Modern Marvels: Invent Now Challenge
The Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge was one of the invention competitions followed by Inventor Underground in 2006.
A wider view of invention
The original section discussed a shortlist of 25 inventions and drew on contemporary coverage by MAKE. The examples ranged from garment fasteners and magnetic arrow rests to recovery systems, training equipment and construction tools.
That variety fit the purpose of Inventor Underground: look beyond a single television winner and give readers a broader picture of what independent inventors were working on.
From a competition to a community
Television provided a public stage, but the directory made space for the details of a project: the person who conceived it, the problem it addressed and the steps needed to develop it.
Browse the inventor gallery for the contributors’ descriptions, or read The art of invention for longer accounts of the creative process.
The advice section and audition stories add another perspective on the attention that invention television brought to this community.
Contributors’ accounts and product descriptions reflect their original time.