1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Part Time Genius, the production of iHeartRadio. Guess 2 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: what Will? 3 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 2: What's that Mango? 4 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: So you know my family loves going for hikes, right, 5 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 1: I mean the rest of my family. 6 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 2: Right. I was going to say, I didn't want to 7 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 2: call you out. 8 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm more of an indoor cat and my house 9 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: is full of outdoor cats. But we haven't exactly been 10 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: able to get out for hikes this month. 11 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 2: Yeah. I always thinking about you guys, just this morning 12 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 2: on this Like, I imagine it is pretty tough traveling 13 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 2: out from Brooklyn right now, isn't it. 14 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: Yeah? And Lizzie and I are pretending to be teachers 15 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: all day and I can't tell you how terrible our 16 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: homeschool is, but I actually do miss getting out into nature. 17 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: So this week I spent some time hunting for a solution, 18 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: and the best thing I could find was this greenhouse helmet. 19 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 2: A greenhouse helmet, So, is that like a VR thing 20 00:00:57,440 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 2: or what? 21 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: No, it is much worse. So the greenhouse helmet is 22 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: this fully enclosed anti fog dome that you fasten around 23 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 1: your head. And inside this plexiglass helmet there are multiple 24 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: shelves where you can place your favorite small plants. Full disclosure, 25 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 1: I don't think anyone has actually made one of these things. 26 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: This all just comes from a patent from nineteen eighty six. 27 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: But in the diagram, and I'm going to post this 28 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 1: to Instagram because it's so good, it shows a person 29 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:27,960 Speaker 1: with a goldfish bowl over his head and it's got 30 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: a tiny potted cacti on one of the shelves, which 31 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: is a pretty bold choice considering how close. 32 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 2: It would be to your face. So why would you 33 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:39,320 Speaker 2: do this, I guess, is the question I want to know. Yeah, 34 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 2: I guess. 35 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: According to the creators, not only would the wearable greenhouse 36 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 1: do you wonders to improve your mood, it also supplies 37 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: you with this private reserve of fresh oxygen. So the 38 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: idea is, as you exhale, the plants are supposed to 39 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: soak up your carbon dioxide and provide you with pure 40 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: oxygen and just in case the helmet starts to make 41 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: you feel a little shut off from the world. It 42 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: also comes with a two way intercom system, which. 43 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 2: I guess if you think about it, like that's perfect 44 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 2: for calling nine one one after you poke your eye 45 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 2: out with a cactus. So I don't understand, like, why 46 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:12,519 Speaker 2: this has never made it to market. It just seems 47 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 2: so smart. 48 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,959 Speaker 1: Yeah, So for all you listeners out there, I don't 49 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: know that the patent is still good, so there's still 50 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 1: time to run with it on Etsy or whatever. But 51 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: the greenhouse helmet isn't the only strange patent we found 52 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: this week. We actually scoured the internet to find some 53 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: of the weirdest patents and we found a couple of 54 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: great things and a whole lot of things you won't 55 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: be seeing on shark tanks. 56 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:55,679 Speaker 2: So let's dive in. Hey, their podcast listeners, Welcome to 57 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 2: Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as always I'm 58 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 2: joined by my good friend mangesh hot Ticketter. Now on 59 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 2: the other side of that soundproof glass brainstorming ideas on 60 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 2: his trusty whiteboard, that's our friend and producer loll Now. 61 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 2: So far, he's just got this one concept something. It's 62 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 2: kind of hard to read because of course we're all 63 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 2: remote today, but it says edible timber and then a question, 64 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 2: So I guess it's supposed to be edible timber. So 65 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 2: I think it's still still a work in progress. I 66 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 2: got here. 67 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: I do love that idea, like a table you can 68 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:29,519 Speaker 1: eat in an emergency sounds like a pretty great option. 69 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: So great work, Litt. 70 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, you better get back to that patent filing pretty 71 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 2: quickly on this. But in the meantime, we're also happy 72 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 2: to welcome back our researcher pal, Gabe Luesier. How you doing, Gabe? Hey? 73 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 2: Doing all right? 