# What do you want to see invented this century? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2000, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196 "2000-01-06T15:07:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Milossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Milossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milossarian)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2000, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/21 "2000-01-08T06:36:00Z")
Forget flying cars. Those of us living up here in the Arctic Circle would be happy with a car that heated up instantaneously when you started it. It’s 2000! Why can’t they figure out how to do that!?! * * * “You had me at ‘Hell no.’” ---
**Author:** ![David\_God\_of\_Frogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@David\_God\_of\_Frogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_God_of_Frogs)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2000, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/22 "2000-01-08T07:23:00Z")
I think we should forget everything thats been invented so far and go back to the stone age. * * * You, you…hetero. Go make a baby, you woman lover! — Dillan ---
**Author:** ![Smcdonald](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Smcdonald](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smcdonald)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2000, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/23 "2000-01-08T08:12:00Z")
THE “SEE-THRU TUBE TOP”!!! ---
**Author:** ![RoboDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@RoboDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoboDude)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2000, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/24 "2000-01-08T23:42:00Z")
I’d like to see some decent cybernetic enhancements. And how about nanites that clean plaque out of your arteries? As for personal transportation, I read about a freaky concept in Wired magazine. Based on nanotechnology, it was basically a suit made of nanomachines. When you wanted to go somewhere, it would rearrange itself into some kind of weird car. * * * Life is a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think. ---
**Author:** ![RoboDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@RoboDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoboDude)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2000, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/25 "2000-01-09T17:39:00Z")
I’d also like to see someone make a wormhole between here and another solar system. * * * Life is a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think. ---
**Author:** ![Powers106](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@Powers106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers106)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2000, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/26 "2000-01-10T16:50:00Z")
I would like to see a way to send electricity /power safely via some sort of radio wave or infrared beam (no clue how it could be done). Think about it - the total elimination of cords, batteries, etc. Now that would be convenient - never running out of juice on the laptop or mobile phone or getting vacuum cleaner cord tangled up in the furniture. (okay, maybe there are more important uses like transportation, etc. but who knows if it would even be possible?). Whatever the case, someone would claim it causes cancer. 🙂 ---
**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:** [January 11, 2000, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/27 "2000-01-11T03:31:00Z")
How about an electric battery that can store an ammount of energy equal to the energy stored in a quantity of gasoline that weighs the same as the battery? * * * “Show me a sane man, and I will cure him for you.”----Jung ---
**Author:** ![ZRUDEDOG13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/51bf81/32.png) [@ZRUDEDOG13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZRUDEDOG13)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2000, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/28 "2000-01-13T06:20:00Z")
I would like to see someone invent a tv dinner tray where all you had to do is add a single drop of water and you have a sumptuous meal, just like mom use to make. (or grandma anyway) ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2000, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/29 "2000-01-13T06:30:00Z")
I would like to see a device that can detect mensturation in women that you are trying to chat up for a one night stand ---
**Author:** ![PrivyQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/85e7bf/32.png) [@PrivyQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrivyQueen)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2000, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/30 "2000-01-13T06:51:00Z")
Something to replace shaving or epil-crap for women. There’s got to be a better way! * * * Life is a tragedy to those who feel…and a comedy to those that think ---
**Author:** ![RoboDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@RoboDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoboDude)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2000, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/31 "2000-01-12T23:11:00Z")
* * * ## I would like to see a way to send electricity /power safely via some sort of radio wave or infrared beam (no clue how it could be done). Nikola Tesla dreamed up something like this. I don’t know if he actually did any experiments or anything. * * * Life is a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think. ---
