# Mundane inventions in your lifetime **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878 "2007-05-05T13:45:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/41 "2007-05-09T15:17:45Z")
[QUOTE=Athena] Boy, your definition of “mundane” is very different from mine. I don’t think that word means what you think it means. :dubious: [/QUOTE] Perhaps. I was stretching things with the monoclonal antibodies, but the rest of them certainly seem “mundane” to me. My definition of mundane is anything that isn’t special or remarkable. Anything that feels like a part of the environment. [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com)’s take on things is similar: > [@dictionary.com](#): > > mun·dane–adjective > > 1. of or pertaining to this world or earth as contrasted with heaven; worldly; earthly: mundane affairs. > 2. common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative. Can you name anything on my list that doesn’t fit? [QUOTE=Hypno-Toad] My dad spent either his 7th or 8th birthday in an iron lung thanks to polio. I doubt that he’d consider the vaccine mundane. In fact, none of those things was mundane when invented. [/QUOTE] I’d say that _nothing_ is mundane when it’s first invented. We’re talking about things that are mundane _now_. [QUOTE=Magiver] The first digital watch I saw was a red LED watch and it was on the Johnny Carson Show. It was like something from outer space and I think it cost $2000. [/QUOTE] The first LED watch I ever saw was a special version made by a semiconductor company. When you pressed the big button, it displayed the time. When you pressed the little hidden button it said “Wanna fuck?” Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/42 "2007-05-09T20:50:59Z")
[QUOTE=Magiver] The state of the art watch before that was a battery powered watch that used a tuning fork to count time. [/QUOTE] Most non-mechanical watches still use a tuning fork, but it is made of quartz, and vibrates above human hearing at 32.678 KHz. A traditionally shaped quartz crystal tuned at such a low frequency would be huge, and the power consumed is proportional to frequency, so higher frequency rocks are not an attractive option for a watch. As for mundane items: Contact lenses. They were considered the height of vanity in my youth, required complicated care, didn’t work for astigmatism, and were always popping out and getting lost.(and were so expensive that this was a real crisis.) “Sporty” wheelchairs. I remember in the early 1980’s the first time I saw a chair that was not of the traditional institutional design…I thought it was really cool. Now I rarely see the TID versions outside of institutional settings. Radial tires. I remember debates in the press about their advisability, safety, etc…now it’s bias ply tires that are rare. Pop-tops? Heck, I recall when aluminum cans were novel! Lots of car related ones: Factory cup holders in cars. AWD/4WD vehicles were remarkable in my youth. Air conditioning. This was only for rich folks when I was a kid…still the case last time I was in Europe. Ditto for automatic transmissions. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/43 "2007-05-09T21:16:27Z")
[QUOTE=Dragwyr] Not invented in my lifetime, but the ball point pen has to be included in this list. You can buy a 20 pack at the supermarket for $0.99, and for the most part, they all work great. I can’t imagine having to go to school and write with a fountain pen in today’s age. Big impact on society… YES. Mundane item in everyday use… YES. [/QUOTE] If by “great” you mean “20% of them never even work and of the remaining 80%, half of that will cease working once you open them after a week, regardless of how much or how little you use them or if you keep the cap on or not,” then you’re right 🙂 I’ve probably spent more on disposable pens in the past 15 years than on the two Cross pens I’ve had in that time, neither of which ever ceased working or ran out of ink (in fact, I only replaced the first because I lost it, which is why I buy disposable pens, for when I am at risk of losing my Cross.) ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/44 "2007-05-10T05:13:11Z")
The Charter of Rights. (Okay, it’s not mundane, but it certainly is useful. And it just hit me that that was, indeed, in my lifetime.) ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/45 "2007-05-10T05:19:41Z")
The Flowbee, anything invented by Ron Popeil, and anything advertised by Billy Mays for the win. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/46 "2007-05-10T16:34:55Z")
Bottled water Bike helmets Low fuel light Reality TV Plastic Slinkys Retractable dog leashes Liquid detergent Leisure suits The proliferation of fast food “restaurants” Filling tires with nitrogen Corporate sponsored sports facilities Tip calculation tables on bills Decaffeinated coffee (and tea) ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/47 "2007-05-10T19:58:17Z")
Shucks, no one mentioned this one yet, and it came about in my lifetime: the ATM, or automatic teller machine. Back in the day, you either went to the bank during working hours to get your money, or you wrote a check. Today ATMS are everywhere, and we totally take them for granted, which makes it “mundane” I reckon. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/48 "2007-05-10T20:27:35Z")
Along with the ATM, Coinstar machines. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/49 "2007-05-10T20:32:30Z")
What’s a coinstar machine? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/50 "2007-05-10T20:36:32Z")
> [@](#): > > What’s a coinstar machine? A brand of change-sorting machine that collates and tallies the change you dump into it and returns it in more convenient form (bills, or a voucher), minus a small percentage. That small percentage is the deal-breaker for me. I can roll my own pennies for no more than the cost of the rolls. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/51 "2007-05-10T23:13:55Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] A brand of change-sorting machine that collates and tallies the change you dump into it and returns it in more convenient form (bills, or a voucher), minus a small percentage. That small percentage is the deal-breaker for me. I can roll my own pennies for no more than the cost of the rolls. [/QUOTE] My problem with them isn’t the money. It is that the machines seem to be down a lot and that isn’t good when you bring $100 worth of loose change in specifically to use the machine. They usually seem to be overly popular as well. I always seem to get stuck behind the Mexican family that has saved in pennies, nickles, and pesos to send money back home. The problem is that the machine doesn’t take pesos and has to sort it and kick it out and the problem repeats itself for half an hour while I stand there (it isn’t only Mexican money. Canadian money is designed to be stealthy and it is amazing how many fake quarters and dimes the Canadians export to us to hide among real change.) The fee is usually about 9% or less which is fine with me because there is no way I would ever be paid to wrap $100 in coins for just $9. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/52 "2007-05-11T21:30:45Z")
I guess I must be an old fart – or I’m just used to small-town service. I just take my coins to the bank during regular hours, and they do it for me. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/53 "2007-05-12T00:18:33Z")
My contribution to this thread is peel and stick sanitary napkins. I entered puberty having to use an elastic belt which had garters that held the extended tabs of the napkin (on both ends) to more or less stay in place while enduring the monthly period. Of course, the napkin twisted, spun around and embedded itself . . . If I could have married my first package of peel and stick pads, I would have. You young girls have no idea how easy you’ve got it. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/54 "2007-05-12T01:38:34Z")
[QUOTE=medstar] You young girls have no idea how easy you’ve got it. [/QUOTE] That’s why we have the [The Museum of Menstruation](http://www.mum.org/belts.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/55 "2007-05-14T12:26:31Z")
Snapple. Not only does some company get very rich marketing what is basically Kool-Aid for adults, they add a word to the language. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/56 "2007-05-14T12:38:51Z")
[QUOTE=InvisibleWombat] I’d say that _nothing_ is mundane when it’s first invented. We’re talking about things that are mundane _now_. [/QUOTE] I read the OP to mean things that \*were \* mundane at time of creation, like the plastic grocery bags. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878/57 "2007-05-14T23:00:44Z")
Ah - we just read it differently. You have a good example with the plastic grocery bags, but it shortens my list to just about nothin’ Mouse pads, maybe? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-inventions-in-your-lifetime/402878.md?page=2)