Wyatt the Odd  | 20 Oct 2009 8:39 a.m. PST |
Life Magazine features 30 "dumb" inventions link Wyatt |
| nycjadie | 20 Oct 2009 8:47 a.m. PST |
Ron Hubbard was a kooky guy. Screaming tomatoes? |
| Roderick Robertson | 20 Oct 2009 9:06 a.m. PST |
I don't know, the mini TV is pretty much a reality nowadays, with people watching shows on the tiny screens of their phones. Fast-Draw Robot – wasn't that Yul Brynner in Westworld? I can see "illuminated tires" becoming just the thing for street rodder, I'm surprised they haven't already! |
| coryfromMissoula | 20 Oct 2009 9:19 a.m. PST |
Isn't the laryngaphone a variation on what pilots used later? |
| Jana Wang | 20 Oct 2009 9:22 a.m. PST |
I remember the portable sauna. And the belt rocket is pretty cool. And the turkey roaster…. they sell those on Amazon now. |
| Space Monkey | 20 Oct 2009 9:41 a.m. PST |
There are still guys killing themselves to perfect the birdman suit…
And those illuminated tires are pretty cool. |
| crhkrebs | 20 Oct 2009 9:46 a.m. PST |
Gee, L. Ron Hubbard had a crackpot idea. Who'd have thought that? Ralph |
 John the OFM  | 20 Oct 2009 10:46 a.m. PST |
Nothing says "Surfing!" like a suit, tie and hat. |
| Jakar Nilson | 20 Oct 2009 11:04 a.m. PST |
Rocket belts and platforms are dumb? Are these guys off their marbles? These things are cool… |
| Roderick Robertson | 20 Oct 2009 12:11 p.m. PST |
The Flying Platform had serious stability problems. My father-in-law worked on some back in the day when he worked at Heller. I find it interesting that 10% of the ideas are for smoking cigarettes (really, does any one need to smoke an entire pack of cigarettes at the same time?) |
| Rich Knapton | 20 Oct 2009 2:22 p.m. PST |
Well it does take their genes out of the gene pool. Rich |
| mweaver | 20 Oct 2009 4:18 p.m. PST |
Those were fun – thanks Wyatt. (There is a link to another series on hoaxes, which is also worth looking at). |
| XRaysVision | 20 Oct 2009 8:46 p.m. PST |
Actually, the way I understand Hubbard, he had a knack for the hoax. Scientology was a intended to demostrate how gullible people are. Looks like his little ruse was successful! Same with the screaming tomatoe. He, like P.T. Barnum thought that there is a sucker born every minute. |
| Klebert L Hall | 21 Oct 2009 5:50 a.m. PST |
So, in photo #10, there's a beachmaster in the background, with some kind of weird tiny tracked vehicle on it. What's the tracked vehicle?
-Kle. |
| crhkrebs | 22 Oct 2009 6:44 a.m. PST |
<Q>Actually, the way I understand Hubbard, he had a knack for the hoax. Scientology was a intended to demostrate how gullible people are. Looks like his little ruse was successful! Same with the screaming tomatoe. He, like P.T. Barnum thought that there is a sucker born every minute.
Hmmm………Harlen Ellison was there, when Hubbard "invented" Scientology and wrote an amusing story about it. It was a money making scheme from the get go. Later, Hubbard began to believe his own BS. He even lectured the American Psychiatric Association on the wonderful benefits of "Dianetics". I doubt he thought it was a hoax at this point.
Ralph |
