# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/61 "2022-12-10T17:53:16Z")
And if your turn signal breaks, you’d suddenly have an unsteerable car. A bad idea wherever it happened, and a really really bad idea if it happened in heavy fast traffic. ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/62 "2022-12-15T01:07:43Z")
It’s not a bad idea, but I’m not sure there will be much of a market for it. Most EVs charge at home, start every day “full”, and don’t drive enough to need to stop and charge during the day. I’ve owned an EV for a year, and never wanted such a station. On road trips, I enjoy a 20 minute break after 2 hours of driving. In the city, I’ve rarely drained the battery below 50%, and that’s starting the day at 80%. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/63 "2022-12-15T01:54:52Z")
And the grass in my yard ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/64 "2022-12-15T16:40:43Z")
Not just for ears… as I get older, I seem to grow bristles in all kinds of undesirable places. So the tweezers need to be on teleoperated robot arms, for those places that are hard to reach? ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/65 "2022-12-15T21:51:45Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > How about cars that can only turn or change lane when the turn signal is being used? As long as the turn signal is activated half a block before the intended turn😄. I live in Montreal and when turn signals are used they are only used to confirm that the driver is, indeed, turning. ---
**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 17, 2022, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/66 "2022-12-17T00:05:08Z")
I live in Montreal and alwaya signal turns. Even when I see no other vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/67 "2022-12-17T00:13:08Z")
We need some sort of phone battery that can harness the kinetic power of a person‘s movement to assist with phone charging. Even if it just slows the drain on a battery that was originally charged by being plugged into an outlet, the benefit of significantly longer battery life would be substantial. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2022, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/68 "2022-12-17T02:11:45Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I live in Montreal and alwaya signal turns. Even when I see no other vehicles. This. The fact that you don’t see other vehicles at a particular time does not mean there isn’t anyone who could use the information of if are you about to turn or not. It’s not like signalling costs time or money. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2022, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/69 "2022-12-18T22:21:27Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I live in Montreal and alwaya signal turns. But do you only signal as you start your turn, which seems to be the standard in this city, or do you actually signal in advance of your turn? ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2022, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/70 "2022-12-18T22:43:08Z")
When I was nine I invented a machine that turned garbage into puppies. Well, I had the cross-section drawings with all the details. It was sort of like how caterpillars turn into butterflies only with garbage and puppies. I still think it has a lot of merit. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2022, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/71 "2022-12-18T22:44:38Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > When I was nine I invented a machine that turned garbage into puppies. That’s really up-cycling! That must be where junkyard dogs come from. ---
**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 20, 2022, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/72 "2022-12-20T01:22:06Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > But do you only signal as you start your turn, which seems to be the standard in this city, or do you actually signal in advance of your turn? Well before. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/73 "2022-12-20T01:33:45Z")
Good stuff! When I’m driving a car it generally doesn’t matter to me, but I also spend a ton of time on bicycles, and bad signalling is really annoying. There, hijack over. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/74 "2022-12-20T11:26:48Z")
Of course you signal in advance. Otherwise, there is no point in it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/75 "2022-12-20T12:10:57Z")
I signal well in advance even when driving backroads that are empty, out of habit. I also thank Alexa for doing things for us out of habit. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/76 "2022-12-20T12:15:21Z")
I just want something where I can yell into another persons car STOP LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE AND TURN LEFT, DIPSHIT! THE LIGHT IS NOW GREEN! … because I’m increasingly finding my car horn to be emotionally unfullfilling for this task. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/77 "2022-12-20T12:30:51Z")
A miracle device that washes, sets, and dries my hair while I sit comfortably watching TV or taking a nap! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/78 "2022-12-20T12:36:20Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I signal well in advance even when driving backroads that are empty, out of habit. Yeah. We live on a road that is a step up from a jeep trail. There is one other part time resident on the road. My Wife signals to enter our driveway. Best to stay in the habit and just do it. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/79 "2022-12-20T18:06:01Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I just want something where I can yell into another persons car > > STOP LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE AND TURN LEFT, DIPSHIT! THE LIGHT IS NOW GREEN! Can I please be able to program this to say “Stop tailgaiting me! Deer run into this road and I may have to hit the brakes hard and without warning!” ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354/80 "2022-12-20T19:00:41Z")
The tomato paste is trivially easy to find around here, even if it’s not a condiment. Several brands and multiple stores, including local supermarkets. Organic and non-organic if that’s important to you. Tube garlic paste and anchovy paste are ubiquitous though, although they’re not condiments either. Unfortunately I have yet to see tube mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, or other condiments yet, outside of places like World Market and other import stores. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-we-need/975354.md?page=5)