• Exciting photographs interact with accessible and informative text • Illuminating artworks and 20 practical projects explain the science behind the facts Imagine whac life would be like without the wheel, the safety lock, and the flushable lavatory... the automatic washing machine, electric kettle, or the television... Inventions and Discoveries explores the origins of devices such as these that have revolutionized the way we live. It looks at all aspects of everyday life, from cooking and health to transport and communication, from sound and vision to film and television. Discover what the key inventions were, how they came to be made and the brilliant minds who created them. In this book you will be able to trace how simple breakthrough machines, devices and materials of the past have developed into the sophisticated, high-tech versions of today. Exciting experiments to do at home or in the classroom are not only fun but help you understand exactly how things work.