Wacky Inventions Real and Imaginary

Hermit Crabs Drcbc (GNU Free Documentation License)

Two of the great inventors of our time finally get their due: Wallace and Gromit have a museum exhibit devoted to their inventions -- from the snowmanotron to the crackervac -- as well as true but equally quirky inventions. Who knew someone cared enough about the canaries that went down into mines to build them a resuscitation chamber?

Also in today's links: an Egyptian hoax that will soon make the rounds of middle school slumber parties, hermit crab torture, and more.

• I found an idea that gives me the willies more than the stink-free underwear for astronauts: reusable toilet wipes. That's one of several of the more out-there environmental offerings, also including condoms from sustainable latex sources and plates made from pig pee.

Related Articles

	Extreme Shepherding
	The Eye of the Mantis Shrimp
	Toilet Tech

Tags

Science, Missing Links, M. Farbman, crabs, crustaceans, economics, finance, hoaxes, inventions, links, missing links, numeracy, pain, recycling, seafood
• The Egyptian government denies that a text message sent to cell phones is making the rounds and killing recipients. A hook-hand also was found on the victims' car doors.
• I am trying to convince myself to start eating seafood, so I am none too pleased at this evidence that crustaceans experience and remember pain. Apparently hermit crabs try to escape their shells when shocked, and try to avoid future shocks.
• With so many zeros now in circulation in the news -- explaining billions and trillions of dollars lost, or set to be spent -- and with one-hundred-trillion-dollar notes recently issued in Zimbabwe, it can be hard to get a handle on what these numbers mean. Here's a rundown.