# What do you think is the most useless development/invention of the last 50 years? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 2, 2018, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888 "2018-11-02T14:05:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/81 "2018-11-03T12:26:27Z")
Many people don’t know… 50% of bananas are injured upon inception, causing them to curve the wrong way. Banperoni ™ developed by Bayer/Monsanto in conjunction with the banana slicer industry, is due for introduction into Central America by 2020. Help is on the way. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/82 "2018-11-03T12:27:29Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Cat’s have hands? Your knowledge may be incorrect Rob **DOG**. Nonsense. My hands are perfectly handy. [Also, there’s this fine fellow.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4PR9NZlAB4) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/83 "2018-11-03T13:09:59Z")
The idea that mobile phones are useless is crazy. I lived over 30 years before I got a cell phone and I remember very well what it was like. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2018, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/84 "2018-11-03T13:18:56Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Sure, why would we want to contact people any time we want, regardless of where we are? > > I say it’s the pet rock. Indeed. Not only is it just a rock in the box, but it also burning my dog. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/85 "2018-11-03T13:43:01Z")
Those vibrating plates you stand on to exercise without exercising. What a scam. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/86 "2018-11-03T13:48:37Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I say it’s the pet rock. When I was young, I had a rock follow me home one day. We were so poor, my parents said we could not afford to keep it. I told them it was already housebroken but they still resisted. They made me throw it to the soldier on the the other side of the border standing by the barricade. My wife uses the sock thingies at the assisted living home she works at to give the old timers a sense of self sufficiency as they can finish getting themselves dressed. I have to go with either the diet water or not allowing the legalization of hunting cats. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2018, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/87 "2018-11-03T13:50:46Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > That’s because third word students were hungry for information, angry that they couldn’t get it, and I forget what else they were, but I’m sure I can use my smartphone to find out the third word. +1 ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/88 "2018-11-03T15:12:09Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Normally I would consider those [sock aids](https://www.picclickimg.com/d/l400/pict/173287276291_/Sock-Helper-Puller-Aid-Assistant-for-Socks-Stocking.jpg)useless, but I can see how if you are flexibility impaired they would be useful. [or very pregnant, I can remember a friend of mine rolling around on her bed twisting to get socks on and pulled up.] Also excellent for sciatica flare-ups. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/89 "2018-11-03T16:38:53Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > > [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > > > \*\*Car alarms. \*\* > > > > I doubt very much that anyone has ever heard one and thought, “Oh no - someone’s car is being stolen!” Rather, it’s, “What dipshit has his alarm going off?” > > > > \*\*Touch screens in cars. \*\* > > > > I used to be able to switch radio stations by reaching over and touching a button by feel. But now I have to LOOK AWAY FROM THE ROAD TO SEE WHERE TO TOUCH. > > I read that the major deterrent factor in car alarms is the thieves don’t know if that .1 person who actually would call the cops i or the 99.9 percent that wouldn’t …… is in the parking lot Except that the false alarm rate for car alarms is extremely high. The rest of the time, it’s just noise pollution. When I hear someone’s alarm going off, I’m hoping it is really a car thief, as they’ll remove the car from the neighborhood, and therefore silence the damned thing. (A week ago, someone’s car alarm went off repeatedly between 3-4am. I think I counted fifteen times before I gave up.) How about a car alarm that’s completely silent to everyone else but makes a loud noise on the car owner’s smartphone, perhaps via a dedicated app? It could be tied to the backup camera and/or the dashcam so the owner can see if someone is lurking around the car and it could have a button to allow the owner to reset the alarm or notify the police if there really was a thief involved. When I bought my current car, I had the alarm that came with the car disabled so at least I know the one going off in the middle of the night isn’t mine. Can you tell that I _really_ hate car alarms? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/90 "2018-11-03T17:17:00Z")
The Wankel Rotary Engine. Despite it’s ballyhoo, it has been a effective dissappointment in most applications. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/91 "2018-11-03T17:17:33Z")
In my opinion it’s the chair. True story: In college, a history prof went on a rant about steam engines and how it was the worst invention ever because ships could now run out of fuel instead of just using the wind like they used to do. He was mouth-frothing serious. Our little group in the corner then rattled off all of the other “worst” inventions, my contribution was the “chair”. Previously you were already standing and ready to go to your next task, now with the invention of the chair, you had to rise to your feet first before you were ready to move to the next location, absolutely horrible waste of time multiple times per day. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/92 "2018-11-03T17:22:01Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > In my opinion it’s the chair. > > True story: > In college, a history prof went on a rant about steam engines and how it was the worst invention ever because ships could now run out of fuel instead of just using the wind like they used to do. He was mouth-frothing serious. > > Our little group in the corner then rattled off all of the other “worst” inventions, my contribution was the “chair”. Previously you were already standing and ready to go to your next task, now with the invention of the chair, you had to rise to your feet first before you were ready to move to the next location, absolutely horrible waste of time multiple times per day. The chair was invented in the last 50 years? ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/93 "2018-11-03T17:28:12Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > The Wankel Rotary Engine. > > Despite it’s ballyhoo, it has been a effective dissappointment in most applications. I believe so too. Seems like too much a case of “technology push” to me, the RX-7 notwithstanding. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/94 "2018-11-03T17:46:25Z")
Technically, the Wankel engine doesn’t qualify, as the first patent was issued in 1929. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/95 "2018-11-03T18:16:54Z")
I’m not sure if they qualify as inventions, but I swear there’s a company where they sit around and try and think of the stupidest thing they could possibly make then sell it on the Cartoon Network. Do pre boiled eggs and pre cooked bacon count? I’m waiting for pre toasted toast. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/96 "2018-11-03T18:19:44Z")
[this](http://www.keurig.com) ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/97 "2018-11-03T18:40:01Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Technically, the Wankel engine doesn’t qualify, as the first patent was issued in 1929. True enough, but from the beginning of its use in commercial applications in the early 70s through today, it was, except in very few applications, a case of an idea better left as an idea, rather than a product. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/98 "2018-11-03T23:14:41Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > I’m not sure if they qualify as inventions, but I swear there’s a company where they sit around and try and think of the stupidest thing they could possibly make then sell it on the Cartoon Network. > > Do pre boiled eggs and pre cooked bacon count? I’m waiting for pre toasted toast. Several years ago, a grocery store in my area sold pre-peeled bananas. That didn’t last very long. Pre-peeled oranges do make more sense, in case somebody’s going camping and doesn’t want to pack the peels out; they do not biodegrade as well as most other fruit or vegetables peels do - it’s more like they mummify. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/99 "2018-11-03T23:16:44Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Except that the false alarm rate for car alarms is extremely high. The rest of the time, it’s just noise pollution. When I hear someone’s alarm going off, I’m hoping it is really a car thief, as they’ll remove the car from the neighborhood, and therefore silence the damned thing. (A week ago, someone’s car alarm went off repeatedly between 3-4am. I think I counted fifteen times before I gave up.) When I was in college and slept with the windows open during the summer in my second-floor non-air conditioned apartment, someone in the neighborhood had a car alarm that repeatedly went off in the middle of the night. I later heard that the police told the owner to get rid of the alarm, because they were tired of getting nightly calls about it. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888/100 "2018-11-03T23:18:00Z")
(stepping into political territory) Touch-screen voting machines. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-is-the-most-useless-development-invention-of-the-last-50-years/823888.md?page=6)