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malaise

(289,470 posts)
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 10:14 AM Sep 18

What in your mind is the worst invention ever

For me it’s the effin noisy yard blower - why the eff is it so loud?

135 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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What in your mind is the worst invention ever (Original Post) malaise Sep 18 OP
Donald Trump DaBronx Sep 18 #1
Good call on malaise Sep 18 #5
At no time have I ever compared and contrasted leaf blowers with nuclear weapons. Harker Sep 18 #46
Plastic. That crap is in everything now. GreenWave Sep 18 #2
True malaise Sep 18 #6
Social media Endlessmike56 Sep 18 #3
Is it social, malaise Sep 18 #8
These phones we're all on.. thomski64 Sep 18 #4
Yep can be but they are quite useful malaise Sep 18 #13
My mother had a device sort of like tweezers. no_hypocrisy Sep 18 #7
Holy Shit malaise Sep 18 #10
You posted much of my thoughts before I could respond. UniqueUserName Sep 18 #17
mundanely annoying malaise Sep 18 #20
raking leaves onethatcares Sep 19 #107
Seriously? 3catwoman3 Sep 18 #22
Unfortunately, I saw it. no_hypocrisy Sep 18 #24
If I remember correctly radical noodle Sep 18 #55
Yup! no_hypocrisy Sep 18 #56
What are the odds HappyH Sep 18 #30
Interesting question. Generally speaking, they seem all too eager... 3catwoman3 Sep 18 #40
Such devices are still sold. I just Googled it. 3catwoman3 Sep 18 #41
What are the chances of getting a few pubic hairs caught in the device's grip, Sogo Sep 18 #45
Unless using Nair or waxing, that would seem ... 3catwoman3 Sep 18 #79
Pop-up ads. unblock Sep 18 #9
I'll give you a twofer courtesy of Thomas Midgley jr.: unblock Sep 18 #11
Wow malaise Sep 18 #15
Electric turkey-slicing knife Chipper Chat Sep 18 #12
ROFL malaise Sep 18 #14
But it's the best way to slice an electric turkey Orrex Sep 18 #26
🤣🤣 Chipper Chat Sep 18 #31
But they work great with homemade bread. Slice without squishing. Nt spooky3 Sep 18 #51
Angel food cake Freddie Sep 20 #128
LOL! Pretty useless, but my dad was really "into it". LeftInTX Sep 18 #75
Nope, they are great for fileting fish. Lochloosa Sep 18 #90
I use mine only on foam rubber, like mattress toppers cksmithy Sep 19 #119
The alarm clock EYESORE 9001 Sep 18 #16
Many find that very useful malaise Sep 18 #18
Useful, yes EYESORE 9001 Sep 18 #19
Hehehe malaise Sep 18 #21
The "best"/most annoying Alarm Clock I ever heard about and it had to have been sturdy.... electric_blue68 Sep 20 #124
That's easy: MONEY hunter Sep 18 #23
Interesting malaise Sep 18 #25
I'll give you ten credits for that tribble. Intractable Sep 18 #69
Yep. Money causes all sorts of trouble. hunter Sep 18 #82
Organized religion Orrex Sep 18 #27
I'd just drop malaise Sep 18 #28
I agree completely, but... Orrex Sep 18 #32
Me too malaise Sep 18 #34
the world's greatest control mechanism rurallib Sep 18 #29
You beat me to it. Rizen Sep 18 #59
Spandex. Ugh. 2MuchNoise Sep 18 #33
Hehehehehe malaise Sep 18 #65
The bullet IbogaProject Sep 18 #35
Yes the bullet malaise Sep 18 #52
Olestra and the Segway. Dave Bowman Sep 18 #36
Had to look up olestra malaise Sep 18 #57
Nuclear weapons. Aristus Sep 18 #37
True malaise Sep 18 #61
Speaker phone on mobile devices. johnp3907 Sep 18 #38
All these are good but WAY TOO LATE! It's: WAR justaprogressive Sep 18 #39
Still one of my favorites malaise Sep 18 #50
Toxic chemicals like DDT & Agent Orange red dog 1 Sep 18 #42
Funny how folks became filthy rich from so much malaise Sep 18 #47
Keurig coffee chowmama Sep 18 #43
Had to look that up malaise Sep 18 #48
A perpetual motion machine.n/t marked50 Sep 18 #44
Isn't that still a hypothetical malaise Sep 18 #49
