Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1991915_1991909_1991902,00.html?cnn=yes&hp t=C2


I really don't agree with more then some of this list. And I really don't think the Segway should be #1

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Note that the list (when viewed in full as a list) states "in no particular order".

Some of them I can see making that list; others I haven't even heard of...

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

I think that the list should probably be split into two ore more lists. One would be the least practical inventions (or most over-hyped), which could include the Segway. The other would be worst inventions, that would include things that made the world worse by their invention (i.e. Agent Orange).

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

The reason why the Segway was a "failure" was for two reasons: price and usability. It had nothing to do with the technology or design of the device.

Price: If the Segway was priced brand new at under $2000, it would have really flown off the shelves. $5000 was too much for many people.

Usability: The Segway is only really useful in walkable neighborhoods. Like those with sidewalks. Unfortunately, this country decided that pedestrians were second class citizens to cars and either stopped building proper pedestrian facilities or built half-baked solutions which pose a real danger to any pedestrian who uses them. As such, everyone in the US stopped walking as much, obesity rates soared, and there was no real useful place to use the Segway.

Unfortunately, I really think the Segway came out about ten years too soon. Within the last decade (especially in the past few years), there have been strong efforts in cities across the country to build more balanced streets, with new bike lanes, improved sidewalk and pedestrian facilities, etc, new light rail and streetcar systems, etc. If Segway teamed up with urban planners designing rapid transit or commuter rail lines, it could solve the "last mile problem" that public transit lines suffer from in less densely developed areas (bikes could also do this with the added benefit of free exercise in the process).

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

I don't know what criteria the author(s) is using for "worst."

Even though many things on the list (like Farmville) are mindless, it is still an EXTREMELY successful application.

The list names things like the Segway, which is extremely clever and technologically advanced but has no purpose for most people; as well as "New Coke" which wasn't appealing to any consumers; and finally Farmville, and extremely popular web-game.

I am disappointed to see so many "Top X list of ____ in the last century" articles recently coming from TIME. This is how people lose respect for news magazine; Rolling Stone seemed to take this route through the years as well, now it is a very popular, but junky music magazine with less than satisfying articles.

And yet, ironically it gets people talking about their articles... ;)

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

The reason I think the segway is on the list is that fact that it's part of a long list of inventions that had inventors claiming "this will revolutionize/change the world!". Its a claim that no inventor should make, i personally think the phrase is cursed, because if you and your invention don't achieve that your invention will be marked as bad, or a failure due to the expectations you put on it.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

I wonder how many inventions the author of this article has. It frustrates me to see popular publications throw stones and painting a negative picture regarding inventions.

The lead-in to the article claims these inventions are "zany to the dangerous to the just plain dumb". So, I suppose that these are the most zany, dangerous, and dumb inventions. I don't consider the Segway dumb, dangerous, or zany, so this article is silly to me. TIME is out of touch with me, I suppose.

Andy B.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Same as most people...none....

I haven't invented anything for an hour or two. I need to get back to work.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

This list is entertainment, folks. Just like those lists that rank "The Top 50 Schools in the Nation", it's there to entertain and amuse readers long enough that they might buy the magazine or see a few more online ads.

And it succeeds.

In fact, I thought it was a pretty funny list, and reasonably well reserached. It containing some inventions that had unintended consequences, some that really are evidence that militant dolphins will one day rise up and outsmart us all, and others that were simply incredibly overhyped.

The Segway has to be one of the highest ranking inventions of all time when it comes to the hype to impact ratio.

Thanks for pointing me to this entertaining list... I'd love to invent something that gains sufficient popular momentum to make it on a list like this!

Jason

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

I think the segway should be on here. In my opinion it is incredibly dangerous for the non existent benefits. My design professor investigates segway accidents and needless to say we watched quite a few accidents caught on film including someone breaking there neck due to the battery failing without warning. Just some food for thought

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

How does the Segway compare to mopeds, motorcycles, and motor scooters in that regard?

