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OPINION: The best things since

This year marks the 86th anniversary of Otto Rohwetter’s great idea – the one invention to which all others have been compared ever since.

This year marks the 86th anniversary of Otto Rohwetter’s great idea – the one invention to which all others have been compared ever since.

In 1928 he introduced sliced bread to the world, hailed as the greatest baking breakthrough since bread was first wrapped and sold.
And still today the highest praise for any invention or accomplishment is expressed the same way, “The best thing since sliced bread.”

The very best inventions make us wonder how we ever got along without them.

Besides the open-faced sandwich, can you imagine living in a world without aluminum foil or ballpoint pens or pantyhose?

Somebody invented these indispensable items and inventors today still aspire to earn their slice of bread, so to speak.

Not all inventions measure up and among the Edisons and Alexander Graham Bells in history are many hopeful geniuses tinkering on the fringe.

In 1949 somebody patented a double-stemmed pipe as a means of conserving tobacco for down and out couples or for sharing a smoke at ball games.

The very next year saw the invention of the brush and shine tool for bald men – it matched bald headed contours quite nicely while it groomed with bristles and a felt pad.

Another grooming aid introduced that year was the Children’s Neck Brush.

It was a round, plastic collar brush that promised to dry clean your child’s neck if it was worn like a necklace while playing.

Other non-starters include high heel training wheels, motorized ice cream cones (no pesky cone-turning required), anti-pervert hairy nylons and the dogbrella.

That’s right, an umbrella for dogs.

These inventions never made it - some are totally bizarre and a few are downright stupid.

The ultimate technical challenge has always been to invent a better mousetrap and two British inventors decided to meet that challenge.

Introducing the ­Car­niv­or­ous Domestic ­­­­En­­t­er­tainment Robot which stalks and devours mice and insects and then chemically dismantles and digests them to generate its own power.

It sounds like a Roomba for bugs and vermin.

I don’t know if it’s a better mouse trap but I’d watch my toes if I were using it.

Some inventions never had a chance, like the one-wheeled motorcycle, wooden bathing suits (to aid swimming) and the butter stick (a glue stick with butter).

Others seem a little stupid at first but somehow, they appeal to the mad professor in all of us.

Someone invented a hamster cage paper shredder – the blades are mounted on top, driven by the hamster wheel inside.

As the hamster shreds the paper it falls to the bottom of the cage, providing comfortable, recycled bedding for your pet rodent.

Two inventions from the world of fresh fruit protection – a knitted, form-fitting apple sweater to keep your Mac from bruising, or for your banana, a protective yellow slipcase.

This plastic, banana-shaped sheath allows you to encase and protect your entire banana which makes it look like a big, yellow, shiny banana-shaped thing.

There is no question in my mind – great inventions include a touch of whimsy and playfulness.

Consider two students who were challenged to develop a playful idea which would offer hope to the developing world.

They invented the Soccket Energy Ball, an energy source that looks and plays like a real soccer ball.

Kick it around for thirty minutes and an internal mechanism converts kinetic energy to three hours of usable electricity – a full 72-hour charge takes 16 hours of play.

These two inventors have converted the world’s most popular game into electricity, light and hope for the Third World.

That’s one of the best things since sliced bread.


 





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