Inventions
Motorcycle Airbag Jacket
Here's what I'm envisioning: the possibly inebriated rider pulls up in the biker bar parking lot and, eager to join his buddies inside, hops off without disconnecting, instantly and uselessly inflating his jacket and earning much laughter from pals.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jun 24, 2015 -
Comments (10)
Category: Fashion, Inventions, Motorcycles
Cornelis Van Blaaderen and his Floating Safe
After the Titanic, inventors tried to think of ways to preserve items during a sinking. Dutch inventor Cornelis Van Blaaderen came up with his Floating Safe, which never quite caught on.
This site has a brief explanation in English.
This website has the full story, but all in Dutch. Google translate should help. But even if you don't bother, there are great pictures and a film!
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jun 20, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Disasters, Inventions, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1910s, Europe
Hoop Skirt Parachute
What are the odds this would actually work? Maybe if you bailed out when your airplane was about twenty feet off the ground....
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jun 09, 2015 -
Comments (8)
Category: Inventions, Air Travel and Airlines, 1910s
The Clavilux, or Color Organ
The Clavilux was a device that displayed a psychedelic light show on a screen. It was invented by Thomas Wilfred in 1919, who hoped that it would become so popular that one day every home would have one. That didn't quite work out. Though one of these sitting in your living room definitely would be a conversation piece. More info.The "Clavilux Jr" of 1930 from Bright Eye Cinema on Vimeo.
Posted By: Alex - Tue May 19, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Inventions, 1910s
Hairware
Control your phone by stroking your hair. It's a technology invented by Katia Vega of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, who explains: "we add new functionalities to hair extensions, turning them into a seamless device that recognizes auto-contact behaviors concealed to outside observers."This is obviously a technology invented by someone who has lots of hair. Useless for us hairless types. Though she does say she has plans for a way of controlling apps by stroking your beard.
Posted By: Alex - Fri May 01, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Inventions, Telephones, Hair and Hairstyling
Kidney stone-removing bed
Zhu Qinghua, a Chinese rice farmer, has invented a "kidney stone-removing bed." A person is strapped into the bed and hung upside down. Then the entire device vibrates intensely thanks to some kind of tractor engine attached to it.Zhu has been strapping his wife into this thing and claims it's completely cured her kidney stones. [shanghaiist.com]
Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 14, 2015 -
Comments (8)
Category: Inventions, Medicine
Hiccupops
Posted By: Alex - Fri Mar 20, 2015 -
Comments (2)
Category: Inventions, Patents, Medicine
The Icyclist
I am so sick of winter. But maybe if I had a nice bike like this one...
Posted By: Paul - Fri Feb 27, 2015 -
Comments (2)
Category: Inventions, Nature, 1930s
Wearable Tomato Project
This has gotten quite a bit of attention from the Internet. But just in case some of you haven't seen it, this is the "Tomatan" — the end result of the "wearable tomato project" sponsored by a Japanese vegetable juice company to promote the idea that tomatoes are good for you and would be great food-on-the-go for runners.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Feb 26, 2015 -
Comments (5)
Category: Food, Inventions, Chindogu
Your face on a pancake
Technology marches onward! Product development company Kinneir Dufort has created a machine that can print faces onto pancakes. It explains:
Posted By: Alex - Mon Feb 23, 2015 -
Comments (7)
Category: Food, Inventions, Photography and Photographers, Technology
| Who We Are |
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |