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27 Bizarre Facts About Famous Inventions

Turns out, Viagra originally had a much more innocent purpose.

27 Bizarre Facts About Famous Inventions

October 01, 2021

Viagra might be known today as the blue pill that helps men get stiff but its original purpose was much more innocent. More on that and 26 other fascinating facts about famous inventions:

27

The transparent aluminum from Star Trek IV is real now. Aluminum oxynitride (AION) was under development around the time Scotty was awkwardly trying to use a 1980s computer. While not a metal (it's a ceramic material), it is much tougher than glass. CRACKED.COM — Hackaday

26

Giant arrows were placed throughout the U.S. to guide overnight mail deliveries. In the 1920s, arrows painted bright yellow and lit by beacons were set up to guide pilots delivering air mail by night. By 1929, there were arrows from New York to San Francisco. CRACKED.COM — 14 Mesmerizing Machines That Run The World Behind The Scenes

25

Mother’s Day

CRACKED.COM THE FOUNDER OF MOTHER'S DAY WENT DOOR-TO-DOOR WITH PETITIONS TO RESCIND IT. Anna Jarvis was disgusted by how commercialized the holiday had become. She had created the holiday to memorialize her late mother. — Inventors Who Can't Stand Their Own Creations

24

CRACKED.COM CULTURA DE PAZ BRAZILIAN POLICE USE FUTURISTIC 'RO3OCOP- STYLE' GLASSES FITTED WITH FACIAL RECOGNITION EQUIPMENT TO IDENTIFY AND ROOT OUT TROUBLEMAKERS. 2 — 17 Badass Gadgets You Didn't Realize You Needed

23

The first proper laptop Mondensator Girline A 350 DEBORNE There were earlier devices that could technically fit on your lap, but the Osborne 1 (1981) was the first truly mobile computer. CRACKED.COM — Rarely Seen Prototypes Of Modern Gadgets

22

The tiny hole in an airplane window ensures that it doesn't blow out. An airplane window is made up of three acrylic panes - t the outer, the middle, and the inner. The tiny hole in the middle pane equalizes the different pressures felt on the outer and inner panes, taking the strain off the window and preventing a blowout. CRACKED.COM — Invisible, Super-Smart Gadgets That Are Hidden All Around Us

21

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20

The co-inventor of transistors was kind of screwed by his invention. John Bardeen almost didn't make it to his 2nd Nobel Prize celebration because his electronic garage door didn't open (they sent a car to get him). NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — New York Times

19

Forks used to be considered unhygienic and immoral It wasn't considered socially acceptable until Renaissance Italians made sugary, dried fruits trendy. Forks helped to keep sleeves clean. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Washington Post

18

VIAGRA'S ORIGINAL PURPOSE WAS TO TREAT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. YOR.100 OO 01 89% Pfizer azifel 1921/4 VGR Contrary to what you may think, Viagra wasn't created to stuff your inbox with spam, but with the nobler purpose of treating hypertension. Trial studies found the pill wasn't effective, but patients reported a stiffening side effect that wasn't any less marketable. CRACKED COM — Everyday Objects That Started Out As Something Else Entirely

17

Play In the early days of the Nintendo DS people were afraid that predators could use the Pictochat feature to prey on children. The fears RI aver were unfounded, and no incidents of child abduction enabled by Pictochat users have ever been reported. love - la er 2 1 محمد - - - CRACKED.COM — The 16 Dumbest Ways People Freaked Over New Tech

16

Chess

Chess makes you violent! CRACKED COM That was one 19th-century objection. Others said it hurt children by offering no physical exercise-and what mental exercise it offered was wasted on something wholly unproductive. — Scientific American

15

The microchip was invented twice within a year. KOREA UB50 404102 Jack Kilby (left) and Robert Noyce (right) independently invented the microchip within a half year of each other in 1958 and 1959, respectively. But only Kilby lived long enough to receive a Nobel prize for the invention. CRACKED.COM — 12 Uncanny Instances Of Simultaneous Invention

14

CRACKED.COM Someone actually built the rifle from Aliens. A gun company named Lage Manufacturing created a submachine gun/shotgun combination, resembling the M-41A Pulse Rifle used by the Colonial Marines. Too bad (or maybe good) that it was never mass-produced or put on sale. — Lage Manufacturing (via archive.org), Lage Manufacturing on YouTube

13

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12

CRACKED.COM THE INVENTOR OF THE LABRADOODLE SAYS CREATING THE BREED WAS HIS LIFE'S REGRET. Wally Conron, the first breeder of the labradoodle, has claimed it opened a Pandora's box of unhealthy dog breeding. — Inventors Who Can't Stand Their Own Creations

11

CRACKED.COM BRAILLE WAS BORN FOR BATTLEFIELD COMMUNICATION. Charles Barbier, a captain in Napoleon's army, was commissioned with devising a system to allow soldiers to communicate silently and with no light. But Barbier's night writing was too complicated to be of any use until 15-year-old Louis Braille turned it into something workable. — Everyday Objects That Started Out As Something Else Entirely

10

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9

The first push-button phone E E 0800m 7472 ABC OEF GHI JKL an Z WXY MNO PRS L TUV Riversion o AT&T took its first wobbly step away from the rotary dial in 1963. Can you imagine a world in which the pound key never existed? It's... beautiful. CRACKED.COM — Rarely Seen Prototypes Of Modern Gadgets

8

Those tiny holes on the top of Lego people heads are actually there to save the life of a child. In the event that a person swallows the head, the tunnel that goes through the entire head enables air to pass through it until it can be removed. CRACKED.COM — Invisible, Super-Smart Gadgets That Are Hidden All Around Us

7

The Caccolube destroyed tanks and was made of condoms. During World War II, the OSS created an anti-vehicle weapon out of condoms filled with abrasive powder. Hot engine oil would melt the condom, and then the compound would flood the engine, fusing the machinery. So someone would drop these into a crankcase, and 30 CONDOM ABRASIVE miles later, dead tank. POWDER CRACKED.COM — 16 Ridiculous Gadgets Used By IRL James Bonds

6

The Transistor

The most frequently manufactured item, ever, is the humble transistor. circuit words CAUTION Do not CLASS CARMIUM OZIK : adidas MOMOCCO THD200Fi asic SAL N735 Specifically, it's a metal-oxide semiconductor transistor, which are what silicon computer chips are made out of. Over 13 sextillion have been made. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — ComputerHistory.org

5

The first vending machine dispensed Holy Water ECHO The ancient Greek coin-operated mechanism prevented people from taking more water than they were paying for NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Smithsonian Magazine

4

Coca-Cola

COCA-COLA WAS ADVERTISED FOR ITS HEALTH EFFECTS. Coca-Cola Coca-Cola Соса-Соӏа was born during a health craze for sodas in the late 19th century. Its creator, an Atlanta pharmacist named John Pemberton, claimed it cured everything from depression and nervousness to morphine addiction. The secret ingredient was cocaine, which was later removed from the formula. CRACKED.COM — Everyday Objects That Started Out As Something Else Entirely

3

In the 1910s, people thought kids who liked movies would be sickly adults. DRAPERITE since LACE CONTAINS TURE. IST RUGE BOB THE K CLASS adidas PESOS 10 DONE NADD FOR REEDCRAF Apparently, going to the theater often would rob them of exercise needed for healthy growth. CRACKED.COM — The 16 Dumbest Ways People Freaked Over New Tech

2

Light bulbs are unworthy! CRACKED.COM After Thomas Edison introduced the light bulb, the British government called it good enough for our transatlantic friends... but unworthy of the attention of practical or scientific men. — New Scientist

1

Electricity

Prokop Diviš and Benjamin Franklin both discovered the identity of electricity AND invented the lightning rod only five years apart. Franklin came up with the rod in 1749 whereas Diviš came up with his in 1754. CRACKED.COM — 12 Uncanny Instances Of Simultaneous Invention

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