**Author:** ![blackwrangler98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce7236/32.png) [@blackwrangler98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blackwrangler98)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2000, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/32 "2000-01-13T04:24:00Z")
why not build a ceiling over all the roads and cities, shoot even the whole world then scientists can control all the weather conditions. Not sure how high to make the ceiling, might make it hard on airplanes and NASA would go bankrupt, but maybe we would all die of unfresh air from car emissions and wildfire smoke. Hmmm, seems to be too many pros and cons with this invention. ---
**Author:** ![amberly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@amberly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amberly)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2000, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/33 "2000-01-13T15:52:00Z")
1. A replicator just like on Star Trek. “Turkey with dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, green beans - Hot!” Whew! That Thanksgiving dinner took alot out of me! 2. A road pavement that automatically melts ice and snow (some bridges in PA already have something like this) 3. A cordless full strengh vacuum cleaner. 4. An anti-aging pill. 5. Christmas decorations that put themselves up the day after Thanksgiving, and take themselves down the day after New Years. ---
**Author:** ![Nekosoft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c2a13f/32.png) [@Nekosoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nekosoft)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2000, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/34 "2000-01-15T09:12:00Z")
As far as cordless electrical cords go, here’s [Cecil](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_274.html)’s take. ## Me? I want a palmtop computer with a wireless modem that runs the Newton operating system. And I want a Discman that plays CD-ROMs with MP3’s on them. And a jet pack. Kick. Punch. It’s all in the mind. ---
**Author:** ![RedDawg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@RedDawg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedDawg)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2000, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/35 "2000-01-15T14:41:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Daniel: > \*\*The Man Show had a lot of good ideas. Like the genetically engineered all-wing chicken; it has no body parts other than a countless number of wings! Just take it home, dunk it in the fryer and you’ve got enough buffalo wings for the whole family! > > (I _really_ like buffalo wings!) > > On top of that, I’d just like an affordable DVD player for my laptop. > \*\* Well forget the Compaq 1675 then, they have replaced my DVD drive four times and it still doesn’t work (in DVD mode, CD ROM’s are fine.) ---
**Author:** ![RedDawg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@RedDawg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedDawg)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2000, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/36 "2000-01-15T14:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Dave Swaney: > \*\*Holodeck, eh? So that it won’t only be the lonely pasty guys wasting their time all evening alone with a machine? > > And you thought the net offered opportunity to whack off, mentally or otherwise…\*\* The future is here: [http://www.fufme.com](http://www.fufme.com) * * * “Every creative act results from the sudden cessation of stupidity.” -Edwin Land, inventor of the Polaroid Land Camera ---
**Author:** ![RedDawg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@RedDawg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedDawg)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2000, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/37 "2000-01-15T14:56:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Milossarian: > \*\*Forget flying cars. Those of us living up here in the Arctic Circle would be happy with a car that heated up instantaneously when you started it. > > It’s 2000! Why can’t they figure out how to do that!?! > \*\* They should be able to. Reverse cycle air conditioning (heat pump) technology has been around for years. Why some marketing genius at GM doesn’t get production to put one in the 2001 Caddy, at least as a pricey option is a mystery to me. Might not work all that well at arctic latitudes, but they would give essentially instant heat for a VERY large customer base. Wake up guys, you’re missing the boat. (BTW, I will accept a $1 per installed unit royalty for my brilliant suggestion.) * * * “Every creative act results from the sudden cessation of stupidity.” -Edwin Land, inventor of the Polaroid Land Camera ---
**Author:** ![bda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@bda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bda)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2000, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/38 "2000-01-15T23:11:00Z")
. . vertical take off and landing personal vehicle . . [http://www.moller.com/skycar/](http://www.moller.com/skycar/) ---
**Author:** ![bda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@bda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bda)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2000, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/39 "2000-01-15T23:58:00Z")
cloning and storage of all your vital organs, genetic engineering to wipe out aids, cancer, diabetes and all the those health things that scare us. a grid of huge fans that covers the globe to moderate extreme weather(imagine the real estate boom). heated roads in snow zones . . i love that. telepathic communication with other mammals. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2000, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196/40 "2000-01-16T01:49:00Z")
About the warming of cars. Don’t they sell something electrical that fits down on the oil dipstick tube that keeps the engine warm? Or at least the oil warm? * * * If you can’t convince them, confuse them. Harry S. Truman [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-want-to-see-invented-this-century/6196.md?page=3)