Things you never knew you needed
National Innovation Day on 16 February celebrates talented inventors. But these daft ideas were best left on the drawing board…
Chitty Chitty… bang
While the film Back to the Future promised us flying cars by 2015, the idea was first pioneered in 1973 when inventor Henry Smolinski strapped a Ford Pinto to the wings and tail of an aircraft. But during the test flight in California, the car broke free, falling to earth and killing him and his passenger. Some things are better left to science fiction.
Brolly good idea?
Don’t want your shoes to get ruined in the rain? That’s what trusty, tiny shoe umbrellas are for! Why did they never catch on? Well, these mini brollies may keep your feet dry in the rain, but you’re gonna look pretty silly while wearing them.
What a stinker
Wanna know what those celebs really smell like after a few weeks in the jungle? Fancy a whiff of what Nigella is cooking up? Back in 1960, Mike Todd Jr came up with the idea of Smell-o-Vision, an elaborate system that allowed a film reel to release odours to an audience in the cinema at pivotal moments in the movie. Far from scent-sational, the idea stunk.
A fish out of water
Does your goldfish look bored swimming with just a view of your living room? Why not take them for a stroll around the bloc
