The Tinker Tank

In a Tinker Tank / Tattered Timeline collaboration. Three oddball inventions and one unlucky outlaw collide as we explore Elmer McCurdy’s post‑mortem career, the bizarre anti‑eating mask, and the trial‑and‑error birth of the parachute — proof that humans fail boldly, weirdly, and with spectacular commitment.

John Lee Love’s humble pencil‑sharpening genius collides with Ron Popeil’s over‑the‑top infomercial magic in this delightfully pointy episode. From the quiet crank that kept classrooms on track to the loud pitches that convinced America to “set it and forget it,” we dig into how both men sharpened everyday life—one turn, one gadget, and one dramatic demo at a time.

We explore how mirrors shaped self‑perception and how René Dagron shrank images into microfilm, connecting two inventions that changed how we see ourselves—and how we share what we see.

In this offbeat episode, we tip our hats to history’s strangest headgear inventions, before diving into the comic book chaos that birthed Deadpool, the wisecracking “Merc with a Mouth.”

In this episode, we snap together the curious world of Henry Cavendish—eccentric scientist, hydrogen pioneer, and gravity whisperer—with the clicky brilliance of Lego.

We spotlight Garrett Morgan, the traffic signal pioneer who helped save lives with a simple stoplight—and a gas mask. Then we roll into the wild world of the monowheel: the one-wheeled wonder that looked futuristic but handled like a circus act. It’s innovation, imagination, and a little bit of imbalance.

From fizzy medicine to sky-high baby cages, we dive into two inventions that made history—and raised eyebrows. It's bubbly, bizarre, and brilliantly bonkers.