Short answer is Yes. marked50 Sep 18 #63
Infernal combustion engine WestMichRad Sep 18 #53
True of way too many inventions malaise Sep 18 #62
The "smart phone" doc03 Sep 18 #54
I agree! red dog 1 Sep 18 #94
They were hard to text though Polybius Sep 19 #122
Have you ever heard of this guy? Klarkashton Sep 18 #58
Unblock at #11 malaise Sep 18 #60
Not entirely an invention chouchou Sep 18 #64
Bwaaaaah😀 malaise Sep 18 #67
"as our menu options have changed" circular voicemail that is designed to make you slam down the phone in frustration. NBachers Sep 18 #66
THIS malaise Sep 18 #68
I used to work for Nortel Networks, which made those Voice Processing Machines. Intractable Sep 18 #70
These days that's what companies are using AI for. hunter Sep 20 #129
Anything sold by Ronco... Earl_from_PA Sep 18 #71
Spoofed caller IDs. multigraincracker Sep 18 #72
On a sub-nuclear weapon level, I'll go with the "selfie." Harker Sep 18 #73
Photos of one's restaurant meal. greatauntoftriplets Sep 18 #81
I weighed that against the selfie, and the scale just wobbled... Harker Sep 18 #86
They're often done at the same time. greatauntoftriplets Sep 18 #87
Time Magazine's list of 50 worst inventions of all time: cloudbase Sep 18 #74
Bookmarked malaise Sep 18 #76
I see that Crocs are on this list. skypilot Sep 19 #97
I've seen plenty of people wearing Crocs, but I've never seen a single person wearing cloudbase Sep 19 #99
I live in a major city too... skypilot Sep 19 #106
Ultra sonic repellent LeftInTX Sep 18 #77
Nice grift malaise Sep 19 #110
The internal combustion engine. Rustynaerduwell Sep 18 #78
Capitalism I_UndergroundPanther Sep 18 #80
Wow! malaise Sep 18 #84
Second thing I_UndergroundPanther Sep 18 #83
Banain Wow! LeftInTX Sep 18 #85
Beaaaaaah malaise Sep 18 #88
If It's Any Comfort... ProfessorGAC Sep 18 #89
Great news re blowers malaise Sep 18 #91
My Dad Delivered Milk To The Supermarkets ProfessorGAC Sep 18 #92
Somehow we managed to ban the plastic bags in supermarkets and other stores malaise Sep 18 #93
The leaf blower is certainly up there on the list. LudwigPastorius Sep 18 #95
Yes malaise Sep 19 #112
Circus peanuts edbermac Sep 18 #96
I am learning quite a bit on this thread malaise Sep 19 #109
I wonder if they sell them in Jamaica? LeftInTX Sep 19 #117
I' e never seen them malaise Sep 19 #118
The sitcom laugh track PlanetBev Sep 19 #98
Really fake malaise Sep 19 #111
Health insurance companies. Emile Sep 19 #100
visible volume display Maninacan Sep 19 #101
I have a few... Mike Nelson Sep 19 #102
Alcohol OC375 Sep 19 #103
I saw a very recent study showing that we inherited our fondness for alcohol malaise Sep 19 #114
Jet Skis Daigan Sep 19 #104
Definitely annoying malaise Sep 19 #115
Guns, bombs and poison TommieMommy Sep 19 #105
Some poisons are organic malaise Sep 19 #113
How about MorbidButterflyTat Sep 19 #108
Had to look that up malaise Sep 19 #116
Social media Luciferous Sep 19 #120
Yes there are many negatives associated with malaise Sep 19 #121
Speed camera's Polybius Sep 19 #123
LOL malaise Sep 20 #125
Some of them are alright, but others can trick you Polybius Sep 20 #132
Sadly more than a few of these enforcement policies are there malaise Sep 20 #133
If ai kills us all, then the humble transistor Blues Heron Sep 20 #126
Good pick malaise Sep 20 #127
Cotton gin. Grins Sep 20 #130
The bra Phentex Sep 20 #131
Ethanol GreatGazoo Sunday #134
Indeed malaise Sunday #135

malaise

(289,470 posts)
5. Good call on
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 10:19 AM
Sep 18

the assault rifle- add nuclear weapons.
Guess I was thinking about simple annoyances, but there are way more deadly inventions than the blower.
That said I could see the blower making someone snap.

