I am, admittedly, a very weak swimmer, and at this point in my life I don’t see myself signing up for Summer swim lessons. So I completely endorse this alternative approach to getting comfortable in the water: building a jet-powered wet suit that lets you cruise faster than Michael Phelps.
Colin Furze is back with another bizarre invention that will make you wonder why more mad scientists haven’t embraced YouTube yet. This time he’s turned a BMW E30 into a drivable hot tub, complete with a pair of leaf blowers used to generate bubbles, and a barbecue grill in the trunk.
Thanks to crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, the internet is flooded with ridiculous gadgets, devices that over-promise and under-deliver, and straight-up scams, all vying for your cash. Maybe that’s why this Stupid Hackathon, which encourages people to invent stupid things, is so refreshing—no one is…
Inspired by an ancient toy, researchers from Stanford University have developed an ingenious hand-spun paper centrifuge. Incredibly, the device costs just 20 cents—and it can be used to detect malaria in blood in just 15 minutes.
Are you a soda fountain owner? Did you just time travel from the year 1919? Then have I got an invention for you!
Like most of Colin Furze’s creations, the Stomp O Matic trash compactor almost ends up self-destructing in a ball of flames. But not before it successfully takes care of one of the grossest chores on anyone’s to-do list: stomping down the garbage in your trashcan can so you can squeeze even more garbage into it.
This “electric carriage,” which appeared in the July 27, 1889 issue of Scientific American was way ahead of its time. How ahead of its time was it? South Dakota wasn’t even a state yet. The article that went along with it noted that the patent for this ingenious contraption was granted to one Mr. Harvey D. Dibble of…
Life is all about compromises and trade-offs. The Useless Duck Company is back with a new and improved version of its automatic Toilet Paper Machine that’s sure to save you a few precious seconds while in the bathroom, but the trade-off is there’s a very real chance you’ll lose a finger or hand with this installed. No…
Being able to play music is a gift, but learning to play an instrument is morass of frustration—especially teaching yourself the guitar. Hands have to be bent in uncomfortable positions, uncalloused fingers get sore, and it becomes clear that human extremities innately possess the coordination of a newborn deer that’s…
The Simpsons have been around for so long (since 1989!) that it’s no surprise that they’ve influenced our culture so much. And though obviously it’s much easier to make a cartoon joke about fake inventions than to actually invent them in the real world (and they’re not always the first TV show to predict them), some…
Without the pendulum clock, the Industrial Revolution doesn’t happen. Without the quartz clock, the technology in the digital revolution doesn’t happen. It’s time, weirdly enough, that advanced our world. How?
It’s widely accepted that the United States patent system is broken. Alexander Reben agrees, and his response has been to create a website that aims to make it harder for people to patent new ideas.
In his spare time—which was presumably limited—Leonardo da Vinci was fond of drawing plans for contraptions and weaponry, most of which were never actually built. But with a few common items, it’s easy to bring his double-armed catapult to life.
Self-employment is rough. One day you’re sleeping in for an extra half hour, and the next you’re staying up until 5am and realizing you haven’t seen any of your friends (or the sun) in months.
The maniac inventor Colin Furze cooked up a truly spectacular thing this time around: he made a giant firework wheel. As in, fireworks are attached to a wheel (not unlike a windmill) which is attached to a truck which is then all lit at once which is then spun around in circles which then explodes beautifully,…
“Who’s the greatest catstronaut in the United States? It’s you Champer-damper. It’s you!”
(Note: This article is best enjoyed with the Battle Hymn of the Republic playing in the background.) Does anything stir your inner-patriotism than seeing the old red, white, and blue blowing in the wind? Obviously not, so a couple of guys invented a flag frame that simulates that effect in your living room.
Waking up is hard. Anybody who can just get straight up in the morning cannot be trusted. For the rest of us, we make do with phones and alarm clocks and snoozing and coffee and showers and jobs that pay us to not be late. Perhaps we’re going to easy on ourselves. Maybe we need a high voltage ejector bed that shoots…
There’s no better way to top off a meal of Carolina-style barbecue than plunging your face into a big, dripping scoop of ice cream in a fresh, warm waffle cone. America knows this pleasure thanks to Abe Doumar who unveiled the first waffle cone machine at the 1904 World’s Fair. And thanks to Doumar’s family, you can…
The first modern-style menstrual cup was patented in 1932, but that wasn’t the first time inventors turned their skills to the problem of keeping bloody goo off women’s clothes. Take, for example, this little gem from 1884. It’s a menstrual cup, attached to a reservoir big enough to last for days.