74 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 3: It's nice to see some faces again that are stuck 75 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 3: in the apartment with me. 76 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: Yeah. 77 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 2: I think we can all agree we have been inside 78 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 2: for too long. You know. We've spent our free time 79 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 2: this week looking up patents and we've enjoyed it. Actually, 80 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 2: But Gabe, you're up next. So what's the first one 81 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 2: you want to tell us about? 82 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 3: All right, So here's one from nineteen seventy seven that 83 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 3: I wish had made it to market. It's a gumball 84 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 3: dispensing T shirt. 85 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 2: That actually sounds awesome. 86 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it kind of is like the shirt 87 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 3: has a picture of an old timey gumball machine on it, 88 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 3: and the dome part where the gumballs are stored it's 89 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 3: actually clear and made from plastic. And so then there's 90 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 3: this like a fabric pouch sewed behind it and you 91 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 3: can actually, you like, keep real gumballs inside of it. 92 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: These are real gumballs that you can dispense. 93 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's the idea at least, Like when you push 94 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 3: on one of the gumballs, it's supposed to slide down 95 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 3: this kind of like built in shoot in the T 96 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 3: shirt and it comes out through a slit near the 97 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 3: bottom of the shirt. And like, here's the best part. 98 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 3: There is even this variation on the patent that included 99 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 3: a second pouch where someone could like insert coins. So 100 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 3: you know, the idea is you could just walk up 101 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 3: to someone on the street and buy a gumball directly 102 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:00,799 Speaker 3: from their T shirt. 103 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 2: Of any invention, I feel like we could have come 104 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 2: up with. This seems like the total opposite of social distancing, 105 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:11,479 Speaker 2: like walking up with money, putting it in somebody's shirt, 106 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 2: then taking candy out of their shirt, and then putting 107 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 2: it in your mouth. I don't know if now's the 108 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 2: right time for this one game. 109 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, I see what you're saying. It's yeah, for later though, 110 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 3: we'll put a pin in it, right, like when we 111 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 3: emerge from the other side of this, Like we'll make 112 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:27,160 Speaker 3: it a priority to revive the shirt. 113 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 2: Right with that, that's our pact, Like that, that's a 114 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 2: great idea. All right. Well, my first invention is actually 115 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,040 Speaker 2: a pretty good idea and probably one of the least 116 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 2: absurd ones that we will talk about today. It's something 117 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,920 Speaker 2: called the school bus locator system. Now, this was patented 118 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:43,559 Speaker 2: back in nineteen ninety two, so you have to place 119 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 2: yourself back in the nineties before GPS tracking or cell 120 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 2: phones became commonplace. But the way it worked was that 121 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 2: your school bus would be outfitted with a radio transmitter 122 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 2: and every kid on the route would be provided with 123 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:58,799 Speaker 2: a receiver. So when the bus was a few miles 124 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 2: away from your house, the receiver would light up as 125 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 2: an early warning, and then when the bus was much closer, 126 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:06,919 Speaker 2: like you know, a quarter of a mile away or something, 127 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 2: the receiver would sound un alarm. And it seems like 128 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 2: a handy way to avoid missing the bus, and also 129 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,600 Speaker 2: ideal for students who live in pretty cold places. You 130 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 2: don't have to wait out in the snow for too long, 131 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,720 Speaker 2: just wondering if the bus is coming around the corner soon. 132 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:23,280 Speaker 2: But though, I guess if I think about it a 133 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:26,039 Speaker 2: little bit more, I'm certain there are some kids that 134 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 2: would have, you know, maybe hidden the batteries or something 135 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 2: and just uses as an excuse to miss school. 136 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, so, I actually remember when I was in elementary school, 137 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: there was this like persistent rumor that if the bus 138 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:39,599 Speaker 1: was half an hour later, something you didn't have to 139 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 1: go to school? Was Was this the thing that was 140 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: said in your towns too? 141 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 2: Sadly? No, I don't thin, Gabe, have you heard this before? 142 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:46,479 Speaker 3: Definitely not. 143 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 2: No, that sounds that's sure. 144 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,160 Speaker 1: It must have been a very delaware rumor. But I 145 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: just remember one time the bus was actually like thirty 146 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 1: minutes late, and so like all the kids at my 147 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: bus stop just got so giddy, and we were excited, 148 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: and we're looking at the watch. We were planning what 149 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 1: to do with our day because we were certain we 150 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: were going to get the day off school, and then 151 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: like the last minute, this parent pulled up and crandoes 152 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: into their mini van and then just drove us to school. 153 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:15,119 Speaker 1: And so anti climbac, Yeah that's a bummer. But Gabe, 154 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 1: why don't you kick off this next round? 155 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 2: Okay? 156 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 3: Well, this next one is for all you Rodent fans, 157 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 3: and I know you're out there, So how often have 158 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 3: you declined a dinner invitation because you just couldn't stand 159 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 3: the thought of leaving your gerbils? 160 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 2: At home, right, Yeah, I've had a dime for every 161 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 2: time that happened. 162 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's this is a very relatable problem, believe me, guys, 163 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 3: and well, the gerbil vest is the answer to that problem. 164 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 3: In nineteen ninety nine, some animal loving genius patented a 165 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 3: very stylish vest with some built in tubes for your 166 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 3: pet to run through while you're wearing it out and about, 167 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 3: and of course there are also little chambers for your 168 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 3: furry friend to feed and relax into. And good news 169 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 3: for us, the tubes are transparent so that you and 170 00:07:58,080 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 3: your friends can keep an eye on the little guy 171 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 3: in there. And don't worry, animal lovers, the tubes are 172 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 3: also equipped with air vents so the gerbils could breathe. 173 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 3: We'll say that the patent it did warn against falling 174 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 3: while wearing the vest for very obvious reasons. 175 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 2: They got to watch out that, But otherwise I'm glad 176 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 2: they put the air vents in there so we're not 177 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 2: just looking at dead gerbils into I also like that 178 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 2: you with with your patent ideas, you're sort of like 179 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 2: a walking circus, Like people can come up and watch 180 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 2: the gerbils and then that's not all, Like you pull 181 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 2: back the vest and now you've got gumballs there for everybody. 182 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: I know it's all vest based. I feel like, so. 183 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, otherwise smarter. But actually I just pulled up 184 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 2: this pick and it is pretty great, Like the easiest 185 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 2: way to take your pet gerbils out for a walk. 186 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 2: So this is this is this is pretty smart. But 187 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 2: let's take a quick break and we'll be back with 188 00:08:50,480 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 2: more great patents in just the second. Welcome back to 189 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 2: Part Time Genius, where we're talking about some of the 190 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 2: most wonderfully absurd inventions to ever make it out of 191 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 2: the patent office. Now we've got five questionable inventions left 192 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 2: to talk about, and the next one is for the 193 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 2: true crime crowd. Now this is a podcast, so I 194 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 2: know you're already listening out there, true crime lovers. Now, 195 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 2: one thing that's plagued criminal investigators for centuries is just 196 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:31,559 Speaker 2: how easy it is for a suspect to retract their confession. 197 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,320 Speaker 2: But what if there was a simple, nonviolent way to 198 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 2: keep a suspect from taking their confessions back. Well that's 199 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 2: where this nineteen twenty seven patent comes in, going all 200 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:45,680 Speaker 2: the way back almost the century ago. It's officially called 201 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:50,839 Speaker 2: the quote apparatus for obtaining criminal confessions and photographically recording them. 202 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 2: That's the name of this This invention is actually way 203 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,319 Speaker 2: weirder than the name. Let's on. It was basically this 204 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:02,239 Speaker 2: giant skeleton with red glowing eyes and a camera embedded 205 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 2: in its skull. I am not making this up, and 206 00:10:04,679 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 2: it was explicitly designed to terrify a suspect into confessing 207 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 2: on tape. So the way that it worked was that 208 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 2: a suspect would be confined to a small dark room 209 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,199 Speaker 2: about the size of a coke closet or like a 210 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 2: church confessional or something like that, and a human interrogator 211 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 2: would sit out of sight in a second attached chamber. 212 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: This sounds so stupid, it's like a retired Disneyland ride 213 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 1: or like straight out of Scooby Doo or something. 214 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, but actually it gets even worse. So when the 215 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 2: examiner presses a button, a curtain lifts and the suspect 216 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 2: comes face to face with this skeleton with red light 217 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 2: bulbs and its eye sockets, and it's actually there's also 218 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 2: supposed to be like this fog and like other lights 219 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 2: to amplify the effect. And then the interrogator questions the 220 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 2: suspect from a megaphone behind the skull in a super 221 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 2: scary voice. 