Fun and potentially useless inventions of the week

Inventions make the world go round, or so says me.  Without all the cool stuff that people invent and design, we would not have half of the things we do today.  Most science is centered on trying to make the world a better place or increase the efficiency of something we already got going. 

But some inventing results in objects that may not hold a truly useful place in our world.  I've managed to collect together a few interesting inventions and innovations that you've probably never heard of.  I've also managed to make sure to only put one thing of actual usefulness on the list.  After all, if it’s truly useful you’ll probably hear about it anyways, right?

The first item up for grabs is the Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer!  Ever have trouble slicing bananas?  Get annoyed every time you’re forced to move that knife up and down, over and over, just to get little bite-sized pieces of banana?  And then when you’re done, those pieces are all different sizes, making them completely unusable!  Look no further than this banana slicer.  It will solve all your banana-slicing problems and it’s actually pretty darn cheap to buy.

Next, for the discerning and paranoid Chinese citizen, the chance to buy fresh air in a can.  China is certainly a craphole when it comes to air pollution, so much so that it’s a wonder that their people can breathe at all.  So one man took advantage of the clean-air niche by putting together air in a can and selling it.  This amazing new product comes in three wonderful varieties - pristine Tibet, post-industrial Taiwan and revolutionary Yan’an.

This invention is, however, a blatant joke.  The millionaire who’s selling these is doing so with the intention of making a point about the crappy air quality of his home country.  By selling fresh air to people, he hopes to bring attention to the issue via a humorous marketing campaign.

Next comes a completely bizarre innovation in the world of fast food.  Not so long ago, Doritos teamed up with Taco Bell and created a taco that uses nacho cheese Doritos as a taco shell.  Yes, this is probably in contention for the most unhealthy food award, but they did it anyway.  It must have been popular too, cause now they wish to take it a step further.  With a Doritos chip that tastes like those Doritos-flavored tacos.

WTF?  Doritos that taste like a taco that tastes like Doritos?  I think my head will implode just trying to think about that…

And finally, an invention that is actually worth buying, if you happen to be concerned for the environment.  Toothbrushes are, unbeknownst to many, a major source of rubbish in the world.  To make matters worse, they’re almost all made of plastic. 

One guy in Australia figured this was a waste and so designed a completely biodegradable toothbrush.  His goal - help to counteract the estimated 1000 tons of plastic toothbrushes that hit Australian landfills every year.  Made of bamboo, these toothbrushes may be a little more expensive than what you already use, but they’re certainly much more responsible.

Banana photo courtesy of Darkone