The process of invention may be intrinsic to human nature and almost entirely unique to humankind, but the process of attributing credit to individual inventors and empowering those inventors to earn a living from the fruits of their ideas has been a long and often arduous one. The changing landscape of inventions and patents Today patent law is incredibly nuanced and complex, but back in 500 BC when the Greeks first held forth that whosoever invented something which improved quality of life should be guaranteed the ability to profit from that invention for a period of no less than one year, laws…

Chinese farmer turned inventor, Wu Yulu, is finally getting some recognition after designing and building homemade robots. Yulu has faced some hardships in his life: a fire that burnt his house to the ground, being splashed by battery acid, and the stress of being heavily in debt. Yulu is finally getting a break and people are highly intrigued by his new inventions. He has built almost 50 robots which can pour drinks, use lighters to light cigarettes and even paint. He’s even designed one that can help with chopping up food for meals. After working on his creations for nearly 20 years, Yulu’s robots…