Lonnie Johnson: Serial Inventor: From Super Soakers to Solar Systems

Lonnie Johnson is a former Air Force and NASA engineer who invented the massively popular Super Soaker water gun. He currently oversees Johnson Research and Development, a company which commercializes technologies with a recent emphasis on alternative energy.  He studied at Tuskegee University where he earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's in nuclear engineering.  He lives in the Atlanta area.    Some interesting insights from this episode:  Learn how he created one of the world's top 20 all-time best selling toys.  He made his own toys from a young age including a go-kart he built from junkyard scraps.  He was told by his high school counselor that he shouldn't aspire beyond a career as a technician but he didn't let that advice deter him from his goal of becoming an inventor.  "The only thing that really leads to success is perseverance."  His original goal with licensing the super soaker was simply to generate enough income to allow himself to become a full time inventor.  His latest invention, the Johnson Thermoelectric Energy Converter, is a game changing technology that can dramatically improve the efficiency of alternative energy sources.  "Excellence is setting goals that are tough so you can wake up every day knowing that you're doing something worthwhile."