222 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: Like. 223 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:01,559 Speaker 2: It's very elaborate, and according to the these quote, illusory 224 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 2: effects of a supernatural character will work upon the suspect's imagination, 225 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,599 Speaker 2: and so the suspect is supposed to get so terrified 226 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 2: that they confess their darkest secrets, which is then of 227 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 2: course recorded. And as far as I can tell, no 228 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 2: one ever actually built one of these skeleton confessors, but 229 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 2: even if they had, the invention likely would have been 230 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:26,839 Speaker 2: outlawed in nineteen sixty one anyway, when that was when 231 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 2: the Supreme Court ruled that coerced confessions aren't admissible in court. 232 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 2: But still, I feel like they deserve a few points 233 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 2: for creativity, don't you guys? 234 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 3: Thinktally? 235 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:38,200 Speaker 1: I mean, it honestly feels like a seven year old 236 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: came up with that totally, and like it would work 237 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: exclusively on other seven year olds. 238 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think you're right. 239 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: I do you feel like the next time Ruby breaks among, 240 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 1: that's like the way I've got it, like co front 241 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 1: those d Speaking of nonsensically dramatic things, there's an invention 242 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,559 Speaker 1: designed to make jazz concerts more interesting that we found 243 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:01,319 Speaker 1: this week, and it's the flaming trumpet. 244 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 2: Now, knowing that you're a fan of jazz, my guess 245 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:08,559 Speaker 2: is that you would find this invention kind of offensive. Huh. 246 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I do have a ton of like 247 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: Miles Davis recordings, and I like jazz. But I could 248 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 1: see how this would make attending a middle school concert 249 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: much more interesting. Okay, all right, So the idea is 250 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: basically to modify a trumpet with a gas cartridge and 251 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: then to have an ignitor mounted to the end of it. 252 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: And if turning a wind instrument into a flamethrower sounds 253 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 1: like a dangerous idea to you, you are probably right. 254 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: The patent claims that the musician would have complete control 255 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 1: over the intensity and duration of the flame. But honestly, 256 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 1: at first it sounds like a weapon of like a 257 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 1: comic book character. 258 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 2: But I don't know. 259 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 1: I could see how this thing might take off at 260 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: burning men or something. 261 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, hopefully I could see that. 262 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:46,719 Speaker 2: Well. 263 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 3: For my next back, I want to talk about an 264 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 3: invention from the eighteen hundreds called the wearable lifeboat. 265 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 2: I love that you're sticking with this wearable thing. 266 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:59,560 Speaker 3: The wearable lifeboat was basically a giant rubber bucket that 267 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,200 Speaker 3: you would wear around your waist like a diaper, with 268 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 3: your legs sticking out the bottom. It had a couple 269 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 3: inflatable air chambers to help it stay afloat, and you 270 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:11,080 Speaker 3: were supposed to steer this contraption with a paddle. The 271 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:15,479 Speaker 3: designer intended to quote for the conveyance of troops, baggage, 272 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:19,319 Speaker 3: and other articles across rivers, but also as a way 273 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 3: to prevent drowning. 274 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:22,440 Speaker 2: So this is really interesting. But that but I have 275 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,680 Speaker 2: a question, and this may be super complicated here, but Gabe, 276 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 2: why would you not just use a life jacket? 277 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:31,840 Speaker 3: Ah, very good question. But here's the thing. At the time, 278 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 3: modern life jackets hadn't been invented yet there. 279 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 2: Were no legs. Ah, got it. 280 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 3: So that's why ridiculous inventions like this didn't seem as 281 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 3: far fetched as they do now. And really as silly 282 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 3: as swimmers and sailors would have looked in this thing, 283 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:49,440 Speaker 3: wobbling along in this like big rubber bucket, it still 284 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 3: might have been better than the alternative. For instance, during 285 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:56,199 Speaker 3: World War One, some soldiers had to wear old mattresses 286 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 3: as a kind of makeshift life preserver. And that's because, 287 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:02,680 Speaker 3: you know, that's all they had on hand. Thankfully, the 288 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 3: inflatable life preserver was invented in nineteen twenty eight. A 289 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 3: few years later, and of course that spared soldiers and 290 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:12,840 Speaker 3: civilians alike from the indignity of inventions like the wearable lifeboat. 