
Nutty Stories from World Fairs
Constant Wonder - Season 2022, Episode 620
- Aug 20, 2020 6:00 am
- 52:51
Wacky Inventions and World's Fairs Guest: Charles Pappas, senior writer, Exhibitor Magazine, and author, “Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, and Robot Overlords: How World's Fairs and Trade Expos Changed the World” Colt revolvers, ice cream cones, and ATMs were all introduced at trade fairs, which have served as incubators of innovation for more than a century. And speaking of incubators, one world's fair featured live babies in incubators, which helped to persuade a skeptical public of their lifesaving power. But there have been truly weird entries, like Salvador Dali's lobster women, that have debuted there, too. The Fastest Jetpack in the World Guest: Richard Browning, Founder and Chief Test Pilot, Gravity Industries Ltd. Gravity Industries founder Richard Browning’s world-record-breaking jet suit is right out of the movies. Could its technology be widely used by ordinary people some day?