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Cars can be extremely dangerous and cause death if the brakes fail without warning. Taking showers can be extremely dangerous and can break your neck if you slip on a bar of soap. Walking can be extremely dangerous if someone driving a car is texting and swerves off the road onto the sidewalk.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

I'm sure there are many more than 50 inventions that are worse than those listed. How about the golf club that is powered by a shotgun shell? It might be useful if you need to putt 200 yards. Or the head-mounted fan powered by a jaw attachment? You could chew gum furiously and not break into a sweat.

Now here's one that's silly but functional:

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

All of these activities have clear benefits.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

I am not going to lie, at first I assumed it was just a funny article that had touched a nerve (and it may well be).

Perhaps the author decided he needed 50 inventions but couldn't be bothered to do the research. He seems to be using several definitions of worst. For example, Agent Orange did its job. Was it nice to work with? No, it had some pretty nasty side effects. Now, the Segway, I would classify it as a failed invention. It does its job but it did not revolutionize transportation.* There is no way that it deserves to be on the same list as Agent Orange.

As for the rest of that list, yeah, I would say thanks for the laughs but it wasn't actually that funny.


*I think once battery technology improves the Segway could replace cars for short range travel (in warm climates).

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Hahaha. You better or you might not get a gold star for the day. Everyone knows that you need to invent something or revolutionize an industry to get a gold star. :rolleyes:

I have a feeling that many inventions that should have been patented never were, and many patents that are issued are frivolous.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

I've got an idea. Let's take a cheap and stable bicycle and turn it sideways, rotate the wheels 90 degrees to remove all stability, add some motors and battery and electronics to make it unaffordable, and change the world? As an added bonus, it's now so wide that it's a hazard to everyone. It was a non starter from the get go. I have no problem with it's #1 ranking.

The tens of millions of people that died of malaria as a result of banning cheap and effective DDT aren't here to argue with its inclusion in the list.

The change from R12 to R134A (part of the CFC eco-scare) is very debatable too. We still have training wheels on when it comes to understanding global climate, and contrary to some blowhards opinions, it's not "settled science". Objectively, the change from R12 to R134A accomplished very little to nothing at huge cost. If that were the reason for it's inclusion in the list, I'd agree.

No love for the Pontiac Aztec? It's shrunken clone, the Toyota Prius, is doing quite well. The Ford Edsel would have been a better automotive choice, but maybe the list authors aren't old enough to remember that ugly duckling.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

What about riding Chris's point? Motorcycles get you from A to B just like a car, yet are significantly more dangerous. (and also MUCH more fun, just like a Segway)

Going back to sdcantrell56's point, I find it hard to believe Segways are incredibly dangerous. I'm sure accidents occur, and they can result in serious injury (although I would hazard most result only in scraped knees and injured egos). I took a 3.5 hour Segway tour in D.C. a few months ago for 60 bucks. One of our guides had been working for their a few months, the other for over a year. Neither of them had led a tour where someone fell off. I would think that if accidents were common (outside of our guide's experience) insurance premiums would be so high it wouldn't be profitable to run a Segway touring business.

And speaking of funky patented inventions, Skroback's Roadable Airplane is pretty out there. :yikes:

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

They are more than non-existant, they are negative, as a friend of mine (an avid biker) yells at segways as they pass him, 'Segways make you fat'.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

I wish the Segway were a bit cheaper. I have about a 1.3 mile commute from my bus stop to Shaker High every time I go to a meeting. The sad thing is I think this is the kind of use the Segway is intended for (the "last mile") but the price is simply far too high. I could get a crappy car and use that to drive the entire way for that price.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

I agree with the seg way being a bad invention, don't get me wrong here, it will only promote sedentary life style, kind of reminds me of Fahrenheit 451

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Don't cars provide just as sedentary lifestyle as a Segway?

Honestly, as someone who owns a Segway and likes to bike alot, there are a ton of people in this country who seriously believe cars are the only things allowed on a road. I can't tell you how many times people in cars have tried running me off the road, yelling stupid things or just generally harass me while walking or biking. This attitude that treats non-car road users as second class citizens is probably another reason why more people don't walk, bike, ride Segways, etc.

