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From trampolines and popsicles to braille and pancreatic cancer tests, you’ve got a kid or a teenager to thank for each one of them. Let’s look at some cool things invented by kids!
Trampoline
George Nissen was 16 when he invented the trampoline after watching trapeze artists use a safety net at a circus in 1930. He and Larry Griswold perfected it and built the prototype in 1936.
Popsicles
It was invented in 1905 when an 11-year-old Francis Eperson accidentally left a glass of powdered lemonade soda and water with a mixing stick outside on a cold night.
Braille
Louis Braille invented the Braille system at the age of 15 in 1824. He lost sight in one eye at the age of three and was fully blind by the age of five.
Swim flippers
One of the US’s Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, was 11 years old when he invented swim fins in 1717. Initially, they were designed to be worn on hands, not feet.
Earmuffs
In 1873, 15-year-old Chester Greenwood developed the first earmuffs with his grandmother after his ears got painfully cold while ice skating.
Pancreatic cancer test
At the age of 15, Jack Andraka developed a new test for the early detection of pancreatic cancer in 2012. It was 100 times cheaper and 28,000 times faster than the tests available at the time.
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