Inventions
Song Wig
"A wig for one head and many ears." Available at songwig.com.Finally there's an easy way for many people to listen to music at the same time!
via Dave Barry
Posted By: Alex - Thu Apr 14, 2016 -
Comments (10)
Category: Inventions, Headgear
Motorized Surfboard
What could possibly go wrong?
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Mar 15, 2016 -
Comments (5)
Category: Inventions, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1920s, Dismemberment
Pat-On-The-Back Machine
After you've put in your time with Paul's self-kicking machine, you can give yourself a pat on the back, using this pat-on-the-back machine invented by Heinz Stöver of Bremen, Germany. Or, as it's called in German, a Schulterklopfmaschine.Not sure when this picture was taken, but I'm guessing sometime in the 1980s.
It seems like the Germans like pat-on-the-back machines, because a Google search pulls up a variety of them. And if you do a search for "Arschtrittmaschine" you'll find quite a few self-kicking machines, which they also apparently like.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Mar 12, 2016 -
Comments (4)
Category: Inventions
Tom Haywood’s Self-Kicking Machine
Look at the sorry state of this fine invention nowadays.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Mar 11, 2016 -
Comments (8)
Category: Eccentrics, Humor, Inventions, Regionalism, 1950s
One Man Marble Band
Put a 5 horse Briggs & Stratton on it and it would be self playing!
Posted By: Alex - Sat Mar 05, 2016 -
Comments (6)
Category: Inventions, Music
Clive Way’s Motorcycle Dragster
A VW engine on a two-wheeled frame? I would not ride this for one million dollars.
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Mar 03, 2016 -
Comments (17)
Category: Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers, Inventions, 1960s, Motorcycles
Wife choked by snoremeter
January 1936: In Rome, Italy, Goffredo Galluzzi, a "self-styled electrical engineer," created a "snoremeter" in an attempt to stop his wife from snoring. The device, which fit over her mouth like a muzzle, included a thin brass blade that would be lifted by the heavy breathing of snoring, causing an alarm to go off, thereby waking his wife and stopping the snoring. However, the blade came loose, went down her throat, and almost choked her to death.When I did a keyword search on this story to see how many papers it had run in, I came across something odd. The story was reported as news both in January 1936 and April 1946, but with one difference. In 1936 Galluzzi was reported as living in Rome. In 1946, he had become a resident of Syracuse, Sicily.
So a case of recycled news. It's also quite possible the story was complete baloney, both in 1936 and 1946.
The Evening Times (Sayre, Pennsylvania) - Jan 29, 1936
Posted By: Alex - Sat Feb 27, 2016 -
Comments (2)
Category: Inventions, Sleep and Dreams, 1930s
Audiopill — Music From the Inside
Conceptual artist Jan Strmiska recently sought to raise money to fund the production of his invention, the Audiopill. It's a pill-like device that you swallow that will play sound within your body (but not audible to anyone else). His description definitely makes me want to try this thing. (uhh.. or, maybe not).
Posted By: Alex - Tue Feb 23, 2016 -
Comments (9)
Category: Inventions
The Electric Shopper Car
Full story here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jan 21, 2016 -
Comments (12)
Category: Inventions, Technology, 1960s, Cars, Yesterday’s Tomorrows
The Safety Pea Knife
Invented in the 1920s. For those who prefer to eat their peas with a knife rather than a spoon.
The Iola Register - Mar 20, 1929
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jan 17, 2016 -
Comments (10)
Category: Food, Inventions, 1920s
| 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 |