Invention #10 The Mouse
The humble mouse, invented by Doug Engelbart in the mid-60s, started life as a wooden square box-like shell with two wheels – a far cry from the sleek little creature we enjoy today. He and his research team didn’t envisage the full value of this computer interface tool and, despite patents, earned next to nothing for it. It was nicknamed the Mouse because of the tail-like wire coming out of the back. These days they have evolved into tail-less mice but have an extra wheel – on their heads.