Several businessmen/lawyers in the city I grew up in use Segways to commute the several miles from their homes to their offices every day. If the commute is only a few miles, if there aren't any highways, and if there is a need to be professionally dressed for work (you don't want to bike in a suit), then this is the niche market for Segways. Military bases, college campuses, and large corporate office parks (think Google or Microsoft campuses) are also places where Segways would be a lot more useful than cars. For these trips, using an 80 lb Segway is a lot more efficient than using a 3000 lb car.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Think of it this way, how many people own segways, who many people use them daily, and how many people think its a great invention. If it was so great, we would all have one, but its expensive and in some instances impractical. I am not all against the segway though, think about it, one less car on the road and one more segway on the sidewalk makes a difference. And if you want to be Eco-friendly, and if you could afford a segway, you most likely can afford some solar panels or some wind mills, and you could charge your segway for free. The segway is used by police and even the Mythbuster's Adam Savage. The segway shows up here and there, but its just not the kind of thing you can go "Hey, let me use my segway and ride around the block". Overall, Time Magazine is using statistics to rate the segway, and sometimes that is not enough. The person who wrote this article most likely, as it was mentioned before, had not made an invention of their own and does not understand how hard it is to make something like the segway. They might not understand the concept of the complex gyros and the way it works. Not all people who write articles understand the technology that is in this device, they might understand how high the price is though.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Funny you should say that; I was zipping around the Google campus today on my Segway. Although there are bikes provided for that purpose, a Segway is way more maneuverable (and therefore safer for pedestrians), plus you can take it inside buildings. There are definitely use cases for which the Segway is ideal.

Also, that link has got to be some sort of prime example on how not to design an article for easy reading. I gave up after having to click the "next" button about ten times.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

There, I fixed that for you.


Seriously, Segways aren't intended to replace walking. They're intended to make it practical to use pedestrian routes instead of driving for short distances.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

You could also look at it from another perspective, go to google and type in segway tours. This invention has made a new type of firm possible in some economies who completely depend on the tourism industry. Some of these may include islands in the Caribbean, vacation spots in Florida, etc.

Also, if you read the subtitle of the article it reads...
which means that the segway isn't necessarily the #1 worst, according to the author.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

There, fixed it for you.

Steve's right; I remember reading an arcticle that claimed a majority of the trips in a car were in a less than 2 mile distance from the home (easily traversible on foot or bike). At the same time, we also apperently have an obesity epedimic in America. So I can either spend $5000 on a segway and $30 a month on gym membership, or <$200 for a bike that does both.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Are the kind of people that have massive crippling weight problems the same kind of people that drop $5000 on Segways? I guess I just don't see tons of fat people, whom are extremely wealthy, buying a Segway in order to cut down on their walking even more.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Fat people are just lazy, I got no respect for them, unless they are literally crippled medically (not for being fat) Sorry, I was fat too, I know how it feels, I was running/jogging/walking a mile in like 13+ minutes, and I was still winded at the end, but now look at me, I would be considered chubby, but not fat. Really I do no like the segway


there is an explaination to my madness: http://www.bigguts.com/

BTW I am still heavy for alot of you guys... I last weighed in at 205 lb, but you have to consider that I am in football, and I STILL have to bulk up, hehehe
I bench 220 and squat 345, I need to get WAY more stronger than this

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Glad to see you have zero respect for thousands of people based on a flawed understanding of metabolism and the human body. Someone's appearance is enough for you to lose all respect for someone? Guess you really can't respect a few WFAs and many WFFAs then.

To avoid a lengthy explanation, no, not everyone is predisposed to be skinny...

