Necessity is The Mother of Invention: 5 Amazing Inventions by Women

Ever heard the phrase, “Necessity is the Mother of Invention,”?   We think it means that the driving force for most new inventions are women!

 

 

1. The Life Raft

One day Maria Beasely looked out at vast sea and said, “People should, like, stop dying in huge transportation disasters.” Then in 1882 she invented life rafts. She wanted to create something that was, “fire-proof, compact, safe, and readily launched.” Much better than the life raft that was a plank of wood before Beasley’s invention. 

  

 

 

2. Kevlar

Stephanie Kwolek, an American chemist, invented Kevlar. A synthetic material that is five times stronger than steel, Kevlar is used to make bulletproof vests today. Not only has Kevlar become invaluable to the masses of soldiers and law enforcement officers today, it is used in hundreds of other products, including safety helmets, skis, hiking and camping gear, suspension bridge cables, and much more. 

 

 

3. Business Computer Software

After spending 4 years in the United States Navy, Dr. Grace Murray Hopper emerged as a computer scientist. From 1959 to 1961, Hopper led the team that invented COBOL, “the first user-friendly business computer software program.” What’s more, “Hopper was the first person to use the term “bug” to describe a glitch in a computer system, after finding an actual moth causing trouble in her computer.”

 

 

4. Wireless Transmission Technology

 Hedy Lamarr, an Austrian actress and international beauty icon, proved she was much more than just a pretty face with her invention of a secret communications system during World War II. Her invention manipulated radio-frequencies at irregular intervals between transmission and reception, which created an unbreakable code to prevent classified messages from being intercepted by the enemy. Her invention laid down the technological foundation that makes Wi-Fi, GPS, and other wireless operations possible today.

 

 

5. Animal Handling Inventions

Dr. Temple Grandin was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at a young age, and she did not speak until she was almost 4 years old. Despite the challenges of her diagnosis, Grandin was steadfast in her beliefs that animals should not be mistreated. She designed many inventions that use behavior principles rather than excess force to control animals. Her restraint systems have enhanced animal welfare while reducing stress, keeping the animals calm, and preventing them from getting hurt. Her center-track restraint system is currently used to handled approximately half of all the cattle in North America. She has also designed livestock handling facilities in Canada, Europe, New Zealand, and the United States, and developed a scoring system for assessing the handling of pigs and cattle at meat plants.