Black Geniuses

From The Huffington Post - 

10 Things You Never Knew Were Invented By Black People

We have black pioneers to thank for these useful inventions.

Three-Signal Traffic Light

After he saw a carriage crash in a Cleveland intersection, Garrett Morgan created a version of the modern three-way traffic signal in 1923. He was also the first black man to own a car in his city.

Closed Circuit TV

Marie Van Brittan Brown created a device in 1966 that would be the precursor to home surveillance as we know it. She connected a motorized security camera to a monitor, where one could view images from the camera.

Mailbox

In 1891, Philip Downing invented the "street letter box," which became the predecessor to the metal letter-drop mailboxes we use today.

Potato Chip

George Crum is widely credited for coming up with the potato chip as we know it. While he was working as a chef at a resort, a disgruntled patron sent his french fry order back to the kitchen and complained that they were cut too thick. So Crum made a new batch, cut them as thin as possible and added a bit of salt. Thus, potato chips were born.

Laser Cataract Surgery

Howard University alum Patricia Bath is responsible for creating the laserphaco probe, a device used for laser cataract surgery. With the help of the instrument, she was able to recover the sight of several individuals who had been blind for over 30 years.

Touch-Tone Phone

Shirley Ann Jackson made several telecommunications breakthroughs while employed with Bell Laboratories. Her scientific discoveries led to the touch-tone phone, caller I.D. and call waiting. Jackson was also the first black woman to graduate with a Ph.D. from M.I.T.

Super Soaker

'90s kids have Lonnie Johnson to thank for their super soaked summer water gun battles. The former NASA engineer created the toy in his spare time and after several rebranding attempts, his Super Soaker, known for its high-powered water blasting function, hit $200 million in sales in 1991.

3-D Special Effects

Computer graphics designer Marc Hannah co-founded Silicon Graphics, Inc. His computer programs were instrumental in the creation of special effects for films like "Jurassic Park," "Aladdin," "Beauty and the Beast" and more.

The Blood Bank

African American physician Charles Drew developed a way to process and preserve blood plasm, which lasts much longer than actual blood. His discovery was crucial to creating blood banks and assisting in the war effort during World War II. He was working on a blood bank for U.S. military personnel when he grew unhappy with the military's request to segregate the blood and left his position.

Refrigerated Trucks

Before Frederick McKinley Jones invented his portable cooling unit, perishable items were transported in trucks filled with ice.  He revolutionized the industry by creating a cooling system that could be mounted on the roof of the vehicle and would keep food fresh during long journeys.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-inventors_us_56d0d33ee4b0bf0dab3236d5