Despite years behind the lens, cinematographer Edward Madongorere always struggled to get quality shots on his phone at night—the lighting was never quite right. “Flash photography just doesn’t work,” he says. “We wanted to create a product that solves that problem, so you can essentially take light with you wherever you go.” So Madongorere created MOON UltraLight, a sleek clip-on that attaches to any phone or laptop and casts just the right amount of light on a subject. The rechargeable device brightens or dims at the touch of a finger and adjusts between cool and warm light.

Every year, TIME highlights inventions that are making the world better, smarter and even a bit more fun. (See last year’s list here.) To assemble our 2020 list, we solicited nominations both from our editors and correspondents around the world, and through an online application process. We then evaluated each contender on key factors, including originality, creativity, effectiveness, ambition and impact.
The result: 100 groundbreaking inventions—including a smarter beehive, a greener tube of toothpaste, and technology that could catalyze a COVID-19 vaccine—that are changing the way we live, work, play and think about what’s possible.