Harker

(16,899 posts)
46. At no time have I ever compared and contrasted leaf blowers with nuclear weapons.
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 05:22 PM
Sep 18

It's a mind bender.

no_hypocrisy

(53,172 posts)
7. My mother had a device sort of like tweezers.
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 10:22 AM
Sep 18

Sole purchase was to attach to the string of your tampon to pull it out so your fingers didn’t touch your naughty bits.

That, my friends, is wholly useless.

malaise

(289,470 posts)
10. Holy Shit
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 10:28 AM
Sep 18

😂😂 - that is effin useless.
In hindsight I should have said annoying and/or
useless because the blower is mostly annoying.
One of my close friends bought a blower.
Her 92 year old mother was so angry because she loved raking the yard as morning exercise and the noise pissed her off big time. She gave it away after three days.

UniqueUserName

(378 posts)
17. You posted much of my thoughts before I could respond.
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 10:52 AM
Sep 18

You clarified before I could give a lawyer-like response of it depends on your definition of "worst". But from your example I assumed as mundanely annoying.

There are several "worst" types:
useless --- ugh! the variations on the countertop small griddle appliance. Don't get me wrong. A countertop appliance that has applies direct heat from the bottom and the top at the same time is very useful. But the myriads of variations. . .ugh! There's the one to de-crust sandwiches, another to seal pierogi. Maybe that's a class of useless variations on useful things.

annoying --- intentionally irritating ringtones.

evil --- torture devices including iron maiden, the rack, various versions of pillory meant not only to humiliate but to make the person being punished extra uncomfortable.

wasteful --

(In the meantime: I've sat here for 10 minutes trying to clean up this post to make it less pedantically annoying. To post or not to post, that is the question.)

3catwoman3

(27,781 posts)
22. Seriously?
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 11:27 AM
Sep 18

How would you insert them? Even the ones with applicators require a certain amount of finger proximity.

The inventor of this device must not have used diaphragms or cervical caps.

radical noodle

(10,407 posts)
55. If I remember correctly
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 06:07 PM
Sep 18

I seem to remember that those were to keep one's fingers from getting all bloody.

3catwoman3

(27,781 posts)
40. Interesting question. Generally speaking, they seem all too eager...
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 01:45 PM
Sep 18

…to get in contact with our nether regions.

Sogo

(6,639 posts)
45. What are the chances of getting a few pubic hairs caught in the device's grip,
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 05:07 PM
Sep 18

and, boy, won't that be fun in the extraction!!!!

unblock

(55,653 posts)
11. I'll give you a twofer courtesy of Thomas Midgley jr.:
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 10:28 AM
Sep 18

Leaded gasoline and CFCs (Freon).

Yup, both invented by the same guy.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Midgley_Jr.

malaise

(289,470 posts)
15. Wow
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 10:34 AM
Sep 18

t is often reported that he had been accidentally killed by his own invention,

Some would call this karma

malaise

(289,470 posts)
14. ROFL
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 10:31 AM
Sep 18

My mother loved hers
No red meat here to roast and turkey is rare so I never owned one

cksmithy

(397 posts)
119. I use mine only on foam rubber, like mattress toppers
Fri Sep 19, 2025, 01:26 PM
Sep 19

for upholstery projects. It works really well, make a nice straight cut. Can even shape and mold to round edges, etc.
I did originally buy it for meat carving, but I have never used it on any type of meat.

electric_blue68

(24,014 posts)
124. The "best"/most annoying Alarm Clock I ever heard about and it had to have been sturdy....
Sat Sep 20, 2025, 03:33 AM
Sep 20

had wheels. So when the alarm went off it would roll off your night stand. You had to get up and retrieve it to shut it off.
😄😬

Guessing the theory being - that would wake you up enough!

hunter

(39,972 posts)
23. That's easy: MONEY
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 11:33 AM
Sep 18

Reducing the value of damned near everything to a single one dimensional number is utterly insane.

This one invention will ultimately be the end of us.

If we want to survive as a species we need to figure out how to implement a Star Trek sort of economy now.


hunter

(39,972 posts)
82. Yep. Money causes all sorts of trouble.
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 08:31 PM
Sep 18

You can't escape grifters anywhere in the universe.

