Worst Golden-era inventions

[Fletch]

During World War Two the Russians faced the mechanical might of the German Army’s tanks, which made Soviet engineers to create canine mines or “anti-tank dogs”. The dogs, fitted with explosives, would be starved before battles and trained to search for food under vehicles, where they would explode.

But the biggest problem was the dogs often ran towards their own lines, blowing up tanks on their own side.

Then in 1962 the CIA began Operation Acoustic Kitty. Typical Cold War mil-ind hubris, thinking cats could be trained to do anything. :eusa_doh:

Waldo Waterman created two Chitty Chitty Bang Bang-style flying cars between 1930-40. The American inventor’s 20ft-long Aerobile had a top air speed of 112mph and he flew it from California to Ohio.

Neat looking little ship. What with the builder being named Waterman, it's too bad it didn't float, too.

 

[Chas]

Lobotomies scare me. But can someone answer a few questions I have?

1. What are they?
2. What purpose did they (supposedly) serve?
3. What effects did they have on the...ehm...patient?

They were generally used with patients with a significant history of violence and/or poor response to other treatments (which usually didn't work anyway) so you could say that it was fairly widely used.

Generally, post-lobotomy you could expect the patient to be pretty docile, apathetic with very dulled intellect, lack significant capacity for self care and lack anything resembling a personality.

The only widely used psychiatric treatments in use during the 'golden age' that are still widely used are ECT (Electro-shock therapy) and psychoanalysis.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Wait Chas, I take that personally!
That sounds like my coworkers...btw I work in gov't.
Oh yeah, many things done in the name of science back then, without considering the effects on the person/patient.

 

[JimWagner]

The Shoe-Fitting Fluoroscope gets my vote.

http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/shoefittingfluor/shoe.htm

Just stick your feet in, hit the switch and get your minimum daily requirement of radiation. I remember seeing these things in department stores.

 

[fluteplayer07]

Supposedly, Reichelt got up the tower on the ruse that he was going to test the chute with a dummy.

They had no idea how right he was. lol

This made my day. lol

 

[adouglasmhor]

The Shoe-Fitting Flouroscope gets my vote.

http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/shoefittingfluor/shoe.htm

Just stick your feet in, hit the switch and get your minimum daily requirement of radiation. I remember seeing these things in department stores.

They were banned in the 50s in the UK, Someone forgot to tell Bremner's department store in Glasgow and I had school shoe fittings with the thing until the late 60s as did my mate Gordon (he was telling me no one believes him either).
The store is sadly long gone but it was like a Scottish version of Grace Brothers, senior male staff wore strollers, juniors wore suits. Ladies wore pinafore dresses or twin set blouse and skirt.

I had a tiny tumour removed from my foot last year - I wonder if the Fluoroscope was responsible.

 

[JimWagner]

They were banned in the 50s in the UK, Someone forgot to tell Bremner's department store in Glasgow and I had school shoe fittings with the thing until the late 60s as did my mate Gordon (he was telling me no one believes him either).

I had a tiny tumour removed from my foot last year - I wonder if the Fluoroscope was responsible.

Sorry to hear about your foot. Hard to say if the fluoroscope was responsible or not but for sure it didn't help anything.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

They just restored one of those Fluoroscopes on American Restorations recently.

 

[Gene]

Heyyy there's one of those in the antique store by my house! They want over $1,000 for it though...

 

[juup]

Then in 1962 the CIA began Operation Acoustic Kitty. Typical Cold War mil-ind hubris, thinking cats could be trained to do anything. :eusa_doh:

Neat looking little ship. What with the builder being named Waterman, it's too bad it didn't float, too.

always did want one of these. maybe i can down load the patent and build one

 

[RadioWave]

Automobile Lifting and Moving Device

Patented by Irvin M. Carpenter in May of '55. It's a cool concept, but has far too much potential for disaster.

[video=youtube;296E57CxNw4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=296E57CxNw4[/video]

 

[Shangas]

That looks pretty cool. What's wrong with it?

 

[RadioWave]

That looks pretty cool. What's wrong with it?

A lot of people have difficulty managing 4 wheels, let alone 5. While it does seem helpful, you have to think of all the ways it would be misused/abused.

This is probably a better candidate for "worst", though:

Featured in: "Teach Your Child Not to Suck". Published in Good Housekeeping - June, 1931.

 

[Shangas]

Yeah. All them hoon drivers we have these days would go nuts over one of those things...

 

[LizzieMaine]

Thumb guards were still around when I was a kid. If you got out of line your ma would rap you on the head with one, which made them an even more effective deterrent.

My choices for the worst inventions of the Era:

Motivational Research.

Interstate highways.

The Electric Guitar.

 

[Gregg Axley]

I saw that episode Tom and it was really putting out some radiation!
For safetys sake, the Ionic (?) tube was removed and safely stored by a professional.
Wow, talk about not knowing back then...geez.

 

[Viola]

Only click if morbid curiousity gets the best of you, its a rather unpleasant mental image.

For the record, it involves Lysol.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrbill/37387729/sizes/o/in/set-834100/

 

[RadioWave]

...I'm sure Dave would beg to disagree.

(In regards to "worst invention".)

 

[Bluebird Marsha]

Great minds think alike. I too though of the inappropriate use of Lysol! More pics for the curious http://realchoice.blogspot.com/2006/03/lysol-douche-ads-these-are-for-real.html

Some poor old guys out there have an olfactory connection between Lysol and "fun".

 

[HadleyH]

this is only from 1961 ... but still....

in case you're looking for that " little something extra"? for your car?

Illuminated tires :loco: yes, ladies and gents....it's true it happened.