On July 7, 2015, Lowell Wood became America’s Top Inventor surpassing Thomas Edison. Edison, often credited as the man who invented the 20th century, was the record holder for eighty-two years. Wood now owns an astonishing 1,085 patents and has 3,000 more awaiting review.
Lowell Wood is quite the intriguing individual who enthralls himself with an abundance of reading each day. Reading allows him to obtain the information needed for inventing. That’s a trait he shares with the great Edison. Like Edison, when a problem presents itself that needs to be solved, the first thing Wood does is research and read.
Edison was an elementary school dropout, and school was never easy for Lowell Wood, either. His struggles taught him that repetition and persistence were his path to success.
Wood is driven by a passion to help others, “At least half of his activities—maybe more—are trying to help the least fortunate people on earth.” says Nathan Myhrvold, former chief technology officer at Microsoft. “His ideas have already saved tons of lives and have the potential of saving enormously more.”
Lowell presents to the world the possibilities that advancement in technology provides. He is currently a full-time inventor and continues to find ways to make the world a better place. Although not all of his inventions are widely accepted, they are generally ideas that could potentially solve vast world issues.
Ashley Vance of Bloomberg Businessweek wrote of Lowell, “The scope of his inventions is insane… he’s just this guy who is compelled to solve problems and invent new ideas.”
It is estimated that Wood will double Edison’s record of patents in his lifetime. Currently, he averages one new patent each day of the week.
One of Wood’s inventions is the “Photonic Fence”. The fence is made up of sensors that detect mosquitoes. A laser then zaps the bug to eliminate its ability to infect a human with Malaria. This technology also may aid as a defense against the West Nile Virus.
Wood’s wife and daughter are following in his footsteps with many patents of their own. Lowell Wood and his family are not alone. Other Americans share their passion and persistence, too. These qualities drive many Americans to make their mark on the world by creating products that result in a better and more interesting life for us all. I am confident America will remain the world’s most innovative, inventing nation as bright minded individuals such as Wood, continue to emerge and evolve. jh
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Sources:
http://www.davison.com/blog/2015/11/11/who%E2%80%99s-lowell-wood-and-why-do-we-care/
http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2015-americas-top-inventor-lowell-wood/
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