Continuing on in the bathroom reading, I just finished the chapter on Thomas Midgley, who if there was a mad genius hall of fame, he might just make first ballot. Notable highlights from the book:
--Once removed metal shrapnel from his eye, by washing his eye in mercury (formed amalgams and dissolved, don't try this at home.)
--Conducted intense research into the improvement of the spitball.
--Invented a use for tetraethyl lead as a gasoline additive (pretty much allowing the auto industry to exist, and to a certain degree win World War II's air war by allowing for cheap high octane airplane fuel.)
--Proceeded to solve the problem of modern refrigeration by noting the potential of CFC's, and solving the problem in roughly one afternoon. (this double duty probably making responsible for screwing up more of the environment than any man in history, but in both cases, one can say that the environmental damage of the previous solutions were worse.)
--Claimed to have invented the screwdriver (not the tool, the beverage.)

Not bad, for a MechE from Cornell. Not bad at all.