# Inventions We Need **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 22, 2022, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354 "2022-11-22T02:02:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/41 "2022-11-24T23:14:38Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > How would the gel know what your prescription is? Easy. Nanobots of course. They’ll handle the fine-tuning. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/42 "2022-11-24T23:24:31Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > I wish that contact lenses came as a gel in toothpaste tubes. In the morning, you squeeze out a pre-measured dab of gel and insert onto each eye. Within 30 seconds the gel would transform into soft contact lens that would last 12 hours and would get flicked into the trash can before bedtime. I guess there are lots of details that would need to be worked out. Reader’s Digest mentioned this in an article in the 70s. It was an eye drop from a bottle rather than a gel from a tube, but same principle. I’ve been wearing glasses for 55 years and contact lenses for 45 years and I keep wondering whether this invention will happen in my lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/43 "2022-11-24T23:34:54Z")
I’m not really understanding the advantage of this vs. daily disposable contacts. Or for that matter, versus regular disposable contacts (bi-weekly or monthly)? ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/44 "2022-11-25T05:14:26Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > . Imagine driving up to a (former) gas station, and they have batteries… all charged-up and ready to swap-out A company called “A Better Place” tried this 10 years ago. After investing almost a billion dollars, they went bankrupt after only selling a thousand cars. It’s actually a good idea. But this company handled it wrong, and had a bad product. They were dreamers, but the dream was before its time–Their technology wasn’t yet good enough (very short battery life), and the public wasn’t yet ready to buy electric cars. > **[Better Place (company)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Place_(company))** > > Better Place was a venture-backed international company that developed and sold battery charging and battery switching services for electric cars. It was formally based in Palo Alto, California, but the bulk of its planning and operations were steered from Israel, where both its founder Shai Agassi and its chief investors resided. > The company opened its first functional charging station the first week of December 2008 at Cinema City in Pi-Glilot near Tel Aviv, Israel. The first customer deliveri... ---
**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/45 "2022-11-25T05:28:39Z")
> [@3AxisCtrl](#): > > once we repeal those pesky laws of thermodynamics Who is passing these laws? I didn’t vote for them. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/46 "2022-11-25T11:15:41Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > Reader’s Digest mentioned this in an article in the 70s. It was an eye drop from a bottle rather than a gel from a tube, but same principle. I’ve been wearing glasses for 55 years and contact lenses for 45 years and I keep wondering whether this invention will happen in my lifetime. It sort of has. I wore glasses starting in 3rd grade. Upgraded to contacts in my twenties. Then needed reading glasses in my 40’s. Then got LASIC surgery. I didn’t want the hassle of contacts AND reading glasses. I then got cataracts. I have had both of my lenses replaced in my eyes. Easy nothing surgery. I now see better than I ever have in my life. No glasses, no contacts, no nothing. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/47 "2022-11-25T12:36:10Z")
Well, you get fresh lenses every day with no deposits to irritate your eyes for one. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/48 "2022-11-25T12:50:16Z")
A mechanical nose-picker, burp-suppressor and butt-muffler. Equipped with those 3 devices, my kids could take me in public without embarrassment. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/49 "2022-11-25T13:35:59Z")
A trip odometer that counts down from a set distance. And if it doesn’t exist, a keyboard that is split into two halves that mount onto office chair arms. I remember thinking back in the late '90s that these would become available and common in the next 10 years or so. And, though I suppose this may be only a wiring and switch issue that could be DIY, a readily available TV set-up that allows you to have multiple windows, one of which actually has live TV showing. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/50 "2022-11-25T13:39:13Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > butt-muffler. And Febreze suppositories ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/51 "2022-11-25T18:51:02Z")
> [@BrickBat](#): > > I’m gonna’ go big: A leaf blower that operates quietly. I designed my own walk behind leaf blower. I used a 10" commercial blower like that in a furnace instead of a large diameter centrifugal blower. Geared it to maximum safe rpm. Huge CFM output with little noise. Powered it with a 5 hp Briggs and Stratton. I even made a two muffler exhaust system and ducted it into the blower output to add a bit more airflow which made it even quieter. I tested it against a friend’s name brand walk behind and it out performed easily on large leaf piles. I really don’t understand why no one makes a production version especially now that cites are passing restrictions on loud blowers. [![](https://i.imgur.com/E3tdewL.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/E3tdewL.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/52 "2022-11-26T16:11:39Z")
Right, but how’s that different than daily disposables? Something like these: [ACUVUE® OASYS MAX 1-Day | ACUVUE® Contact Lenses](https://www.acuvue.com/contact-lenses/acuvue-oasys-max-1-day) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/53 "2022-11-26T16:26:34Z")
I feel like electric vehicles are either going to have to go this route of swappable batteries, or go to something more widespread and faster charging than say… the Tesla Supercharger stations. I mean, it would be one thing on a large road trip if you had to make a 15-30 minute stop to charge your car, but it’s another when you may have to go tens of miles out of your way and definitely spend an hour or so charging your vehicle. And it’s worse when you can’t charge at your destination, whether it’s a hotel, home, or somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/54 "2022-12-03T02:31:29Z")
It doesn’t have to be invented since I’ve been seeing it in Europe for as long as I have been going there, but we need North American food packagers to put condiments like mayonaisse, mustard, ketchiup, and tomato paste into toothpaste type squeeze tubes. So much easier to use and empty. ---
**Author:** ![superwombat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superwombat/32/16616_2.png) [@superwombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superwombat)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/55 "2022-12-03T06:31:12Z")
A brushless dental hygiene device using lasers or UV-C or other method to clean everything inside the mouth. With 64 flavors to choose from. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/56 "2022-12-03T16:35:50Z")
A pair of tweezers with a small camera attached so that when you are going after those stray hairs growing out of your ears, you can see what you’re doing. ---
**Author:** ![Loggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Loggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loggins)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2022, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/57 "2022-12-07T19:22:10Z")
Regarding recharging EV batteries, arent theree already wireless charging available? I seem to semember reading somewhere that they are experimenting with building chargers right under the asphalt on roads. So that your car will be recharged while driving (say certain stretches of the road - not all over for expensivity concerns) ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2022, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/58 "2022-12-07T21:38:02Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Imagine driving up to a (former) gas station, and they have batteries … all charged-up and ready to swap-out The Nio doesn’t even come with a battery. That is a separate subscription service with automated battery swapping. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YT1raxxvrHo/maxresdefault.jpg "This New Electric Car Has No Battery and Shakes Up the Entire Car Industry") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT1raxxvrHo) ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/59 "2022-12-10T12:29:21Z")
How about cars that can only turn or change lane when the turn signal is being used? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/60 "2022-12-10T12:41:01Z")
Not to good in an emergency lane change. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354.md?page=4)