# Failed inventions of the 20th century **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 1999, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297 "1999-12-01T23:46:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Doctordec](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Doctordec](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctordec)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/41 "1999-12-03T02:29:00Z")
How about stereo AM radio The wire recorder. It came before tape recorders and used a roll of fine wire to record audio. My Dad had one and still has dozens of rolls of unhearable sounds. Fizzies. We used to eat a couple of packs and then have belching contests. They’ve disappeared. The scent disc Looked like a little CD player that played “smells” like roses or chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/42 "1999-12-03T03:08:00Z")
Tennhippie: I don’t buy it. The fact is, the people who want it banned have political clout, and the people who’s lives are saved don’t. Let me ask you: If a compound came along that miraculously cured cancer and heart disease, and saved millions of Americans a year, do you think we’d ban it because there was some evidence that it caused eggshell thinning in birds? DDT is but one example of the western green movement’s disregard for the lives and comfort of other people in the 3rd world, and of poor people in our own countries. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/43 "1999-12-03T06:57:00Z")
Personal jet packs (Cecil did that one) 3D Movies Me163 Komet (History’s only rocket powered combat aircraft. A literal dead-end technology for a lot of German pilots.) Cryogenics Heroin as a cure for Opium addiction Nanotechnology (might catch on in the next century though) Neural nets Smokeless cigarettes New style education The League of Nations ---
**Author:** ![Timothy\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Timothy\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timothy_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/44 "1999-12-03T13:45:00Z")
**Mike King** : The ME163 Komet was the first rocket powered combat aircraft, and the only one “used in anger” but it was not “history’s only” one. The Brits created the Saunders-Roe SR.53 rocket fighter (although admittedly it had a tiny jet engine so they poor pilot didn’t have to glide back to base as the Komet pilot did). But I digress… **More failed inventions:** [ul][li]Aquacars[/li][li]Home food dehyrdators (who needs these!?)[/li]All those perpetual motion machines that the inventor will let you invest in to “get the last bugs worked out”[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![makphisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@makphisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/makphisto)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/45 "1999-12-03T14:31:00Z")
Just a Q: > [@](#): > > The Habbakuk (a quarter-mile long aircraft carrier designed to protect North Atlantic convoys in WWII and made of… ice) Does anyone have any more information about this? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Beruang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@Beruang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beruang)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/46 "1999-12-03T15:27:00Z")
Doctordec: I may be mistaken, but I believe the wire recorder was a precursor to the tape recorder. It established a new line of technology, and as that line advanced it was replaced by improved designs. Thus, I wouldn’t call it a “failure” per se, but rather “obsolete,” like the Model T, the rotary dial, or the Apple computer (troll alert! troll alert! 😉 As for the marketplace killing invention, we were just talking about Beta-format video the other day. The picture quality was allegedly better (though personally I could never tell the difference), but the tapes weren’t long enough to record movies, which is what most people wanted in those days. (Still do.) And if I can add my suggestion to the list: professional team tennis ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/47 "1999-12-03T15:40:00Z")
Polaroid instant movie film (1978). Made obsolete by video as soon as it was introduced, _and_ the picture quality was crappy. Household robots. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/48 "1999-12-03T16:12:00Z")
From **Doctordec** : _The wire recorder. It came before tape recorders and used a roll of fine wire to record audio. My Dad had one and still has dozens of rolls of unhearable sounds._ The wire recorder is actually another 19th century invention, generally credited to Valdemar Poulsen of Denmark in 1898, although there had been earlier work by others. See [http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dmorton/mrchrono.html](http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dmorton/mrchrono.html) for more details. Also, the topic of old wire recording recoverability comes up every so often on rec.antiques.radio+phono, and the general concensus is that they usually _can_ be played. See: [Life of signal on wire recording?]([http://x26.deja.com/viewthread.xp?AN=499965239&search=thread&svcclass=dnyr&ST=PS&recnum=\%231/1&gro](http://x26.deja.com/viewthread.xp?AN=499965239&search=thread&svcclass=dnyr&ST=PS&recnum=%3cspr.bogus-1107992006470001@pool0308.cvx19-bradley.dialup.earthlink.net%3e%231/1&gro) up=rec.antiques.radio%2bphono&frpage=getdoc.xp) for more details. ---
