# Things that haven't been invented yet **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 7, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562 "2004-09-07T23:40:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/1 "2004-09-07T23:40:48Z")
What are some things that don’t violate laws of physics or require great sci-fi like breakthroughs, but which haven’t been invented yet? (ie, I’m not talking about time travel or warp speed here…) A few examples: -a “microwave freezer” -a robot that walks like a human (well) -holographic display There are also some things which seem like they would be great consumer-level products if they were many orders of magnitude cheaper, such as computer controlled sculpting machines which produce colored wax or plastic physical copies of 3D computer models, but which are all frightfully expensive. (Thousands of dollars per copy produced, I think.) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/2 "2004-09-08T00:04:01Z")
“The Bee Pistol” – fire live bees at your target. There should be a larger caliber for wasps and a “magnum” for yellowjackets. “The Pet Cellphone” – lets you call and talk to your pet anytime. Deluxe version lets your pet call you by voice activated command. One version is built into a collar for cats and dogs. Another version is built into a cage feed tray, and is the dial-out version can be activated by pecking or stepping on a button – great for birds and lizards! “The 2020 Style Death Ray” – really, it’s APPALLING that we’ve reached the new millennium without a decent ray gun to hang on our belts. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/3 "2004-09-08T00:05:41Z")
> [@Boyo Jim](#): > > “The Bee Pistol” – fire live bees at your target. There should be a larger caliber for wasps and a “magnum” for yellowjackets. First victim? Homer Simpson. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/4 "2004-09-08T00:35:59Z")
> [@Boyo Jim](#): > > “The Bee Pistol” – fire live bees at your target. There should be a larger caliber for wasps and a “magnum” for yellowjackets. > > “The Pet Cellphone” – lets you call and talk to your pet anytime. Deluxe version lets your pet call you by voice activated command. One version is built into a collar for cats and dogs. Another version is built into a cage feed tray, and is the dial-out version can be activated by pecking or stepping on a button – great for birds and lizards! How about combining those two and creating “The Pet Bee Pistol”. Finally, we can have dogs that shoot bees out of their mouths. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/5 "2004-09-08T01:02:33Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > First victim? > > Homer Simpson. I’m sorry there was already a first victim. Malcolm’s father on Malcolm in the Middle took over Malcolms killer 'bot project and created one that shot bees at the operator of the other 'bot, rather than trying to defeat the robot opponent. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/6 "2004-09-08T01:04:01Z")
Sausage pie. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/7 "2004-09-08T01:07:05Z")
An emergency back up for computers-if the electricity goes out, the computer routs immediately to a battery back up to allow one to shut down safely. ---
**Author:** ![saramamalana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@saramamalana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saramamalana)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/8 "2004-09-08T01:08:35Z")
The Babel fish! ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/9 "2004-09-08T01:28:03Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > An emergency back up for computers-if the electricity goes out, the computer routs immediately to a battery back up to allow one to shut down safely. I’m pretty sure such things already exist… they’re called Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS’s) ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/10 "2004-09-08T01:32:47Z")
A machine that lets you watch your dreams. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/11 "2004-09-08T01:34:10Z")
Oooo, oooo, you know what I want them to invent? A screen that’s comfortable to read lots of text from. It should look basically like a piece of paper, except that it can rewrite itself. Bonus points if you can fold it up and stick it in your back pocket. And of course it must be able to shoot bees. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/12 "2004-09-08T01:36:35Z")
“Toothbots” – nano-critters that scour your teeth 24/7. “Robo-valet”- I want something that simply picks up everything I drop, then cleans and stores it properly, or dumps it. “The George W. Bush Talking Doll” – with bigger vocabulary than actual George W. Bush. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/13 "2004-09-08T01:45:03Z")
> [@Podkayne](#): > > Oooo, oooo, you know what I want them to invent? A screen that’s comfortable to read lots of text from. It should look basically like a piece of paper, except that it can rewrite itself. Bonus points if you can fold it up and stick it in your back pocket. > > And of course it must be able to shoot bees. Extra bonus points if it can hover in front of your eyes at a comfortable reading distance. I always thought holding up books got too tiring. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/14 "2004-09-08T01:46:08Z")
Hmm, lets see a holodeck (holographic bees not included) a convertible motorcycle, it can switch from a 3-wheeled ATV to a street bike, to a snowmobile, simply by changing the wheel modules… it can also shoot bees a bee-proof vest ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/15 "2004-09-08T03:20:08Z")
Computers with good voice recognition. Cloned body organs for transplants. Personal hovercrafts. Anti-Bee Missile Defense. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/16 "2004-09-08T03:21:03Z")
> [@Podkayne](#): > > Oooo, oooo, you know what I want them to invent? A screen that’s comfortable to read lots of text from. It should look basically like a piece of paper, except that it can rewrite itself. Bonus points if you can fold it up and stick it in your back pocket. I’m fairly certain the MIT Media Lab has been working on stuff like this for a while–you might want to poke around on their web site. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/17 "2004-09-08T03:35:15Z")
I wondered about microwave freezers myself. My suggestion- embryo transplants ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/18 "2004-09-08T03:47:01Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > -a robot that walks like a human (well) [Honda’s ASIMO](http://world.honda.com/ASIMO/movies/) doesn’t do it for you? I think it’s kinda creepy to watch this thing walk. So lifelike. If only the “thumbs” didn’t look like they’d been horribly mangled in a bar-fight. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/19 "2004-09-08T04:20:46Z")
There are “blast freezers” which blow -20F air through the (very small) compartment to bring down the temperature of an item very quickly. It’s not exactly a microwave freezer, but it’s close. What we need: - A better aspirin substitute: all the good stuff about aspirin without the bad. - Consumer level teeth-cleaning devices more along the lines of what dentists use. - Standard, consumer level computer keyboards which are sealed so that crumbs, hair, etc. don’t get down into the works. - Ability to sustenance-farm hydroponically - No new vehicles introduced to the consumer market with less than 50 miles per gallon fuel efficiency ---
**Author:** ![NoPretentiousCodename](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/82dd89/32.png) [@NoPretentiousCodename](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoPretentiousCodename)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562/20 "2004-09-08T04:58:18Z")
Space Elevator Bee-proof bonnet? 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-havent-been-invented-yet/263562.md?page=2)