00:00 In 1925, the magazine editor Hugo Gernsback created "The Isolator", a weird-looking helmet
00:07 for people who wanted to focus properly.
00:10 His first version was made of wood and felt.
00:13 But Gernsback was not satisfied because it did not block all sounds as well as he had
00:18 hoped.
00:19 He then rethought the device, removing the wood and adding glass so that users
00:25 could see through.
00:26 But a problem appeared.
00:28 The helmet could only be worn for about fifteen minutes.
00:31 After that, the user became sleepy.
00:34 38 years later, Gernsback presented the "teleglasses".
00:42 A very practical pocket TV.
00:44 You may find them weird, but to be honest, today's virtual reality glasses
00:50 are hardly less.
00:51 The "teleglasses" weighed about 140 grams and were made up of small cathodic tubes
00:57 that operated thanks to the low voltage current provided by tiny batteries.
01:01 The device had a separate screen for each eye, which allowed it to display stereoscopic
01:06 images.
01:07 It worked a bit like 3D glasses.
01:11 Gernsback had promised that users would not be electrocuted.
01:15 But people took it with tweezers.
01:18 Here is the beauty micrometer, also known as the beauty calibrator.
01:26 This technology from the 1930s seems straight out of the movie "Orange Mechanic", except
01:32 that it was supposed to make you more beautiful.
01:35 Specialists placed the device around the head of a person, and the flexible metal bands
01:40 allowed to take the measurements of the face with great precision.
01:43 The inventor had focused on two main measurements.
01:47 The height of the nose and the forehead had to be identical, and the eyes had to be separated
01:52 by the width of an eye.
01:53 If the beauty micrometer detected an imperfection, he proposed to use makeup to "correct"
02:00 the analyzed face.
02:01 This device, which was to be an asset for actresses and actors in the film industry,
02:07 was a failure and did not arouse the anticipated enthusiasm.
02:10 Nowadays, tissue masks are common in the beauty care industry, but there were
02:17 some very strange ones in the past.
02:19 Take this ice mask created in the 1940s by Max Factor Jr., who practically invented
02:24 the makeup of the stars.
02:26 He thought that actresses would struggle to get a mask of this type, in order to reduce
02:31 pockets and other skin swelling.
02:33 But he was wrong.
02:34 For some, the faucets on the cheeks are the most charming and seductive thing
02:42 there is.
02:43 It was also the opinion of an inventor who, in 1936, created the faucet device, which
02:49 looks like it came straight from the Middle Ages.
02:51 The instructions were quite simple.
02:55 The user had to stand in front of a mirror, smile to position his faucet correctly,
03:01 and wear it two or three times a day for five minutes.
03:04 The idea was to repeat the process until the faucets appeared.
03:08 But you would not be surprised to learn that the device could not really improve
03:12 the faucets, nor of course create any.
03:15 In fact, the medical association even declared that this instrument could be dangerous for
03:21 health and did not make it more beautiful.
03:23 Even the most experienced men can sometimes hurt themselves by shaving.
03:28 Therefore, only the bravest, or the craziest, would accept to use this machine
03:34 that allowed barbers to shave a dozen men simultaneously.
03:37 This device, appeared in a TV series pilot in the 1960s, was invented
03:42 in the 19th century.
03:43 However, commercial success was never on the agenda, because it was impossible to adapt
03:49 this machine to different shapes of faces.
03:51 Another dangerous invention, the fluoroscope for shoe testing, appeared in the 1920s.
03:59 When buying shoes, instead of proceeding with the usual testing, people mounted
04:04 on this great machine that used X-rays to produce an animated image in real time
04:09 of your feet inside the shoes.
04:11 A great way to make sure your shoes fit you perfectly.
04:15 Pretty cool, right?
04:16 But in reality, it was extremely dangerous, because this machine emitted an incredible
04:21 amount of radiation.
04:22 During a quick exposure of 20 seconds, you received a much higher dose than
04:28 recommended.