**Author:** ![KeithB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@KeithB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KeithB)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/49 "1999-12-03T19:46:00Z")
Fizzies are not dead! They were discontinued because of the sacharine scare, but now they are back with nutrasweet! [www.fizzies.com](http://www.fizzies.com) (My vote for most annoying web site!) I just bought some from Ralphs, a local supermarket, not too long ago. ---
**Author:** ![KissThis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/cab0a1/32.png) [@KissThis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KissThis)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/50 "1999-12-03T20:09:00Z")
Did anyone mention: Delorean automobile, Edsel, and was it the chevy chevette? I am not sure (I know it was made by chevrolet,) that had the motor in the back with all the (sp)louvers in the trunk? GMC Pacer, yeech I was almost run over on the freeway after renting one…it could not get up the on ramp fast enough to join on going traffic ---
**Author:** ![Oblio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c4cdca/32.png) [@Oblio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblio)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/51 "1999-12-03T20:44:00Z")
KissThis I think you meant Chevy Corvair and **A** MC Pacer. * * * A point in every direction is like no point at all ---
**Author:** ![KissThis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/cab0a1/32.png) [@KissThis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KissThis)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/52 "1999-12-03T22:33:00Z")
Right you are oblio and thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/53 "1999-12-03T22:42:00Z")
Mekphito, here you go with the ice aircraft carrier thing. [http://www.skypoint.com/~jbp/furashita/habbak\_f.htm](http://www.skypoint.com/~jbp/furashita/habbak_f.htm) Sorry I left that out. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/54 "1999-12-03T22:46:00Z")
Oh, dear. I misspelled your name and failed to mention that the latter half of the page I cite is fanciful tripe. This critter was never actually built. ---
**Author:** ![makphisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@makphisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/makphisto)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/55 "1999-12-03T23:51:00Z")
No problemo, King, thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![Gilligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Gilligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gilligan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/56 "1999-12-04T00:42:00Z")
That reminds me of the concrete ship in the Delaware Bay. We used to see it when we’d go down the shore when I was a kid. Here’s a link, if interested, but not much information on it: [http://www.captainadam.com/capemay/concrete.htm](http://www.captainadam.com/capemay/concrete.htm) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/57 "1999-12-04T02:28:00Z")
**dhanson** : What part don’t you “buy”? That it is unnecessarily dangerous? That there are better chemicals available? The fact is, the makers of this stuff are using their political clout to say, in effect: “Okay, we won’t sell it in _this_ country. But surely it’s okay to dump it on the _poor brown people_.” I’m surprised you go along with that sort of attitude. Incidentally, DDT is not the _only_ way to fight malaria. “When your only solution is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/58 "1999-12-04T02:39:00Z")
more failed inventions: Ford Pinto electroshock therapy Quaalude 3-D movies televangelism transactional analysis headphones _Riverdance_ ---
**Author:** ![AzRaek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/azraek/32/16739_2.png) [@AzRaek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AzRaek)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/59 "1999-12-05T06:00:00Z")
## Head phones are a failed invention? Go to a gym where everyone has the latest book on tape in their Walkmans. I nearly kill a jogger every week whose wearing them and can’t hear my car. And how can Deloreans be considered a failure, when they saved Marty McFly’s existence? John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. That’s my name too. Wait, no it isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297/60 "1999-12-05T06:42:00Z")
Speaking of concrete ships (the nautical equivalent of a lead balloon), the [Palo Alto](http://rainey.blueneptune.com/~blessing/seacliff/paloalto.html) is a fine example, grounded near Santa Cruz, CA * * * TT “Believe those who seek the truth. Doubt those who find it.” --Andre Gide [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-inventions-of-the-20th-century/6297.md?page=4)