Comments on: Inventors killed by their own inventions http://boingboing.net/2011/08/15/inventors-killed-by-their-own-inventions.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 23 May 2013 13:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: SuperTech http://boingboing.net/2011/08/15/inventors-killed-by-their-own-inventions.html#comment-1189015 SuperTech Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=113536#comment-1189015 A  brother or son did die in an explosion. A  brother or son did die in an explosion.

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2011/08/15/inventors-killed-by-their-own-inventions.html#comment-1188581 Antinous / Moderator Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=113536#comment-1188581 My favorite "made up for cheesy A&E documentary" one is that Baron von Frankenstein tried to make the elixir of youth, died after drinking it and it was named prussic acid because it happened in Prussia and the color of his skin gave its name to Prussian Blue. As far as I can see, there's not one single fact in the story. My favorite “made up for cheesy A&E documentary” one is that Baron von Frankenstein tried to make the elixir of youth, died after drinking it and it was named prussic acid because it happened in Prussia and the color of his skin gave its name to Prussian Blue. As far as I can see, there’s not one single fact in the story.

]]> By: George Mokray http://boingboing.net/2011/08/15/inventors-killed-by-their-own-inventions.html#comment-1188572 George Mokray Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=113536#comment-1188572 Midgley is indeed an example of history outdoing fiction.  He is the single most important man in the history of the biosphere, poisoning millions with tetraethyl lead that he knew was dangerous and nearly killing off the human world while trying to save a few lives from ammonia refrigerant leaks.  That he died in his own invention of straps and pulleys to get him out of bed and around his rooms is a kind of poetic justice.  He was a third generation inventor as well. Midgley is indeed an example of history outdoing fiction.  He is the single most important man in the history of the biosphere, poisoning millions with tetraethyl lead that he knew was dangerous and nearly killing off the human world while trying to save a few lives from ammonia refrigerant leaks.  That he died in his own invention of straps and pulleys to get him out of bed and around his rooms is a kind of poetic justice.  He was a third generation inventor as well.

]]> By: gadgetphile http://boingboing.net/2011/08/15/inventors-killed-by-their-own-inventions.html#comment-1188488 gadgetphile Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=113536#comment-1188488 Or, only invent a way of dieing (dying?) that you wouldn't mind experiencing yourself. The good old "eating your own dog food" thing and all. (see: Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life" where (quoted from Wikipedia) " Arthur Charles Herbert Runcie MacAdam Jarrett (Chapman), a criminal convicted of making gratuitous sexist jokes in a film, killed in a manner of his choosing: He is chased off a cliff by topless women in brightly-coloured G-strings & crash helmets") Or, only invent a way of dieing (dying?) that you wouldn’t mind experiencing yourself. The good old “eating your own dog food” thing and all. (see: Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life” where (quoted from Wikipedia) ” Arthur Charles Herbert Runcie MacAdam Jarrett (Chapman), a criminal convicted of making gratuitous sexist jokes in a film, killed in a manner of his choosing: He is chased off a cliff by topless women in brightly-coloured G-strings & crash helmets”)

]]> By: david blane http://boingboing.net/2011/08/15/inventors-killed-by-their-own-inventions.html#comment-1188467 david blane Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=113536#comment-1188467 Why did I always think Alfred Nobel blew himself up? Why did I always think Alfred Nobel blew himself up?

]]> By: SamSam http://boingboing.net/2011/08/15/inventors-killed-by-their-own-inventions.html#comment-1188420 SamSam Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=113536#comment-1188420 Of course, the only interesting ones are the eponymous inventors of the inventions that killed them. Which, contrary to popular belief, it doesn't seem from that list as if there are any... <blockquote>"Colonel Shrapnel wasn't blown up, M. Guillotin died with his head on, Colonel Gatling wasn't shot. If it hadn't been for Sir William Blunt-Instrument, the rumour would never have got started."</blockquote> --TP Of course, the only interesting ones are the eponymous inventors of the inventions that killed them. Which, contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t seem from that list as if there are any…

“Colonel Shrapnel wasn’t blown up, M. Guillotin died with his head on, Colonel Gatling wasn’t shot. If it hadn’t been for Sir William Blunt-Instrument, the rumour would never have got started.”

–TP

]]> By: avoision http://boingboing.net/2011/08/15/inventors-killed-by-their-own-inventions.html#comment-1188418 avoision Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=113536#comment-1188418 Remind me to never devise/introduce a new method of execution - I see a bit of a pattern there. Yeesh. Remind me to never devise/introduce a new method of execution – I see a bit of a pattern there. Yeesh.

]]> By: Ben Carlsen http://boingboing.net/2011/08/15/inventors-killed-by-their-own-inventions.html#comment-1188389 Ben Carlsen Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=113536#comment-1188389 Glad to see Dr. Guillotin in the "Popular myths" section.  When I read the title, I was worried that he might be on the list, and I was pleasantly surprised to see he isn't.  It is true that he didn't invent the "blade falls down wooden shaft and slices your head off" device (the Greeks did), though he did invent the guillotine, which is an improved version of said device.  It's amazing the amount of popular myths associated with the guillotine, though. Glad to see Dr. Guillotin in the “Popular myths” section.  When I read the title, I was worried that he might be on the list, and I was pleasantly surprised to see he isn’t.  It is true that he didn’t invent the “blade falls down wooden shaft and slices your head off” device (the Greeks did), though he did invent the guillotine, which is an improved version of said device.  It’s amazing the amount of popular myths associated with the guillotine, though.

]]> By: Jack Holmes http://boingboing.net/2011/08/15/inventors-killed-by-their-own-inventions.html#comment-1188381 Jack Holmes Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=113536#comment-1188381 "Wan Hu, a sixteenth-century Chinese official, is said to have attempted to launch himself into outer space in a chair to which 47 rockets were attached. The rockets exploded and, it is said, neither he nor the chair were ever seen again." Wikipedia: proof that you can be secretly snarky. “Wan Hu, a sixteenth-century Chinese official, is said to have attempted to launch himself into outer space in a chair to which 47 rockets were attached. The rockets exploded and, it is said, neither he nor the chair were ever seen again.”

Wikipedia: proof that you can be secretly snarky.

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