Shark Tank
Isaac Newton only had the two inventions (the cat flap* and the reflecting telescope). Arguably calculus was an invention as well; but I note that new mathematical methods are unfairly excluded from the patent systems.
Albert Einstein on the other hand had many inventions, though he’s far more famous for his discoveries than for his inventions.
1. Einstein-Szilard Refrigerator
Co-invented with: Leo Szilard (another physicist)
Purpose: A safe refrigerator without moving parts or toxic gases like ammonia.
Patent: They received multiple patents in the 1920s and 1930s.
Why: After hearing about a family who died from a toxic gas leak in a fridge, Einstein wanted to make refrigeration safer.
2. Hearing Aid Patent
Co-invented with: Gustav Bucky (an inventor and radiologist)
Idea: A device to improve hearing, though it wasn’t commercialized.
3. Light Intensity Self-Adjusting Camera
Concept: A camera that could adjust to light levels automatically — similar in idea to modern auto-exposure.
4. Design Patent for a new blouse
It was a women’s blouse with a simple, functional, and slightly loose-fitting design, possibly inspired by Einstein’s well-known love for comfortable, practical clothing and fat women.
In total, Einstein was listed as an inventor on 11 patent families, mostly in collaboration with others.
Nothing stuck, commercially. Einstein was impractically practicable. These days he’d be a celebrity inventor on one of those reality TV shows.
Between the two, my money’s on Isaac.
* disputed
offshore westerly 