291 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: So first we Feast has a list of great patented 292 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 1: food inventions, and it's got everything from prune beer, which 293 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: sounds like the perfect drink for when you want to 294 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: go to a party but also when you want to 295 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 1: get your bowels moving, to of course, a rifle that 296 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 1: has a shot glass attached, which just sounds like a 297 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: terrible Dick Cheney like situation about to happen. But my 298 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: favorite on their list is the combination hot dog hamburger bun, 299 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 1: and it's based on a two thousand and nine patent, 300 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: but as the site writes, quote, it's part hot dog bun, 301 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 1: part hamburger bun, fully functional meat cover, which basically means 302 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 1: it's a lot of bread and allows you to hold 303 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: a lot of different meats at the same time. And 304 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: it is pretty great. 305 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 2: It sounds pretty great, especially for somebody like you who's 306 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 2: been a vegetarian most of their life. But yeah, yeah, 307 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 2: that's pretty great mango. All right, Well, I'm actually going 308 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 2: to stick to food with my last fact as well. 309 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 2: And fair warning, this is the invention for the laziest 310 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 2: of lazy people. It's the motorized ice cream cone. In 311 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:19,320 Speaker 2: this invention, it was patented in the late nineteen nineties. 312 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 2: It revolutionizes the laborious task of licking an ice cream cone. 313 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 2: So here is how it works. It consists of a 314 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 2: plastic device made to look like a traditional ice cream cone, 315 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 2: and inside there's this small motor. So you're supposed to 316 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 2: put a cup or cone of ice cream into the 317 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 2: fake cone and then the motor would just make it spin. 318 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 2: And as the patent explains, this allows the device to 319 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 2: rotationally feed its contents against a person's outstretched tongue. That's 320 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 2: what it says. And if you're wondering why on earth 321 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 2: anyone would ever need such a device, allow the creator 322 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 2: to educate you. So, according to the patent quote, the 323 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 2: repetitive task of moving one's tongue up and down can 324 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:07,400 Speaker 2: become monotonous and tiring, especially for a child. Guys, we're 325 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 2: talking about eating ice cream. It's just so weird. But 326 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:14,320 Speaker 2: I'm guessing investors somehow didn't agree with this, which is 327 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 2: why we're stuck eating ice cream the old fashioned way, 328 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 2: you know, using our tongues like a bunch of rubes. 329 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 2: It's just so sad. 330 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 3: That's a shame. Well, I mean, I think Will wins 331 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 3: just with the ice cream fact like that description alone. 332 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 3: Plus you had the confession skeleton, which was very dumb. 333 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: I actually really like the gumball shirt and the hamster shirt. 334 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 1: But I'm happy to throw Will a bone this week. 335 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 2: I really want to see somebody out there putting on 336 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 2: all of these inventions at the same time. It just 337 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 2: seems like a great way to go out in public. 338 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 2: But if you want to share your most ridiculous invention 339 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 2: with us, Gabe Mango and I have a very special 340 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 2: announcement that's right. 341 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: Well, so this is the very first time we're doing this, 342 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: but the person who submits the best invention idea or 343 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 1: drawing this week to Instagram and tags it hashtag part 344 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 1: time Genius will win six whole dollars from us. What 345 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 1: that is all the money we want to put towards this, 346 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,520 Speaker 1: but it's also such a prestigious award that we just 347 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: made up. So sending your invention ideas and you can 348 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: be the very first Part Time Genius Grant winner in history. 349 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:20,679 Speaker 2: I mean, Gabe, you heard that right. Six dollars to 350 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 2: whoever sends and discussed that we choose. 351 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:25,160 Speaker 3: Is that two bucks each? 352 00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 2: Look, there is a world where if let's say two 353 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 2: people submit ideas, they go crazy. Now, no, no, no, we're 354 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:34,760 Speaker 2: not going to give them both six dollars. We'll send 355 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:35,920 Speaker 2: them each three dollars. 356 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 3: So it seems fair. 357 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:40,359 Speaker 2: But either way it's gonna be great. So all right, Well, 358 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 2: that's it for today's Part Time Genius from Mango, Gabe 359 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:46,119 Speaker 2: Loll and myself. Thanks so much for listening. Please stay 360 00:17:46,119 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 2: safe and we'll be back soon with another new episode. 361 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 2: Part Time Genius is a production of iHeartRadio. For more 362 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:09,920 Speaker 2: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 363 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 2: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.