20 world-changing inventions from under 20s

CNN  — 

There’s a reason the United States has no minimum age to file a patent. A good idea can come from anyone, no matter how young. (Just ask Robert Patch, a Marylander whose toy truck design was patented in 1963 at the tender age of 6.)

Whether by happy accident or intense study, some of the world’s most revolutionary inventions sprung from youthful minds. They’ve changed how we communicate, how we travel and how we keep our ears warm in the cold.

Scroll through the gallery to read about 20 inventions that changed the world and the young people behind them.