U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for August 2: Inventions

WASHINGTON, August 1 -- Following is the daily “Profile America” feature for August 2 from the U.S. Census Bureau:

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2: INVENTIONS

Profile America Tuesday, August 2nd. Inventions make life easier and, in some cases, more enjoyable. They include color television, traffic lights, disposable diapers and the World Wide Web. Unfortunately, the most common picture of an inventor is that of a quirky, if not downright eccentric, genius. Doing away with that stereotype is one of the goals of National Inventors Month, held each year in August as well as getting young people interested in science and technology. Each year, some 370-thousand patents are applied for. Nearly 190-thousand are granted, with about 1-in-5 going to individuals. The remainder are awarded to corporations, about half of them foreign. One can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at http://www.census.gov.

Sources: Chase’s Calendar of Events 2005, p. 405 Statistical Abstract of the United States 2004-2005, t. 744 http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-04.html Sources: 440 International Calendar of Events Statistical Abstract of the United States 2004-2005, t. 1031 http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-04.html

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Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments ready to air on a monthly CD or on Internet at http://www.census.gov (look under the “Newsroom” button). For further information, contact Rick Reed at 301-763-2812, fax at 301-457-3670, or e-mail at rreed@census.gov.

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