Summer is right around the corner and soon the streets will be filled with BBQs, flag-football games, water balloon fights and of course the familiar blast from those neon-colored Super Soaker guns. Like many inventions, it is common for people to use them without truly knowing how they came to be or who created them. Great Big Story recently highlighted Super Soaker inventor and overall genius, Lonnie G. Johnson.

Johnson has close to 100 patents for his inventions and is also widely known for working with NASA on Galileo’s mission to Jupiter. Recently, he has created an advanced heating system that can convert solar energy into electricity. Now-a-days he has moved away from whimsical items and is more focused on making the world a better and more efficient place.

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