Independently Inventing things..

bonerjams03

What have you thought up only to find that the exact product not only exists but is much better than you ever could have imagined?

This happens with jokes as well, you think you're brilliant only to find that it looks like you're copying a 1950's comedian.

I invented Climate Control in cars. Just 30 years too late.

Fizman

I'm pretty sure about 10 years back I invented an equivalent to the Fleshlight. In fact I reckon I created several different iterations of it on a weekly basis. Never claimed its Intellectual Property though.

Sky King

I came up with the idea for The Silent Disco entirely myself (a number of DJ's simultanously playing different music to a crowd wearing headphones tunable to any one of them) and told a number of people before finding out they had been around for years. Head was wrecked.

*Edit* Hmmm apparently I actually was the first, according to wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_disco

Now my head is doubly wrecked!

kfallon

Fizman wrote: »

I'm pretty sure about 10 years back I invented an equivalent to the Fleshlight.

Socks were already invented :pac:

jimthemental

Fizman wrote: »

I'm pretty sure about 10 years back I invented an equivalent to the Fleshlight. In fact I reckon I created several different iterations of it on a weekly basis. Never claimed its Intellectual Property though.

Sorry about the copy-write there, I accidentally the whole thing.

Lando Griffin

I invented geothermal heating when I was 5.
I drew a picture of a house with a large pipe going into the ground and extrating the heat generated form Hell.

talla10

I invented After Hours. I was then told if i didnt get out of the politics forum i'd be blasted with piss. The rest is history.

4zn76tysfajdxp

kfallon wrote: »

Socks were already invented :pac:

And vaginas.

OutlawPete

I invented the new electronic bus stop signs last year while waiting on the Luas. I said to myself: 'They should have these electronic Luas time tables at Dublin Bus also and then low and behold, a year later and they are up. I believe that there are mutated humans precognition abilities working for governments, there can be no other explanation quite frankly.

biko

It's the Hundredth monkey effect
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundredth_monkey_effect

ejmaztec

biko wrote: »

It's the Hundredth monkey effect
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundredth_monkey_effect

I invented that.

CrazyRabbit

IRcolm wrote: »

I invented Climate Control in cars. Just 30 years too late.

Windows existed in cars long before 1980.

Oh, and I invented a whole new religion. Although I guess it's technically a cult until it gets more than ~25,000 followers.

Bobjims

I invented those golf ball teeing machines you see at driving ranges; before any driving ranges had them.
Was sick when I found out on the internet that they had already been invented. A short time later and all my local driving ranges had them. :mad:

Fremen

Probabilistic interpretation of Dirichlet series with positive, multiplicative coefficients.

Goddamnit.

Saila

Ive invented a few things on paper, but after watching Dragons Den I just think "great, but other companies will just copy it and do it cheaper"

bonerjams03

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Windows existed in cars long before 1980.

Yeah, but the ability to pick a specific temperature didn't.

van der vart

often thought about a facial shaving cream. rub it on, wash it off and your stubble is gone. HIM-AC

LighterGuy

van der vart wrote: »

often thought about a facial shaving cream. rub it on, wash it off and your stubble is gone. HIM-AC

*steals*

RichieC

I've had a story in my head for years I thought was a fantastic idea, well worth having a go at. I never got around to penning it due to being completely sh*t at doing that kind of thing.

Anyways, I was on IMDB the other week looking at the festival releases and seen a sci fi film I though looked interesting, low and behold... some prick has taken my story.. or eh.. well, came up with it by himself.


Freaky thing is, the swine has the same surname as me!

Capt'n Midnight

Lots of things were "invented" independently by different people at the same time. Like Edison and Swann with the light bulb. Or at least 5 countries in the case of radar. This shows that many things will be invented as the technology becomes available rather than because of a spark of genius.

Konrad Zuse more or less invented the all the essential elements of the computer including high level language. So if all the computer pioneers in UK/US/Oz never existed we'd still have computers today in much the same form.