What Inventors Need to Know (broadcast Friday, August 17th, 2007)

In celebration of National Inventors' Month, join Ira Flatow in this hour of Science Friday as the talk turns to inventing. We'll hear from a mechanical engineer who designs easy-to-fabricate devices aimed at helping developing nations. Her award-winning inventions include an incubator that stays warm without electricity and a tool that converts farm waste into cleaner-burning charcoal. We'll also hear from a writer and inventor who finds sneaky uses for household items. He can tell you how to transform an AM radio into a metal detector and make a compact fire extinguisher from items in your kitchen cupboard. We'll also talk about the patenting process. In June, the United States Patent and Trademark Office opened the patent examination process to the public for the first time. We'll hear from an intellectual property lawyer about the new system. And if you have a good invention, how do you market it? We'll have an invention-coach on the line to answer your questions. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.