Maybe One Day..

-Pill that temporarily turns your skin a different color

Nowadays, it seems like everything can be cured with a couple pills. It has reshaped the medicine industry. But rarely do you see any “legal” pills that can be used just for entertainment. What if there was a pill that could temporarily turn your skin a different color? Halloween would be a breeze and you could play tricks on your friends. It would be completely harmless and available at any kind of store. Never would football fanatics have to paint their body the color of their favorite team. They could just take a pill and be good to go for five hours.

-Automatic orange peeler

Maybe I’m the only one, but the amount of time it takes to peel an orange is obnoxious. You can never get it perfectly either. When you take all that time to peel the orange, and it ends up tasting awful, there are few moments in life that are less disappointing than this. What if there was a machine that adjusted to the size of your orange and peeled it in one simple motion. If this invention was created, I guarantee orange sales would go up at least 10%. Part of the reason why people love clementines is that they take 10 seconds to peel. If this became a common kitchen appliance I would be ecstatic.

-Taste bud confuser

What if you could be able to make your vegetables taste like candy and make candy taste like vegetables? No longer would you have to force peas and carrots down your kid’s throat. He/she would eat them with pleasure. You would be able to reap all the health benefits and wouldn’t feel guilty about eating broccoli that taste like chocolate ice cream. It would be a difficult technology to invent, but the idea of it is exciting. America would not have to worry about being an obese nation if you had a chemical or underwent surgery to “rewire” your taste buds. Getting the proper vitamins and minerals would never be easier. The only thing this technology would change would be the taste. All other properties of the food would remain the same. So Oreos would still make you fat if you ate a ton of them, they would just taste bad so you wouldn’t crave them. To have complete control over what tastes good and what doesn’t would be the ultimate innovation.

-Scent capturer

This technology would be challenging to wrap your head around. We can record sound; we can take pictures, but what if we could record smells? The smell of pecan pie at thanksgiving, the aroma of hot dogs at the Ball Park, and lilies in the garden could all be captured and played back whenever you want that specific scent. You could adjust the intensity of the smell and let it “play” for however long you wanted. It is hard to imagine this kind of invention being created in the near future but I’m sure I’m not the only guy who’s thought of it.

-Belt buckle phone charger

Whether you’re in class, on an airplane, or on the subway we’ve all faced the issue of a dead phone. If this invention was pursued no longer would we have to fear the dreaded 5% battery countdown. The belt would have to carry an electrical charge somehow or it could be battery operated. Either way, there has got to be a better way to charge your phone without finding an outlet somewhere. And this is a convenient option.

-Bed getter upper

This invention would leave lazy people everywhere rejoicing. Getting out of bed can be a real challenge. You tell yourself you’re just going to shut your eyes for five more minutes and that becomes 10 and that becomes 15. We’ve all done it. What if there was a device that actually pulled you out of bed? Once you’re out on your feet, half the battle is won and your mornings just got a lot easier.

-Happy tone for crying babies

This invention would be a savior for restless families everywhere. What if there was a certain tone that instantly made babies stop crying. I know it sounds like an impossible fantasy but we have already discovered the potential of what a certain pitch can do. The right frequency can make you drool, can keep away mosquitoes, and can make dogs sit. Why not take this technology a step further? This would take much of the stress out of parenting. It would almost be like a cheat code.

New Invention Brainstorm

-DREAM RECORDER

We’ve all experienced a countless number of dreams that were incredibly vivid and entertaining. We want to tell our friends later what our dream was about but we vaguely remember what happened. What if there was some kind of machine that recorded your dreams and allowed you to play them back whenever you wanted? All those times where you were married to your celebrity crush or lived in a world where everything was made of candy could be played back time and time again. Never would you have to struggle to explain to your friends how you went to a pool party at the white house or rode down a volcano with a surf board. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had an amazing dream and when I began telling it to a friend, I would realize wow this was a lot cooler in my head. It is a mystery what happens in our minds when we are asleep. Who knows why we dream the things we do. I believe if this technology was created, it would change the entertainment industry forever. Imagine a YouTube like site made just for people’s uploaded dreams. You could search for nightmares, celebrity’s dreams, certain themes; the possibilities go on and on. It would also benefit the psychological field. Researchers believe if they could understand brain activity, they could discover the make up of our dreams and what they mean on a scientific level. With all the advances we’ve made in the studies involved with the brain, dreams continue to remain somewhat of a mystery. If this device was created in our life time I would be ecstatic. Some scientists say it would be impossible to record the actual imagery that you see in your mind and others say one day we will be able to. In a study by Dr. Moran Cerf, he admits that there is a very long way to go before this simple observation can be translated into a device to record dreams – a “dream catcher.” But he thinks it is a major possibility. However, there are opposing sides that say although this potential of visualizing a dream might be of academic interest, it would not really help in the interpretation of dreams or be of use in therapy. Dr. Roderick Oner is one of the leading clinical psychologists in relation to dreams. “For that you need the entire complex dream narrative, and we are very far away from honing in on this piece.” Dr Cerf believes this technology, once discovered has the potential to interpret the imagination. “For example, instead of just having to write an email, you could just think it. Or another futuristic application would be to think a flow of information and have it written in front of your eyes” (www.bbc.co.uk). I think it would be a dream come true and look forward to the day a breakthrough comes along.

Check out this video to see what steps researchers in Japan are taking.

-HOT BEVERAGE SLEEVE

We’ve all seen the Coors Light commercials where your drink turns blue when it’s “as cold as the Rockies.” What if they developed technology that was the opposite of this? We’ve all nervously sipped our tea or coffee only to scorch our tongue in dismay. There are few less degrading feelings than this one. Especially, when you consume coffee in the morning, you know it’s going to be a bad day if you ruin your tongue before the day even starts. However, I’ve thought of an innovation that would put an end to this problem. If there was a temperature activated coffee sleeve, you could finally approach your hot beverage with full confidence. If Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks developed this product, I know it would be a success. The sleeve on the cup would have five different levels that would be color activated. The top would be severely hot, wouldn’t recommend drinking it. The next bar would be still pretty hot but not lava. The middle bar would be the middle temperature. Not too hot, not too cold. The bar below, that would be still be a little warm but not ideal. And the last one would be room temperature and below. Big name coffee shops are always looking for that next idea to give them an edge over their competitor; this could be it. Looking at how the Coors Light can works, maybe scientists in the near future can reverse the properties to make it adjust to heat. The ability of something to change color with temperature is known as thermochromism, and the Coors Light bottles are printed with a thermochromic ink called a leuco dye.  A leuco dye is a coloring agent which can acquire two different forms: a colorless form and a colored form.  At warm temperatures, the thermochromic ink is colorless, and at cold temperatures, the thermochromic ink is blue.  Put your beer in the fridge, when the ink cools below the color changing temperature, “the Rockies turn blue,” and your beer is ready to drink (www.chemistry-blog.com).

-MOSQUITO REPELLANT PILLS

Mosquitoes are the most irritating creatures ever put on this planet. Living in the woods in Maine, summer nights can become unbearable because of these little bugs. In my opinion, the greatest form of torture would be to sit there and have a mosquito buzz in your ear for ten minutes. I would not wish this upon my worst enemy. Yes you can spray bug juice but then you make your clothes smell awful and half the time it feels like it doesn’t even work. You have to reapply and bundle up in clothes and swat bugs away left and right. It is an agonizing process that no one wants to go through. What if there was a simple pill you could take that would repel mosquitoes for up to 7 hours? This kind of dream seems like it could only exist in heaven but bug repellent technology has been on the rise. In Brazil, there is now a radio station on the FM dial that repels mosquitoes by broadcasting a high-frequency 15kHz tone under its music. This innovation went on to win the Grand Prix in the radio category at the Cannes Lions in June – one of the most prestigious awards in advertising. The tone is inaudible to most adults so it does not distract from the music (www.bbc.co.uk). Although it is debatable whether this radio frequency actually works, the prospect of it is intriguing. The pill would spread throughout your whole body and be twice as effective as bug spray, without the stench and hassle. This idea could not be too far off from being invented. Imagine coming home from a camping trip without a single red lump on your body. This would be the ultimate fantasy. I’m not exactly sure how this technology would work but the prospect of it causes quite a bit of “buzz.”

History Channel’s 101 Inventions That Changed the World Review

In this documentary on inventions, a panel of Popular Mechanic’s editors and other professionals make a list of the 101 greatest inventions of all time. With such a wide range of life altering inventions out there, I knew it would be challenging to compile such a compact list. Overall, I’d say they did a decent job doing justice to all the monumental innovations, and I couldn’t see any glaring mistakes. There was no invention where I got furiously mad that it made the list, and I couldn’t think of many others that I would’ve included. They were obviously experts and compiled a solid list with solid reasoning for every pick. The hardest part I would think was ranking them in order. Who’s to say concrete changed the world more than an airplane? That’s the only gray area on the list. It all depends on the perspective you look at it from. For my review I decided to narrow the list down to my top 25 inventions on the list and talk about why I felt they deserve to be in an elite category.

25. Prosthetic Limbs – Having an uncle who has a prosthetic limb, I chose this one just because I’ve seen how incredible it is first hand. Never have disabled people ever had a better chance to be treated with equality. Looking at the last summer Olympics, there was an incredible story of a runner who made the cut with two prosthetic legs. These innovations have given joy to countless people.

24. The Credit Card – It seems near impossible to imagine shopping without a credit card. It is such a convenient item that we take for granted. It is a lot more safe and easy to carry around a piece of plastic than bundles of cash. It’s something we use pretty much every day and don’t think twice about it.

23. Robots – The fact that we have machines that can do nearly anything we program it to do is mind blowing. Especially in businesses that require an assembly line operation like an automobile company. They can perform tasks over and over again and you don’t have to pay them $7.50 an hour. They’re efficient, won’t get tired and work whenever you tell them to: The ideal employee.

22. Lighthouse – This invention made nautical travel much easier and safer for boat captains. On foggy dark nights, when you can’t see five feet in front of you, the rotating beam must have been a welcoming sight. It let you know how close to land you were and what direction to head in. The power of the lights can be seen from miles away.

21. Microwave – When it first came out, it was a $4,000 investment and owned by very few people. Now it is a staple of nearly every household kitchen. Its leftover’s best friend and without it, we wouldn't have microwave popcorn.

20. Radar – This technology has helped us win wars, its helped us safely reach our destination when on a flight, and its helped cops catch countless teenage drivers for speeding.

19. Hammer – The hammer has been used in every single construction project. Where ever there is a nail and wood there is a hammer. It is a simple invention that has been around for thousands of years and isn’t dying out anytime soon.

18. Digital Camera – Kodak was the first company that really embraced this invention. Today, there are cameras that cost $10,000 and others $20. People love to share their photos online and in photo albums. With the digital camera, this process became easier than ever before.

17. X-Ray – This invention changed the way doctors could help a patient. Now they can see your bone injuries directly and can properly diagnose you accurately. It’s difficult to imagine how doctors managed to help treat patients with broken bones before X-Ray was invented, luckily, we don’t have to.

16. Plastic – Plastic is the most widely used material in the world. Wherever you are sitting right now, you can probably look around and spot at least three things made out of plastic. This is one material that we could not live without.

15. Cell Phone – One could argue this is the most developed invention of the 21^st century. The fact that it is a phone is an afterthought. It is a computer we carry in our pockets. If there was one thing many young people say they couldn’t live without, this would be at the top of the list.

14. Eye Glasses – Before eye glasses, people with bad vision were just out of luck and had to go through life constantly struggling. When old people’s eye sight began to fade, people just considered that part of life. With the invention of glasses people could see just like everybody else. It led to the invention of contacts which has also reshaped the optometry field.

13. Airplane – The airplane is the most effective form of global travel and always will be. Before, if you wanted to make it across the world, you would have to take a ship, and that would take weeks. Now you can hop on a flight and be wherever you want to go in a matter of hours. Looking at the invention of the airplane, it is shocking at how fast this hunk of metal travels. You just have to look in the cockpit to know how high tech this machine is.

12. Refrigeration – Although it’s not usually thought of as an invention, refrigeration was not always around, and its development allowed food to be stored and preserved for much longer periods of time. It allowed companies to ship foods wherever they wanted, without them having to worry about it spoiling.

11. Microscope – The microscope led to the exploration of cells and is the root of all scientific research at a subatomic level. We owe nearly all our discoveries in chemistry and biology to this significant invention.

10. Concrete – This material is used in countless ways. It is literally the base of nearly all building construction. The fact that it is made from just two simple compounds makes it all the more impressive.

9. Vaccine/Penicillin – This is undoubtedly the most vital breakthrough in the medical field. If you look at all the atrocities diseases caused prior to its discovery, these statistics are horrific. From the plague to war injuries to the common cold, vaccines and penicillin helped to eliminate preventable deaths. They have saved millions and millions of lives.

8. Automobile – Cars were the first form of personal mechanical transportation. The industrial revolution allowed this invention to take off and it hasn’t looked back since. As of 2010, 95% of American households own a car (zipcar.com). This is one invention that is constantly being improved. It’s like comparing apples to oranges when looking at a 2013 Lexus and a 1925 Model T Ford.

7. Internet – Our generation is so spoiled with the amount of information we have access to with just a click away. It has changed every aspect of modern life. People shop online, they do research online, and they find entertainment online. It seems like anything you could possibly need is online now.

6. Paper – Paper is one of the oldest inventions in history. It is perhaps the most widely used material in history. A world without paper could not exist. It is such an integral part of our lives, and we take for granted how essential it is.

5. Fire – We can thank the caveman for this fantastic invention. Fire allowed us to see in the dark, cook our food, and huddle around for warmth. Fire lit the way for the future.

4. Computer – The computer is the most significant invention of the 21^st century.  It has become our personal database that can do and hold anything we want it to. Computers have changed the way we think and changed the way we innovate.

3. Steam Engine – Trains and machinery relied on this innovational piece of technology. The steam engine was to the 1800s as the computer was to the 2000s. It was the first of many revolutions in the transportation industry.

2. Light bulb – Thomas Edison tried over and over again to get this piece of technology to work. After years of work, he finally created the first form of electrically produced light. We would live in a world of darkness if it wasn’t for this inventor. Las Vegas would look pretty boring if it weren’t for this discovery either.

1. Wheel – The wheel gets my top spot as the greatest invention of all time. It is a simple concept, but cannot be overlooked at how genius it is. It is by far the greatest use of a circle ever invented.