The 50 Best Inventions of 2009
From a rocket of the future to a $10 million lightbulb, here are TIME's picks for the best new gadgets and breakthrough ideas of the year
Full List
The Best Inventions
- The Best Invention of the Year: NASA's Ares Rockets
- The Tank-Bred Tuna
- The $10 Million Lightbulb
- The Smart Thermostat
- Controller-Free Gaming
- Teleportation
- The Telescope for Invisible Stars
- The AIDS Vaccine
- Tweeting by Thinking
- The Electric Eye
- The Mercury Probe
- The Personal Carbon Footprint
- The Solar Shingle
- The Handheld Ultrasound
- The YikeBike
- Vertical Farming
- The Planetary Skin
- The $20 Knee
- A Watchdog for Financial Products
- The Electric Microbe
- The Bladeless Fan
- The Custom Puppy
- The Cyborg Beetle
- The Biotech Stradivarius
- The Nissan Leaf
- The Robo-Penguin
- The Universal Unicycle
- YouTube Funk
- Dandelion Rubber
- Wooden Bones
- The Living Wall
- The School of One
- The No-Punt Offense
- The Human-Powered Vending Machine
- The Handyman's X-Ray Vision
- Meat Farms
- Packing, Improved
- The Foldable Speaker
- The Levitating Mouse
- The Edible Race Car
- The High-Speed Helicopter
- The Supersuit
- The Eyeborg
- Spiderweb Silk
- The Sky King
- The Smart Bullet
- The Fashion Robot
- The 3-D Camera
- The Newest Cloud
- The World's Fastest (Steam-Powered) Car
The Five Worst Inventions
Poll Results
Special Features:
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Photos: The Ares Rocket Launches
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Photos: Inventors and Their Inventions
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Photos: A Steam-Powered Car Sets a Land Speed Record
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Photos: The Robo-Penguin
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The Five Worst Inventions
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Video: The Telescope for Invisible Stars
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Video: Best Inventions of 2009
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Video: The Ares I Rocket
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Video: Five Worst Inventions
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50 Best Inventions 2008
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