When did humans first start to farm? What was the first murder solved by forensic science? Who invented the battery?

The answer to all these questions can be found on the podcast Patented: The History of Inventions, which we're recommending today.

It’s hosted by Dallas Campbell, who has presented hit science shows like the Gadget Show and Bang Goes the Theory. Now he’s asking who we have to thank for the inventions that surround us everyday.

Today we’re playing an episode where Dallas discovers the inventor of the humble contact lens. It’s an unsung hero called Otto Wichterle, who lived and worked behind the Iron Curtain and who created the world’s first contact lens on Christmas Eve 1961 at his kitchen table, using a gramophone player and bits of his son’s meccano set. Dallas’s guest in this episode is Riika Palonkorpi.

If you enjoy it and want to hear more then go check out Patented, a podcast from History Hit, with new episodes every Wednesday and Sunday.

Enjoy!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices