Inventions That Missed The Mark Quiz
What was this invention from 1963 used for, incorporating a metal ruler and timed mechanism, called the Robot Readamatic?
- Though it was a fairly good idea to help a reader focus on one line at a time, apparently the noise it made sounded like nails on a chalkboard and the invention didn't progress any further.
In the 1990s, what product did the Coors brewery company branch into that, unsurprisingly, didn't make it much farther?
- Coors Rocky Mountain Sparkling Water was a short-lived product, with many people joking that actual Coors' beer was just as watery as a bottle of actual water.
Warfare constantly undergoes reinvention and innovation. But what was this creation that Soviet inventors tested in 1942 and that failed immediately?
- The Antonov A-40 Krylya Tanka was supposed to be a winged tank that could be towed behind a plane and landed safely on a battlefield.
People love going to the movie theater. But what was special about Cinerama movie screenings that debuted in the mid-1900s and only lasted for a few years?
- Because only a few films were made expressly for Cinerama due to how expensive it was, and due to the finicky tactics of syncing the projectors, this invention failed to become widespread.
Transportation has experienced many gifted inventors who changed the way we travel. However, what was a type of vehicle that just didn't take off during the mid-1900s, despite creators claiming it was the future?
- While amphibious vehicles do exist now, this family sedan-turned-boat never reached mass production or popularity.
For a brief period in the early 1900s, news ads and inventors pitched a brand new idea for water that would sterilize things in it without water and reinvigorate people who used it. What was the idea?
- Unsurprisingly, this idea never took off— getting zapped when having a glass of water in the morning might have something to do with that!
There are plenty of products that are created for men or women specifically. But one company came under fire for which of the following products after "inventing" a different type just for females?
- The pen company Bic's "for her" writing utensil in 2012 was heavily criticized for being the same pen, just colored pink.
The very first cars and bicycles changed the world of transportation. But what was a combination of the two that appeared as early as 1869 and into the early 20th century?
- From simple wheels with pedals to enclosed glass compartments that sit several people, inventors tried many ways to make a monowheel vehicle work.
What was this Videon camera used for, supposedly endorsed by the US Air Force in the 1950s?
- This so-called flying saucer camera was supposed to use two lenses to take a photo of UFOs— one with normal filters and one with special lighting to show whether it was an alien or not.
Before iPods or Bluetooth, what was an invention from the 1980s that made music portable?
- Unfortunately, the Audio Technica AT-727 Sound Burger came out around the same time as the Walkman, which made it irrelevant.
