World's most pointless inventions

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of "pointless inventions," with participants sharing their opinions on various items they consider wasteful or unnecessary. The scope includes personal anecdotes, humorous observations, and critiques of specific products.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants argue that leaf blowers merely move debris rather than eliminate it, questioning their utility.
  • Exercise balls and aerobics steppers are criticized for being less practical than simpler alternatives like regular balls or steps made from bricks.
  • One participant humorously suggests that chopsticks are impractical for eating, while another agrees, comparing them to forks.
  • Battery-operated air fresheners are deemed unnecessary by some, who suggest that opening windows is a simpler solution.
  • Participants mention various other inventions, such as electric nose-hair trimmers, solar-powered garden lights, and multi-blade razors, as examples of pointless products.
  • One participant recalls a website featuring absurd inventions, including a wind-powered bicycle and a "death clock," which humorously critiques the concept of predicting one's lifespan.
  • There is a mention of the inefficiency of riding lawn mowers for small lawns, and the impracticality of certain cat toys.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of opinions on what constitutes a pointless invention, with no clear consensus on specific items. Many agree on certain examples, such as aerobics steppers and chopsticks, but others introduce new ideas that lead to further debate.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the effectiveness or practicality of specific inventions are based on personal experiences and may not reflect broader consensus or factual accuracy.

  • #61
rock as a paper weight (way back then)

people had functional fixation problems or what
 
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  • #62
BryanP said:
rock as a paper weight (way back then)

people had functional fixation problems or what

Or no air conditioning and had to worry about the breeze through the window blowing all their important papers across the room. Paperweights weren't a pointless invention - just one that outlived its purpose.
 
  • #63
BobG said:
Or no air conditioning and had to worry about the breeze through the window blowing all their important papers across the room. Paperweights weren't a pointless invention - just one that outlived its purpose.

im not talking about an actual paper weight, I am talking about the pet rock.
 
  • #64
Ivan Seeking said:
Parachutes that open on impact.

That's a smart invention. It's for insurance purposes. :smile:
 
  • #65
jaredmt said:
ooo i know, how about that electro-magnet flashlite. where u have to shake it for the battery to recharge. my friend's dad got one and it only turns on for like a few seconds after shaking it like crazy LOL what a rip-off...

Maybe he just got a defective unit? Mine works quite well.
 
  • #66
Danger said:
Maybe he just got a defective unit? Mine works quite well.

same here

the "faraday flashlight"

it actually helped so much when we had a black-out a few months back lol

stays on for a LONG time and its very bright
 
  • #67
The US has fallen hopelessly behind Canadians in cereal technology. How in the world do they do that?!

Diamond Shreddies
 
  • #68
BobG said:
The US has fallen hopelessly behind Canadians in cereal technology. How in the world do they do that?!

Diamond Shreddies

That's brilliant! :smile:
 
  • #69
More serials are produced in Canada due to the stage union.
 
  • #71
BryanP said:
same here

the "faraday flashlight"

it actually helped so much when we had a black-out a few months back lol

stays on for a LONG time and its very bright

o ok then i guess either his was defective or he bought some other BS brand. after seeing this guy's flashlite i thought the whole thing was a scam lol. but if it works then it definitely is a good invention
 
  • #72
Those $40 "Pushup Handles". What ever happened to just doing push-ups off the floor? And if it hurts your wrists, flip over on to your back and use dumbbells...

300.jpg
 
  • #73
jaredmt said:
if it works then it definitely is a good invention

My mother had this weird thing about using a flashlight when she went to bed, rather than turning the stairwell or room lights on (and she wasn't even an X-Files or CSI fan :rolleyes:). Unfortunately, she kept falling asleep without turning the thing off (which is somewhat understandable since she was 93), so she couldn't keep up with batteries. My boss found out about those Faraday flashlights and bought her one. Now that she's in a nursing home and doesn't need it, it's mine. On the other hand, since I'm smart enough to know what a light switch is for, I haven't needed to use it yet.
 
  • #74
BobG said:
The US has fallen hopelessly behind Canadians in cereal technology. How in the world do they do that?!

Diamond Shreddies

:smile: "On a rainbow scale, from yellow to violet, where would you rate them?"
 
  • #75
BobG said:
The US has fallen hopelessly behind Canadians in cereal technology. How in the world do they do that?!

Diamond Shreddies

I think that beats the DVD rewinder.
 
  • #76
head-on---- for headachs just buy tylonal its cheaper and they don't have a annoying commerical
 
  • #77
rootX said:
High tech Japanese toilets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKetwsrl9hk&NR=1

and they cost more than 2000$

I'm a big fan of sushi. If you've ever had a high-rice diet, you'd understand why a toilet/entertainment-system is a necessity :biggrin:
 
  • #78
BobG said:
A new winner in the pointless inventions: http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/9c89/.

It doesn't have much memory capacity - in fact it has 0 memory capacity - but it never stops.



:eek:
thats uhhhh..
:rolleyes:


awesome! that made my day!
:smile::smile::smile:
 
  • #79
I’ve seen a good one recently – it’s a business card with absolutely no contact details on it, just the instruction “please ignore this card”

As business cards go, that pretty much takes the cake for pointless.

It gets strange here though - I found mine in a seat-back pocket on the Edinburgh to Iceland leg of a transatlantic flight – when I got back to the UK I did a bit of research – turns out they’ve been turning up in odd locations all over Europe (nuclear submarines, the outside of tall buildings, one guy in London even found one baked into a loaf of bread!)

I’d be fascinated to know if anyone else has encountered one of these enigmatic cards – I have no idea what they’re meant to be for, but I like a bit of pointless fun as much as the next bored commuter.

There’s a site about it here: https://sites.google.com/site/pleaseignorethiscard/"
 
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  • #80
I have never found a use for the hole in polo mints.
 
  • #81
In the UK recently they were advertising a high tech soap dispenser that uses a sensor to detect your hands so that you don't have to push down on a "bacteria contaminated handle"; you're just about to wash your hands for gods sake, you're going to clean them, you don't need to worry about germs you're about to wash them all off.
 
  • #82
Brassieres.

Seriously, what's the point? :-p
 
  • #83
I thought the paper shredder was a really unnecessary invention. You can shred the papers yourself.
But it helps to shred large amounts of papers faster and more cleanly. And other people to piece together parts of the papers you've shredded more easily.
 
  • #84
Mathnomalous said:
Brassieres.

Seriously, what's the point? :-p

Anti-Gravity.
 
  • #86
Ivan Seeking said:
Anti-Gravity.

Plastic surgery! :biggrin:
 
  • #87
[URL]http://www.gifbin.com/bin/012010/1262868901_useless-machine.gif[/URL]

Do I win?

Also: leaf blowers are easier to use than a rake for gathering leaves into a pile, particularly those on porches/decks/carports/curbs/sidewalks/etc.
 
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  • #88
Max™ said:
[URL]http://www.gifbin.com/bin/012010/1262868901_useless-machine.gif[/URL]

Do I win?

:smile: :smile: :smile: YES!
 
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  • #89
max™ said:
[URL]http://www.gifbin.com/bin/012010/1262868901_useless-machine.gif[/URL]

do i win?

Also: Leaf blowers are easier to use than a rake for gathering leaves into a pile, particularly those on porches/decks/carports/curbs/sidewalks/etc.


hahaha!
 
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  • #90
I think my cat might like that little box contraption.
 

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