04:29 Even if the radiations were directed towards the feet, they also dispersed all around,
04:34 exposing anyone who was nearby.
04:36 Thus, the sellers who spent hours around these devices received in two hours a dose
04:41 of radiation equivalent to a whole year.
04:44 After a few reports, this invention was therefore banned from the 1970s.
04:49 If you have two left feet, you can learn to dance thanks to YouTube videos, or ask
04:55 your partner to put on these so-called "Siamese" shoes with you.
04:59 This invention made its appearance in a corresponding sales catalog in 1881.
05:04 The goal was to help couples stay synchronized on the dance floor.
05:08 But in reality, these shoes were mainly used to make people fall on the ground and
05:13 on their feet.
05:14 Let me introduce you to the "Autopatin", an invention dating from the 1940s and of
05:19 British origin.
05:20 These skates were started on a motorized wheel like a lawn mower, and they could
05:26 travel up to 260 km with only 4 liters of gasoline.
05:30 But there was a little problem with the brakes, which could not, uh ... not brake at all.
05:36 A co-pilot was therefore necessary.
05:38 And by "co-pilot", I mean someone brave enough to sit on a small
05:42 wheelbarrow behind the skater and help him brake using his feet.
05:47 If a person wanted to take his whole family for a ride, he just had to
05:51 fork the Goofy Bike.
05:53 This invention, unveiled in Chicago in 1939, was a bike for 4 people that also served
05:59 as a mobile sewing station.
06:01 When this eccentric bike was parked, the machine's legs to sew prevented it
06:05 from toppling over.
06:06 But I wouldn't have gone up on it for all the gold in the world.
06:09 The "Autopatin" and the "Goofy Bike" seem to be relatively safe means of transport
06:15 compared to a barrel.
06:16 In 1901, an institute named Dani Edson Taylor celebrated her 63rd anniversary by
06:23 descending the Niagara Falls into a 1.5-meter-high wooden cornice barrel.
06:28 Following this bold feat, 15 imitators tried to use the same device
06:35 to conquer the Niagara Falls, but all failed.
06:38 Today, it is forbidden to try such a cascade due to risks.
06:42 And the fine incurred is around $ 10,000.
06:45 In 1929, someone had the idea that wooden plywood sheets could be
06:53 the next big novelty in terms of swimsuits.
06:56 One of the promotional videos showed a young girl explaining how she had made
07:01 her outfit using plywood sheets from a house site.
07:05 But the funniest thing is that they have claimed that, so far, none of the swimsuits
07:11 had deformed or cracked.
07:13 But let's be realistic, wood would need a serious waterproofing to resist
07:19 the test of time.
07:21 This invention did not last long, among other things because it did not win the most
07:26 flattering prize for the most flattering swimsuit.
07:28 A decade later, we saw men in London, periscopic-shaped waterfalls.
07:34 This invention allowed small people to look over their heads in the crowds.
07:39 The images were sent from a mirror located at the top of the hat to another mirror
07:44 placed right in front of the eyes, through a hole in the edge of the hat.
07:48 But while these hats seemed to be a great idea for parades and sporting events,
07:53 they were simply not practical in everyday life.
07:56 Whether you are lazy or tired, you have no excuse not to practice piano
08:04 thanks to this invention of 1935.
08:06 The foldable piano.
08:08 The instrument is placed at the foot of the bed and its keyboard is pulled like a drawer,
08:13 folding it over hinges until it is at the ideal angle in front of the musician's hands.
08:18 But is it safe?
08:21 Alas, if the piano is not well secured, it is a disaster.
08:25 Let's say that the well-being of children was not really a major concern
08:31 for the designers of the Mercury Labyrinth.
08:33 This invention of 1978 was a pocket game in which children had to turn and tilt
08:40 a puzzle to guide a mercury spot along a path leading to the center of the labyrinth.
08:44 Yes, toxic mercury is dangerous for health in a toy for children.
08:50 What could go wrong?
08:52 [Music]
08:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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