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What do Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Steve Wozniack, and the Wright Brothers have in common?
They’re tinkerers, of course.
Yes, tinkering isn’t just something that your uncle does on the weekends. As author Alec Foege says, tinkerers help make America great.
Today, the word tinkering can refer to any number of things. From fixing up old cars, to designing things with 3D printers, tinkerers are using the tools at their disposal to make even better tools, gadgets, and items that many of us take for granted.
But a tinkerer doesn’t have to change the world. Even just messing around with computers can give us a better understanding of the way the world works.
Today, we’ll talk with Alec Foege about his book, “The Tinkerers: The Amateurs, DIYers, and Inventors Who Make America Great.” We’ll also talk with someone who helps bring your tinkered creation to the masses, and a public library here in Connecticut that makes 3D printers accessible to patrons.
This episode originally aired on January 10, 2013.