|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
|
OP
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509 |
I'm looking for some inventions over the last 100 years (1895-1995) that aren't essential for life today, but that everyone knows about. For example: The Clapper (Clap on, Clap Off Lights).
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 4,408 Likes: 1
Pulitzer
|
Pulitzer
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 4,408 Likes: 1 |
How silly do you want to get?
If you want deep-end silliness, you could go for pet rocks, chia pets and mood rings.
Slightly less silly are frisbees, Slinkies, Rubiks cubes, and hula hoops.
Joy, Lynn
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
|
OP
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509 |
All of the above are great! Thanks for the ideas, Lynn. Keep them coming.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 635
Columnist
|
Columnist
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 635 |
Since I was basically in the "under 10" crowd during the early 90s, I couldn't tell you what kind of crazy inventions there were. I did, however, google and found this *AMAZING* product called the Flowbee. Video
.talk nerdy to me.
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 9,362
Boards Chief Administrator Emeritus Nobel Peace Prize Winner
|
Boards Chief Administrator Emeritus Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 9,362 |
Deeley boppers! Did you guys have those? Or were they a uniquely UK bit of weirdness from my childhood? LabRat (who can't believe people wandered the streets wearing those things....)
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly. Aramis: Yes, sorry. Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 4,408 Likes: 1
Pulitzer
|
Pulitzer
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 4,408 Likes: 1 |
Good one, LabRat. Yep. We have them, too, although about the only time I see them trotted out these days is around Halloween. Joy, Lynn
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 635
Columnist
|
Columnist
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 635 |
We still have deely boppers around Victoria Day and other "firecracker" celebrations like Canada Day. Ones that light up. These surpass all of the deely boppers I've ever seen! Superman Deely Boppers
.talk nerdy to me.
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 732 Likes: 1
Columnist
|
Columnist
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 732 Likes: 1 |
Ankle warmers come to mind. Inversion boots (though they did make an appearance in Back to the Future II), topsy turvy tomato planters, togomatchi? electronic pets. Most things from Ronco (fill your own squeeze tubes, pocket fisherman, Popeet collapsible containers). Most anti-snoring devices. Anti-balding products up to and including Minoxidil. I'm sure there are a multitude of medical fad products out there from the 1930's through the 1950's as well.
Shallowford
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
|
OP
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509 |
Thanks, Shallowford, and all the DeelyBopper fans. These are great! Keep them coming.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,292
Kerth
|
Kerth
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,292 |
Viagra? No, I think that was later. Comics?
The only known quantity that moves faster than light is the office grapevine. (from Nan's fabulous Home series)
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
|
OP
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509 |
Originally posted by Lara Joelle Kent: Viagra? Um... Well, okay, that fits my criteria... but not exactly what I had in mind. For some reason, I can't imagine Clark using this. Although for conversation or another character... when did that come available? Hmmm... <<quick Wikipedia search>> nope, sorry, 1998... too late. My story is 1993. Thanks for the suggestion. An aside, Wikipedia notes that a 2007 study found: Viagra aids jet lag recovery in hamsters Wouldn't that be funny, if it had originally been marketed to the business community to help with jet-lag.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,145 Likes: 3
Pulitzer
|
Pulitzer
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,145 Likes: 3 |
If you want something that isn't at all funny and in fact was quite dangerous, use the fluoroscope. For a time in the 1930's to 1950's, it was found in all kinds of places, like drugstores and shoe stores (to show you what your foot really looked like crammed into that shoe), doctors' offices, vets' offices, anywhere it might give the business a boost. It only disappeared when doctors discovered how much radiation it put out and how dangerous it really was when used improperly. Here is a shoe-fitting fluoroscope and its history. Interestingly, the machine was in use in Canada and the UK until about 1970, whereas it disappeared from the US by 1960 due to legislation. The technology is still used today, albeit in a much safer way with far less radiation exposure to both the operators and the users.
Life isn't a support system for writing. It's the other way around.
- Stephen King, from On Writing
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,145 Likes: 3
Pulitzer
|
Pulitzer
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,145 Likes: 3 |
I just looked up Labbie's reference to "deely boppers" and found a picture of a cat with one on the back of its shoulders. I wonder how many band-aids it took to close the wounds from that setup?
Life isn't a support system for writing. It's the other way around.
- Stephen King, from On Writing
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
|
OP
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509 |
Interesting invention, Terry, but not exactly well-known in 1993 USA. Too bad about the radiation though, I could use the advice about shoes.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
|
|
|
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 6,142 Likes: 2
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
|
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 6,142 Likes: 2 |
Battle On, Deadly Chakram
"Being with you is stronger than me alone." ~ Clark Kent
"One little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation." ~ Figment the Dragon
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
|
OP
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509 |
Originally posted by Deadly Chakram: Beepers? I agree, beepers are a little out of date in 2012. According to Clark though, they're a great way to track down your missing partner buried in cement or out on a date with a psychopathic Irishman; therefore, I'm guessing in 1993-1995 Metropolis some would say Beepers are an "essential" invention. I'm thinking like "electric toothbrush", "Chia-pet", the "George Forman grill" (whoa, infomerical flashback :rolleyes: ) type of stuff. Stuff everyone "knows" about, but they don't need to live their lives. Hint: Stuff that might not be found in other dimensions or stuff with wacky names that might be called something else. Things we take for granted.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
|
|
|
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 6,142 Likes: 2
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
|
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 6,142 Likes: 2 |
Ah, gotcha. Didn't realize they still had to be *current* items. Um... <racks brain, comes up at a loss>
Battle On, Deadly Chakram
"Being with you is stronger than me alone." ~ Clark Kent
"One little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation." ~ Figment the Dragon
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
|
OP
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509 |
Originally posted by Deadly Chakram: Ah, gotcha. Didn't realize they still had to be *current* items.
Um... <racks brain, comes up at a loss> It doesn't have to be "current" current. "Macramé" would work, even though it hasn't been "current" since 1977, but everyone who knows anything about the 70s (which L&C should) knows about it. But it wasn't essential... although, in my house - when I was growing up - it sure felt like it. Ugh.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
|
|
|
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 6,142 Likes: 2
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
|
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 6,142 Likes: 2 |
Cordless landline phones?
Battle On, Deadly Chakram
"Being with you is stronger than me alone." ~ Clark Kent
"One little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation." ~ Figment the Dragon
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,445
Kerth
|
Kerth
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,445 |
8-track stereo Betamax tape 5.25" floppy disks 12" laser discs - the big (but expensive) thing in video then, but due to be replaced by DVD a few years later.
leg warmers
The Edsel and other iconic "doomed to fail" cars
Alternatives to the standard sort of photocopying such as ink and spirit duplicating machines, chemical copying processes, thermal paper (as used in older fax machines), etc.
Dot matrix printers Electric typewriters - doomed once word processors really took off.
CB radio (yes, I know it's still around, but a lot of people abandoned it when cell phones came in)
Lava lamps
Marcus L. Rowland Forgotten Futures, The Scientific Romance Role Playing Game
|
|
|
|