Robert Fulton: Boy Craftsman
by Marguerite Henry

Do you have a child who’s always coming up with ideas or working on projects? My middle child is one of those. As a toddler he was always on the go, exploring things, opening doors, flipping switches, then a little later, taking things apart and fixing things. He made a pneumatic airgun that shot potatoes, a two-octave PVC pipe instrument (think Blue Man Group), a didgeridoo, a dulcimer, and a Tesla coil (from scratch, btw). It’s no surprise to those who have known this boy from childhood that his major in college is electrical engineering, and that he is currently working on a couple of patents at his job. (Please excuse my brief but shameful parental bragging.) Continue reading “The Innovation of Robert Fulton: Making Much Out of Little”