It's best not to encourage them.

Orrex

(66,080 posts)
32. I agree completely, but...
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 11:57 AM
Sep 18

When I’ve said as much in the past, it’s gotten me lectures and a hidden post!

marked50

(1,517 posts)
63. Short answer is Yes.
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 07:16 PM
Sep 18

There have been lots of machines made that make the claim, but they all turn out to frauds. Thermodynamics rule.

WestMichRad

(2,651 posts)
53. Infernal combustion engine
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 05:59 PM
Sep 18

Has been both incredibly useful for doing work, and awesomely destructive in many ways.

red dog 1

(31,902 posts)
94. I agree!
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 10:38 PM
Sep 18

I hate "smart phones!"

I liked the cell phones we had 15 years ago. They worked fine for me.

chouchou

(2,392 posts)
64. Not entirely an invention
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 07:20 PM
Sep 18

Drink mixers ..Hamilton Beech and such..used to have 3 speeds Low, medium, High.
Now they have 14 speeds. Who the F*ck came up with that idea?
"You asshole, I told you to mix it on speed 11 but Nooooo..you screwed it all up by mixing it at speed 10!"
"My God-damn drink's ruined!"

NBachers

(18,911 posts)
66. "as our menu options have changed" circular voicemail that is designed to make you slam down the phone in frustration.
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 07:31 PM
Sep 18

Now the AI Titans have foisted off AI voicemail, which is even more stupid and useless.

Intractable

(1,306 posts)
70. I used to work for Nortel Networks, which made those Voice Processing Machines.
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 07:49 PM
Sep 18

I can tell you for a fact that some of our customers (mid to big companies) used that equipment to hide from their customers, not provide for them.

hunter

(39,972 posts)
129. These days that's what companies are using AI for.
Sat Sep 20, 2025, 10:23 AM
Sep 20

They can pretend they have customer service without actually providing it.

Earl_from_PA

(294 posts)
71. Anything sold by Ronco...
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 07:56 PM
Sep 18

Pocket fisherman.
Spray paint hair.
Mr. Microphone.
Veg-o-matic.

But wait, that's not all!...

greatauntoftriplets

(178,304 posts)
81. Photos of one's restaurant meal.
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 08:29 PM
Sep 18

I don't want to waste time posing the plate and taking photos while my dinner gets cold.

greatauntoftriplets

(178,304 posts)
87. They're often done at the same time.
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 08:53 PM
Sep 18

Which means the meal is even colder when finally eaten.

skypilot

(9,057 posts)
97. I see that Crocs are on this list.
Fri Sep 19, 2025, 12:11 AM
Sep 19

I really don't understand the hate for Crocs. I don't own a pair and never have but I have seen people wearing much uglier footwear. Like these for example:



And I have seen more people wearing these than I have seen wearing Crocs. Maybe it's just a thing where I live.

cloudbase

(6,071 posts)
99. I've seen plenty of people wearing Crocs, but I've never seen a single person wearing
Fri Sep 19, 2025, 05:46 AM
Sep 19

the abominations you posted, and I live in a major city. No accounting for taste.

skypilot

(9,057 posts)
106. I live in a major city too...
Fri Sep 19, 2025, 09:42 AM
Sep 19

...and these ugly things are all over the place. I'd take Crocs over these any day.

LeftInTX

(34,006 posts)
77. Ultra sonic repellent
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 08:13 PM
Sep 18

When we were first married, I saved up a small fortune and ordered one. Totally useless. It did not get rid of a single roach! I had my heart set on that thing. I was crushed.

Hubby was teaching science at the time and took the thing to school, so kids could test to see if it reduced pill bug populations. It became part of the science curriculum...LOL

I_UndergroundPanther

(13,269 posts)
80. Capitalism
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 08:28 PM
Sep 18

It has led to so much suffering and abuse and currently it is destroying civilization and all forms of life on this planet.

ProfessorGAC

(74,600 posts)
89. If It's Any Comfort...
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 09:24 PM
Sep 18

...the new generation of battery driven yard blowers are WAY quieter.
That little motor & tiny muffler on the gas operated ones are a recipe to loud.
Everything I have for the yard is electric now. Mower, snow blower, blower, hedge trimmer.
They all runat a third the loudness of the old gas stuff, maybe better than that.
I'd never go back to gas operated.
As to your original question, I'll toss in the plastic milk bottle. Never should have switched from paper cartons.

malaise

(289,470 posts)
91. Great news re blowers
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 09:48 PM
Sep 18

Someone should tell that one neighbor and yeah for plastic milk bottles, plastic bags, etc.

