the world
The top 3 according to 79 votes from people: Frequency hopping (Hedy Lamarr) · The first algorithm (Ada Lovelace) · The life raft (Maria Beasley). (Updated May 2, 2021.)
From the dishwasher to Kevlar, from the windscreen wiper to the basis of wifi: inventions by women that we use every day, often without knowing who was behind them. Which one matters most to you?
Automatically translated (original in Español). See the original
Top 20
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1
Frequency hopping (Hedy Lamarr)
In 1942 the actress came up with the technique behind wifi, Bluetooth and GPS.
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2
The first algorithm (Ada Lovelace)
In 1843 she wrote the first program for Babbage's engine.
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3
The life raft (Maria Beasley)
Her 1882 design was used on the Titanic.
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4
The dishwasher (Josephine Cochrane)
Patented in 1886 because her dishes kept breaking.
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5
Liquid Paper (Bette Nesmith Graham)
A secretary who covered her mistakes with white paint.
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6
The hand-cranked ice cream maker (Nancy Johnson)
The crank machine for making ice cream, from 1843.
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7
The flat-bottomed paper bag (Margaret Knight)
She invented the machine that makes them and won a lawsuit to patent it.
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8
The game behind Monopoly (Elizabeth Magie)
The Landlord's Game, patented in 1904.
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9
The waterproof nappy (Marion Donovan)
She made the first one from a shower curtain in 1946.
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10
The one-handed syringe (Letitia Geer)
Patented in 1899.
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11
The windscreen wiper (Mary Anderson)
Patented in 1903, long before cars were everywhere.
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12
Kevlar (Stephanie Kwolek)
The fibre in bulletproof vests, discovered in 1965.
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13
The solar house (Mária Telkes)
With architect Eleanor Raymond, the first house heated only by the sun, in 1948.
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14
Non-reflective glass (Katharine Blodgett)
A coating that improved cameras, glasses and projectors.
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15
Laser cataract surgery (Patricia Bath)
Her Laserphaco gave sight back to millions.
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16
The compiler (Grace Hopper)
The pioneer who taught computers to understand something like English.
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17
Chocolate chip cookies (Ruth Wakefield)
Born at her Toll House restaurant in 1938.
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18
The coffee filter (Melitta Bentz)
She made it in 1908 with blotting paper from her son's notebooks.
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19
The modern bra (Mary Phelps Jacob)
She made it with two handkerchiefs and a ribbon and patented it in 1914.
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20
The mechanical encyclopedia (Ángela Ruiz Robles)
The Galician teacher anticipated the e-book in 1949.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (1)
No tenía ni idea de que el limpiaparabrisas lo inventó una mujer. Y lo de Ángela Ruiz Robles debería estudiarse en los colegios de aquí