The Tinker Tank

Masks, Mummies & Maydays

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.

Sharpen It and Forget It

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.

Mirror Accomplished

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.

Capped Crusaders

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.”

Bubble Trouble and Brick Rubble

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.