ProfessorGAC

(74,600 posts)
92. My Dad Delivered Milk To The Supermarkets
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 10:00 PM
Sep 18

When they went from glass bottles to paper cartons he thought it was heaven.
Every stack of cases weighed 35# less, and there were no empties to put back into the truck.
Paper cartons were a very fine innovation and never should have gone away.
I think they should return for milk, juices, detergent, fabric softener, even pop. Get rid of all that plastic!

malaise

(289,470 posts)
93. Somehow we managed to ban the plastic bags in supermarkets and other stores
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 10:07 PM
Sep 18

But the plastic bottles are still a serious problem

LudwigPastorius

(13,477 posts)
95. The leaf blower is certainly up there on the list.
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 11:04 PM
Sep 18

It's unconscionably loud, and the way it is mostly used, all it does is take your problem and make it someone else's problem.

However, I'm going to go with Thalidomide.

LeftInTX

(34,006 posts)
117. I wonder if they sell them in Jamaica?
Fri Sep 19, 2025, 12:22 PM
Sep 19

They are super stale hard marshmallow candies. They are also overly sweet. They've been around since the 19th Century.

Circus peanuts led to the creation of Lucky Charms in 1964 when a General Mills employee chopped pieces of the candy into a bowl of Cheerios.[4]


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus_peanut

PlanetBev

(4,383 posts)
98. The sitcom laugh track
Fri Sep 19, 2025, 03:41 AM
Sep 19

I’ve hated it since I was a kid. That why I’ve never been a sitcom watcher.

Don’t tell me what’s funny and when to laugh. 👎

Maninacan

(179 posts)
101. visible volume display
Fri Sep 19, 2025, 06:20 AM
Sep 19

Windows volume display on computer. Volume display on car radio. Some software people just make irritating crap because they are bored or hate people. IMHO. Also my GE stove has one display for 3 functions . It's horrible. Don't even get me going on what a horrible car my Buick lacrosse is.

Mike Nelson

(10,763 posts)
102. I have a few...
Fri Sep 19, 2025, 07:22 AM
Sep 19

... the Electoral College
... the "Lip Poof" (or whatever they call the fuller lips injections
... the Tesla brand
... the "self checkout" machines

OC375

(284 posts)
103. Alcohol
Fri Sep 19, 2025, 07:37 AM
Sep 19

“Alcohol*, the cause of, and solution to, all of our problems.” -Homer J. Simpson

* Humans making it. I know it occurs naturally.

malaise

(289,470 posts)
114. I saw a very recent study showing that we inherited our fondness for alcohol
Fri Sep 19, 2025, 12:11 PM
Sep 19

from our chimpanzee relatives who rather like fermented fruit.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chimpanzees-alcohol-cocktails-fruit-research/

Wild chimpanzees consume the equivalent of 2 cocktails a day in the form of boozy fruit, research finds










MorbidButterflyTat

(3,714 posts)
108. How about
Fri Sep 19, 2025, 11:19 AM
Sep 19

the speculum.

Cold creepy hard metal tire jack torture device I have no doubt was invented by men.

Polybius

(20,910 posts)
132. Some of them are alright, but others can trick you
Sat Sep 20, 2025, 10:41 AM
Sep 20

Here in Staten Island, there's one service road that leads to a highway with a speed limit of just 20 mph (highway is 50). The speed camera is right before you enter the highway. It's very easy to get a ticket there, because it's just when you're building up speed.

malaise

(289,470 posts)
133. Sadly more than a few of these enforcement policies are there
Sat Sep 20, 2025, 10:54 AM
Sep 20

to generate income by any means necessary

GreatGazoo

(4,185 posts)
134. Ethanol
Sun Sep 21, 2025, 08:18 AM
Sunday

Adding 10% ethanol to gasoline reduces MPG by 10%.

That means that all the farmland, fertilizer, all the diesel burned by those tractors, the energy for refining, transporting, mixing, and dispensing ethanol is wasted and further damages the biosphere. It has provided the illusion of reducing gasoline consumption much like all the fake recycling programs excuse single use plastics.

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