Inventors

Ruth Handler

Bill Thompson

Raise your hand if you had a Barbie Doll, or Hot Wheels, when you were a kid.

Or how about a Chatty Cathy, or a See-and-Say?

Bu perhaps no toy of the 20th century in America was more iconic, more popular, and more widely known than the ubiquitous Barbie doll.

Ruth Handler was the key figure in bringing all of those to market, as the co-founder of Mattel Toys.

She told her story, and Mattel’s, in a 1994 book. That’s when I met her. So here now, from 1994, Ruth Handler:

Ruth Handler died in 2002 at the age of 85.

Raymond Kurzweil

Bill Thompson

It can be fun, informative, and educational to go back and revisit the things that futurists said years ago. Just, you know, to check and see if they were right.

Kurzweil has been honored by three U.S. presidents, he has 21 honorary doctorates, and has been called the rightful heir to Thomas Edison.

In 1990, I met and interviewed legendary inventor and futurist Raymond Kurzweil. He had written a book called The Age of Tnte Intelligent Machine.

You be the judge — was he right?

So here now, from 1990, Raymond Kurzweil.

Raymond Kurzweil is now 73. Since 2012 he’s been Director of Engineering at Google.