A Million Whys: The Invention Expedition for Curious Kids

All 150 questions

Tap a question to watch its video and read the answer.

Expedition 1: Happy Accidents

1. What is a happy accident in science?
2. How did a melted chocolate bar lead to the microwave oven?
3. How did a moldy dish lead to the first antibiotic?
4. How did a weak glue become sticky notes?
5. Why was bubble wrap first meant to be wallpaper?
6. How was rubber made stronger by accident?
7. How did a mistake lead to Silly Putty?
8. How did a spring that fell off a shelf become the Slinky?
9. How did Play-Doh start as a wall cleaner?
10. Who invented the ice cream cone?
11. Where did the chocolate chip cookie come from?
12. How did cornflakes come about?
13. How were X-rays discovered by accident?
14. How did a dropped flask lead to safety glass?
15. How was stainless steel discovered?
16. How did a mystery cylinder of gas lead to Teflon?
17. How did a wrong part help invent the pacemaker?
18. How was Super Glue discovered?
19. How did a noisy antenna reveal the afterglow of the Big Bang?
20. What does it mean that chance favors the prepared mind?
21. Why do inventors keep notebooks?
22. How can you tinker safely with a surprise at home?
23. How did spilled wine lead to cellophane?
24. How did tea bags get started?
25. How did a contest for billiard balls lead to plastic?

Expedition 2: Copying Nature

26. What is biomimicry?
27. How did a walk with a dog lead to Velcro?
28. How did a kingfisher help shape a fast train?
29. How does a lotus leaf keep itself clean?
30. How do gecko feet stick to walls?
31. How can bumps on a whale's flipper improve wind turbines?
32. How have shark-skin ideas been used in swimsuits and hospitals?
33. How did an architect copy termite mounds to cool an office building?
34. How did a boxy fish inspire a car?
35. How do labs make spider-silk-like fibers without spiders?
36. How did the Titanic disaster lead to sonar?
37. How does a pitcher plant inspire slippery surfaces?
38. How did a mosquito inspire gentler needles?
39. How did a gliding rainforest seed inspire an early airplane?
40. Why is mother-of-pearl so tough?
41. How does a sandcastle worm glue sand underwater?
42. Why are honeycomb patterns used in strong, light panels?
43. Why is bamboo such a strong plant?
44. Could a chameleon's color-changing skin become a new kind of material?
45. How did fireflies make LED lights brighter?
46. How do moth eyes help screens and solar panels?
47. How do engineers look for nature's answers to a problem?
48. Does nature always have the best design?
49. How can you be a biomimicry detective at home?
50. How did a cat's tongue inspire a better hairbrush?

Expedition 3: Everyday Inventions

51. Who invented the wheel, and why was it such a big deal?
52. Why is a pencil's "lead" not really lead?
53. How does an eraser erase?
54. How does a ballpoint pen work?
55. How was paper first made in ancient China?
56. When were eyeglasses invented?
57. When was the umbrella invented?
58. How did people clean their teeth before toothbrushes?
59. How did people keep food cold before refrigerators?
60. How does a tin can keep food fresh for years?
61. Why does a paper clip hold papers together?
62. How was the safety pin invented?
63. How did the bicycle change over time?
64. Who invented the flashlight?
65. Who invented the telephone?
66. How did the first phonograph record sound?
67. How did the thermometer develop?
68. How does a key open a lock?
69. Who invented the goalie mask?
70. Who invented the snowmobile?
71. Who invented basketball?
72. What makes LEGO bricks fit together so well?
73. Why are phone keypads and calculators laid out in opposite orders?
74. Who invented the Ferris wheel?
75. Does one person usually invent something alone?

Expedition 4: Kid Inventors & Famous Flops

76. How did an 11-year-old invent the Popsicle?
77. Who invented earmuffs when he was a teenager?
78. How did a teenager invent a reading system for blind people?
79. What did a boy farmer's field have to do with television?
80. How did a boy in Kenya keep lions away from his family's cattle?
81. How did a teenager invent a flashlight that needs no batteries?
82. How did a 14-year-old build a robotic hand from simple parts?
83. How did an eleven-year-old design a way to find lead in water?
84. Why are kids often good at inventing?
85. Where can a young inventor share and test an idea?
86. How does the Zamboni make hockey ice smooth?
87. How did a water experiment lead to the Super Soaker?
88. Why did Betamax lose to VHS?
89. Why did the Ford Edsel car fail?
90. What happened to the Segway?
91. Why did early parachutes swing wildly, and how did a vent hole help?
92. Why do engineers study things that go wrong?
93. Why don't we all have jetpacks?
94. Why did early electric cars lose to gasoline cars?
95. Why did eight-track tapes disappear?
96. Why did floppy disks go away?
97. Which inventions did people once say would never work?
98. What makes one invention succeed and another fail?
99. What is a Rube Goldberg machine?
100. What good can come from an invention that doesn't work?

Expedition 5: How Makers Test & Share

101. What is a control, and why does a test need one?
102. Why do inventors use rulers and timers instead of eyeballing a test?
103. What is a patent, and why do inventors get one?
104. What's the difference between a patent, a trademark, and a copyright?
105. How do crash test dummies help make cars safer?
106. How do engineers test a bike helmet?
107. How are toys tested to make sure they are safe?
108. How do engineers test whether a building can survive shaking?
109. How do machines test how long a product will last?
110. What do waterproof ratings like IP67 mean?
111. How do computers help inventors test ideas before building them?
112. Why do designers draw an invention on a computer first?
113. Why do inventors ask other people to try their inventions?
114. Why do good instructions matter so much?
115. What do safety marks like CSA on a product mean?
116. Why do companies sometimes recall products?
117. How did a peeler for sore hands lead to tools everyone likes to hold?
118. Why do some inventors share their designs for free?
119. What happens at a Maker Faire?
120. How do inventors choose which materials to use?
121. How can inventions be designed so they are easy to repair or recycle?
122. Why do engineers sometimes test things until they break?
123. Where can you see famous inventions in real life?
124. Why do companies test a new idea in just one town first?
125. How do you know an invention is ready to share with the world?

Expedition 6: Invent Your Own

126. How do you pick the best idea to build first?
127. How do you brainstorm lots of ideas?
128. How can a sketch help you explain your idea?
129. How can limits make you more creative?
130. How do cardboard mockups test whether a product fits a hand?
131. How can you invent with materials from the recycling bin?
132. How can you build a gadget using a lever or pulley?
133. Can you build a car pushed by a paper sail?
134. How do you invent a new game?
135. Can you invent a helper for an everyday chore?
136. How would you design a better backpack?
137. How can you design a lunch box that keeps food safe for a few hours?
138. How can you invent a musical instrument from household things?
139. How do you design a toy for a younger sibling?
140. How do you improve an invention again and again?
141. How do you give your invention a good name and a short pitch?
142. How can a comic explain how your invention works?
143. How do you make a good poster for a science or invention fair?
144. How can a team work well on an invention?
145. What are good rules for a safe inventor's workspace?
146. What can you do when your invention gets stuck?
147. How can you invent something that helps your community?
148. How can inventors make things that are kind to the planet?
149. Who can help you with your invention?
150. What will you invent first?