Thread: Man's most useless invention, discovery etc..

Time for a new thread...

What do you consider to be man's most useless/pointless/wasteful invention/discovery, and why?

Also it could be an occupation or some hobby, and as many as you like, your own personal top ten if you want.

I think myself the lamp-shade is pretty high on the list, you know, design a light, turn it on, then cover it up so most of the light is lost, I may have others but that'll do to get the ball rolling.

Oh, could we keep religion out of this one?

all the things in the betterware catalogue would be useless inventions

Another perfectly serious thread destroyed with the single blow of a club..

Why aren't you outside looking at the moon?

Originally Posted by Megabrain

Another perfectly serious thread destroyed with the single blow of a club..

Why aren't you outside looking at the moon?

too cloudy I always struggle to see bad inventions.

The bowtie?

American Football.

i got this 10 piece manual onion chopper...seemed like ten pieces..was a bitch to clean...didnt chop onions..onions got stuck up in it couldn't get the onion out afterwards...so id have to say that thingy.

Costumes for dogs:



Absolutely pointless

Is the dog on the right (who looks rather dissappointed) saying "Why haven't I got one of those between my legs?"

Originally Posted by MacGyver1968

Costumes for dogs:



Absolutely pointless

yeah, i agree with that

Originally Posted by Megabrain

Is the dog on the right (who looks rather dissappointed) saying "Why haven't I got one of those between my legs?"

Wow...I didn't even notice that when I found this pic. Looks like ole Yoda needs a little bikini wax and maybe a "just for men" treatment in his nether regions. :-D

I think the most useless discovery - invention was the tobacco plant and the manufacture of cigarettes! Closely followed by the production of Coca-Cola! 8)

bubble gum, shoe polish, ties hmmmm sure theres a whole long list

Text messaging.

Ceramic figures as recordatories. I mean, who like a ceramic frog to put on your room? :?

video games, because i can't stop wasting my time on them

the segway, really who needs that?

Perhaps I should have said choose 3 and place in reverse order.

And at number 3 Artificial insemination - what a waste!.

2) Lampshades, which reduce the efficiency of incandescant lights from around 7% down to about 4%.

1) Outdoor BBQ's having spent 2 million years learning to cook indoors with electricity we all go back outside and poison ourselves with half cooked meat.

Originally Posted by Megabrain

Perhaps I should have said choose 3 and place in reverse order.

And at number 3 Artificial insemination - what a waste!.

2) Lampshades, which reduce the efficiency of incandescant lights from around 7% down to about 4%.

1) Outdoor BBQ's having spent 2 million years learning to cook indoors with electricity we all go back outside and poison ourselves with half cooked meat.

3. Artificial insemination is for couples (or singles) who can't get have a child otherwise.

2. Lampshades, (use mirrors to redirect the light upwards) or use lampshades for casting a particular hue of color.

Originally Posted by Megabrain

1) Outdoor BBQ's having spent 2 million years learning to cook indoors with electricity we all go back outside and poison ourselves with half cooked meat.

Dang, MB..(shaking head)...in Texas, them 'ud be fightin' words BBQ ranks up there with the wheel and internet porn as greatest of discoverys of all time. :wink:


In the Christmas (not holiday) spirit, I'll add those seriously nasty abominations known as "fruit cakes". Many give them, but I don't think anyone actually enjoys eating them. I'm sure someone's Grandma somewhere makes a really good one, but most are store bought, and only suitable as a base material for sporting equiptment.

And by the way...what the hail is a "Christmas pudding" ? I hear y'all across the pond have those...I'm not quite sure what they are.

Originally Posted by Megabrain

1) Outdoor BBQ's having spent 2 million years learning to cook indoors with electricity we all go back outside and poison ourselves with half cooked meat.

What do you mean "poison ourselves with half cooked meat".
Of cource pork and chicken have to be fully cooked, but fully cooked beef is a spoiled beef. The best way to cook it is medium or medium+.
And outdoor BBQ is much more easier than an open fire. You just have to press few buttons and that's it, you're ready to cook.

#1 most worthless invention of all time: Your mom!

My entry:
Trash compactors.
Let's all make our trash too heavy to lug to the curb, lift into the truck, or decompose in our lifetime. Special bonus: we use a limit natural resource to do this.

Originally Posted by MacGyver1968

Costumes for dogs:



Absolutely pointless

I don't know, I'm still laughing, and that's worth something. [But then, I regularly 'dress up' my dog as a skunk for Hallowe'en.]

Now, if you had just said 'small dogs', I'd agree.

.....Man's most useless/pointless/wasteful invention/discovery?



Im going to have to go with - Kevin Federline.

actually, wait, I believe I win: Kent Hovind.

Originally Posted by Jeremyhfht

actually, wait, I believe I win: Kent Hovind.

Nothing intelligent would design Hovind.

Mr U

Touche. But then again, man isn't always intelligent.

Originally Posted by HomoUniversalis

Originally Posted by Jeremyhfht

actually, wait, I believe I win: Kent Hovind.

Nothing intelligent would design Hovind.

Mr U

I've been out of the loop; is this a well-known argument against the theory/logy of Intelligent Design?

Originally Posted by j

Originally Posted by HomoUniversalis

Originally Posted by Jeremyhfht

actually, wait, I believe I win: Kent Hovind.

Nothing intelligent would design Hovind.

Mr U

I've been out of the loop; is this a well-known argument against the theory/logy of Intelligent Design?

Sure is. It's more popular an argument than 'common sense' or 'modern science' these days.

Mr U

Kent Hovind is an utter moron. He knows almost nothing of science, yet evangelizes against it. He's a perfect example of why "I'll pay you X dollars if you prove to me X exists" doesn't work, and yet people still use those types of arguments. I find it utterly hilarious.

But all in all, the man himself is a perfect argument against intelligent design.

God and religion...

Incorrect. I was tempted to say so myself, and it is obvious to do so, but they're invented for one purpose: massive control. And so far it works well. It's the opposite of USELESS don't you think?

Yes, I was going to say the bible. Amazing what a little book of stories made 200 years ago (more or less if you include the Torah and Quaran) can do. Mostly bad - little good, though.

Anyway, how about this:
http://www.openleftbox.com/cms/node/363/play
"The Worst Inventions Ever" by Jon Stewart

I particularly thought that the "thought screen helmet" was useless. Sure, alien abductions is something we all worry about constantly (), but I find it, overall, to be rather useless.

Didn't they used to make those out of tinfoil?