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The Two Worst Inventions?
Well, who can judge, but these two were really bad for humanity
The world won’t end with a bang. Actually the world won’t end, but humanity might. If we destroy ourselves, we won’t do it suddenly — no not nuclear war. We will slouch and slide slovenly oblivious toward our dissolution.
The 1950s set in motion forces that may end up destroying the world. Two particular inventions epitomize these forces. No, not televisions, but you aren’t far off.
The Disposable Society
Seemed like a great idea at the time. Invent a better writing instrument. For centuries, writing had been a messy affair. The quill pen had been replaced by the fountain pen, but the central issue remained. It was too easy to make a mess with a fountain pen. The pens leaked, ink bottles spilled, the sharp metal nib could tear the paper if it didn’t splotch ink across your paper. Writing was a chore that required a setup — the “writing desk” — to facilitate the task.
Build a better pen and the world will beat a path to your door.
László Bíró invented the first usable ballpoint pen. In 1938, he developed a practical mechanism to store and deliver ink to the pen tip and his brother, Győrgy, developed a quick-drying ink. However, the Bíró brothers were…
