Axle Gauge: Manufacturing in 1866 still had to rely on “the unreliableness of manual dexterity.” This measuring device was supposed to help the blacksmith make more precise wagon axles. Image: Scientific American, September 29, 1866
Adjustable Mirror: With two mirrors, you can see the back of your coiffure…
Good, Bad and Indifferent Inventions from 1866


Hundreds of millions of kids around the world lack access to, among other things, basic education — much less organized school systems with adequate teaching resources. XPRIZE is hoping that tech can help where humanitarian efforts have yet to make a dent — and putting $15 million on the line to that end, with the help of Google and the United Nations.