30 Dumb Inventions from the World of Tomorrow, Decades Ago

[Mr. Billion]

A lot of the inventors on this page probably thought that they were onto the next big thing. In most cases, I'm glad they were wrong.

My favorite picture is this one of Hugo Gernsback:

http://www.life.com/image/72386721/i...umb-inventions

(26 of 31)

The guy who the Hugo sci-fi awards is named apparently invented TV goggles. Sort of a very early attempt at virtual reality. And probably a great way to make your eyes go bad.

Also notable is #3: L. Ron Hubbard uses a doodad to scientifically scientologically "prove" that tomatoes quietly scream in pain when you slice 'em.

[bthyb]

I like this one. It would make driving much more purty.

[JoeBentley]

Curved Barreled Machine Gun from 1953.

Today: The Cornershot, an Israeli Machine that gun shot around corners.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CornerShot

Finish Portable Sauna from 1962.
Today:
Available for sale on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sauna-Portable...4918974&sr=8-4

TV Glasses from 1963:
Today: EzVision goggles for use with portable media players
http://www.ezgear.com/ALL/ezvision.html

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by JoeBentley

Curved Barreled Machine Gun from 1953.

Today: The Cornershot, an Israeli Machine that gun shot around corners.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CornerShot

The Iraelis rock.

[Cyrano]

Originally Posted by JoeBentley
Curved Barreled Machine Gun from 1953.

Today: The Cornershot, an Israeli Machine that gun shot around corners.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CornerShot

Originally Posted by Lainie

The Iraelis rock.

For trivia's sake, the Germans invented it, for shooting from behind covers in urban warfare, or from inside a vehicle.

From the Cornershot Wiki entry:

The Krummlauf was a bent barrel designed for the Sturmgewehr 44, which was used by the Germans in World War II. It allowed for looking and firing around corners with its 30 degree barrel and a periscope-style sight.

As I've read, it worked pretty well.

[hoitoider]

There's also a motorized surfboard today, though no one seems to be surfing in a dark suit & hat.

http://www.powerski.com/

[Troberg]

Several of these ideas have been commercial successes. The motorized surfboard became the JetSki, the Laryngaphone is pretty much standard for comm systems in very noisy environments, the mini TV is pretty much what a MP3 player/phone capable of playing video does, Randy Savage has been using venetian blinds sunglasses for quite a while, the birdman suit has been done and used (for instance in a flight over the English Channel) and the phone answering robot is pretty much a clumsy answering machine.

Also, I want the illuminated tires! In blue or green, they would be dead cool (although blue would probably be illegal)!

Originally Posted by JoeBentley

Curved Barreled Machine Gun from 1953.

Today: The Cornershot, an Israeli Machine that gun shot around corners.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CornerShot

The Germans had a version of the Sturmgewehr 44 during WW2 equipped with a bent barrel and prismatic sights. The main purpose was to be able to clear the immediate vicinity of tanks with minimal exposure and to be able to fire from trenches without exposure.

It had the same problems which plagues all designs of bent barrels: recoil that's difficult to handle and ridiculously short barrel life span (usually only a couple of hundred shots).

[Johnny Slick]

I'm not really sure what exactly is WEIRD AND CRAZY about the External Turkey Roaster, 1966. It looks like a rotisserie set-up, which we have all over the country.

[chillas]

Some of these I have to believe were never intended as serious inventions anyway (such as the little umbrella/cigarette holder thing), while others I'm not clear on what is so wrong with them (such as the mini television) that they should be labelled "dumb."

[Squirt]

The telephone answering robot looks utterly terrifying. The last thing you'd want is to go to the kitchen in the night for a drink and see that thing staring at you from a darkened corner. Brrrrr.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by chillas

I'm not clear on what is so wrong with them (such as the mini television)

iPod, anyone?

Seaboe

[Darth Credence]

I think it's interesting that there are three different cigarette holders on the list. Also, with respect to the flying things, they should say why it's dumb - if the jet pack works without harming the operator, what was dumb? I suspect they didn't work, or didn't work for long, but the only flying one they mention that on was the flying suit that the inventor died while testing.

[Andrew of Ware]

Agreed that the mini-television is not a stupid idea. I have a combined mini-television/radio next to my bed. Although larger than the one in the picture I now have a larger set in my bedroom as well.

Its inventor Clive (now Sir Clive) Sinclair went on to develop one of Britain's first personal computers - anyone remember the Sinclair Spectrum 79? It was a truly awful machine with rubber keys that you had to press really hard to make them work. I had a friend who had one, but fortunately I went for the BBC Computer. Now that - for its time - was a brilliant machine.

ETA: Sir Clive also developed the Sinclair C5 car. He lost all credibility after that. I have just found and watched the video below - and you can also see that ZX Spectrum waste of money. Needless to say Sir Clive was one of Thatcher's heroes.

[Mateus]

Weren't laryngaphones used by the German Luftwaffe during WW2?

[BringTheNoise]

Hmm, Andrew, the Spectrum is much beloved amongst computer geeks -never heard so much vitriol thrown at it! Never used one myself, mind.

[James G]

Originally Posted by Andrew of Ware

ETA: Sir Clive also developed the Sinclair C5 car. He lost all credibility after that. I have just found and watched the video below - and you can also see that ZX Spectrum waste of money. Needless to say Sir Clive was one of Thatcher's heroes.

Huff. The ZX Spectrum was a fantastic little machine, although admittedly the rubber keys were a bit odd. (Our first spectrum had actually undergone a bit of surgery to give it a plastic keyboard)

Ahh, Spectrum Vs. C64 (With the BBC I'm afraid you place yourself as a bit of an outsider on that one), Amiga Vs. Atari St., Mac Vs. PC. The more things change eh...

ETA: Hehe, unashamed computer geek here.

[lyra_silvertongue]

Originally Posted by bthyb

I like this one. It would make driving much more purty.

I can't believe that idea hasn't been resurrected by car geeks and/or gangsters. That's way cooler than putting lights under your car.

ETA: Oh my DOYC, I can't imagine the potential tragedy that could occur with this one.

[Dr. Dave]

Agreed (not with the magazine- with the snopesters) on the mini portable TV- what's wrong with it? Their only complaint seems to be:

Mini Television, 1966

British inventor Clive Sinclair shows off his mini television. Please note the thickness of his glasses.

Umm. Maybe he invented it for others, not just for himself. Also, maybe he is nearsighted anyway.

Seriously, some of the captions made the writers look like doofuses.

Also, the handwriting game. Sure, kids don't like practicing handwriting. that is why you make a game of it. Look at it as a precursor to all the online games that are education in disguise.

Now, the baby in the cage out the window.

[Insensible Crier]

Originally Posted by lyra_silvertongue

I can't believe that idea hasn't been resurrected by car geeks and/or gangsters. That's way cooler than putting lights under your car.

My guess is that it would be illegal and dangerous as it would distract other drivers. I know some places where even illuminated license plates are illegal.

[chillas]

Originally Posted by Seaboe Muffinchucker

iPod, anyone?

What about it?