Invention at Play   Explore the inventive side of play and playful side of invention with Invention at Play. Stories, photos and hands-on activities present inventors and innovators who have used creativeness and playfulness in their work. Included are Stephanie Kwolek, the chemist who invented Kevlar® (a strong and lightweight fiber used in bullet-resistant vests and fiber optic cables, among other products); Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone; and James McLurkin, a young engineer who invented robotic ants. Playful Approaches Every great achievement has a great story behind it. Recognize the Unusual - Seek out the uncommon and make it ordinary. Stephanie Kewolek, Dupont chemist and Kevlar inventor, exemplifies an inventor’s ability to see patterns and possibilities that other may not notice. Kewolek turned an Exhibit Activities   Magnet Ramp   Tessellation Puzzles   Whirligigs unexpected result into an extremely common fiber, Kevlar. See photos and read stories of other great inventors, such as Art Fry and Percy Spencer. Borrow From Nature - Pursue knowledge about the natural world. You might one day invent a revolutionary device, as Alexander Graham Bell did. Bell’s studies of the anatomical components of the ear lead him to a groundbreaking invention, the telephone. Learn about other inventors who use nature to create ideas, such as James McLurkin, inventor of robotic ants. Issues in Play All work no play? Historical and Current Toys - Look back at the world of toys and how it shaped the creative minds of yourself and others alike. Feedback Station - Reflect on the experiences you had playing with toys and how they link to your current interests. Video - Become engaged as children and adults share their experiences with play and how it shaped their future goals. Featured Inventors Recognize the Unusual Stephanie Kwolek - Kevlar® inventor Art Fry - Post-it® Note inventor Wilson Greatbatch - implantable, cardiac-pacemaker inventor Patsy Sherman - Scotchgard™ inventor Percy Spencer - microwave-oven inventor Borrow from Nature Alexander Graham Bell - telephone inventor James McLurkin - robotic-ants inventor George de Mestral - Velcro® inventor Ruth Foster - coinventor of the Gentle Leader® dog collar Paul MacCready - human-powered, flying-machine inventor Roman Szpur - high-efficiency, wind-turbine inventor Keep Making it Better Luis Alvarez - Noble Prize-winning physicist and inventor Mike Augspurger - handcycle inventor Matt Capozzi and Nathan Connolly - accessible-snowboard inventors Newman Darby - sailboard (windsurfer) inventor Gertrude Elion - drug-research pioneer Marjorie Joyner - permanent-wave machine inventor Garrett Morgan - gas-mask and traffic-signal inventor Finding Opportunities in Obstacles Akhil Madhani - surgical-robot inventor Ann Moore - Snugli® inventor Krysta Morlan - waterbike inventor Invention at Play was developed by the Lemelson Center at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in partnership with the Science Museum of Minnesota and with the generous support of The Lemelson Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

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