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

...but humans also weren't meant to eat ungodly amounts of high-frustose corn syrup and sit staring at a glowing box for eight hours a day.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

And I "got" no respect for those who have no ability to communicate in a socially acceptable manner. Now, I could probably come up with all sorts of reasons why these people don't but really most of them would stem from laziness. I won't do that though because I don't always know the whole story. They may not be native English speakers, they may have a learning disability, or they may just genuinely be lazy. Point is, I shouldn't call them lazy just because that is the reason I think of first. Not everyone has the same gifts as everyone else and one would do well not to paint with such a broad brush.

Sorry for the tangent.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Sounds to me like your avid biker friend is incredibly rude. Yelling insults at passing strangers isn't the way people should act.

As to the Segway being one of the worst inventions ... I don't believe it should be on that list. Is it a failed business project: Yes, absolutely, but a failed invention: no.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

You guys can argue with all you want, I still have no respect for those fat people that are more than capable of changing their life around, I can give you tons of examples where they did, but there are an exponential amount of people that have not. The worst are the ones on the bigguts.com, deliberately bulking up in fat, just a disgrace. Being fat has alot of health issues, I dislike fat people because of the health side of it, not the aesthetics. Its like disliking smokers and alcoholic, they are just killing them selves slowly... I am not saying be skinny, I personally think skinny people are pathetic too in a way, they are so small and skinny.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Ok, so...

another thread turned into nattering.
Sorry but the folks I see on Segways are usually working or touring the sights of our beautiful city. I do see folks on Segways at the Championship event and after volunteering in the pits for FTC, I would have loved to have had access to one by the end of the day.

Why get caught up in a silly discussion, blasting people you may know or not know, may have seen or not seen, using them? If you want to have a discussion about fat and lazy people, start one in chitchat and I'll be more than happy to come make a post in that thread asking if you don't have anything better to do with your time than ridicule and generalize.

Jane

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

I think bikes are a way better form of transportation than the seg way...


edit: if people think I am quick to judge, why are the same people quick to judge against me?

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

After taking ME 2110 at Georgia Tech (the class you are discussing) I feel like the Segway is an interesting invention but it does have some safety problems (all sorts of everyday things have safety problem to though).

EDIT: After flipping through the list, I see that it is basically a list of 50 things that one person doesnt like.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Q: What is the cost of obesity?

A: On average, people who are considered obese pay $1,429 (42 percent) more in health care costs than normal-weight individuals.[12]

What is the cost of obesity by insurance status?

A: For each obese beneficiary:

* Medicare pays $1,723 more than it pays for normal-weight beneficiaries.
* Medicaid pays $1,021 more than it pays for normal-weight beneficiaries.
* Private insurers pay $1,140 more than they pay for normal-weight beneficiaries.[12]

What is the cost of obesity by the type of service provided?

A: For each obese patient:

* Medicare pays $95 more for an inpatient service, $693 more for a non-inpatient service, and $608 more for prescription drugs in comparison with normal-weight patients.
* Medicaid pays $213 more for an inpatient service,$175 more for a non-inpatient service, and $230 more for prescription drugs in comparison with normal-weight patients.
* Private insurers pay $443 more for an inpatient service, $398 more for a non-inpatient service, and $284 more for prescription drugs in comparison with normal-weight patients.[12]

source:http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/index.htm

Q: How many adults age 20 and older are overweight or obese (Body Mass Index, or BMI, > 25)?

A: Over two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese.[4]

All adults: 68 percent
Women: 64.1 percent
Men: 72.3 percent

Thats alot of people... and there are 305,689,000 americans, 68% of that is 207 868 520 americans overweight.

thats $297 044 115 080 more spent on health care for people that are obese... That is a lot of money
$ 297.04411508 billion (US dollars)

http://berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/...6/smoking.html
compared to $72.7 Billion spent on tobacco related illnesses, I think obesity is a way bigger problem...

Now think of the possibilities that extra money can be spent on, help ending poverty?

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

The 300 million number is for the entire US population not the adult population. i get your point but your numbers are off.
Many people who are overweight cannot lose weight easily either due to lack of time to exercise, medical problems, and other factors factors that are somewhat to completely out of their control.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

Highlight mine.

Who ever said losing weight was easy? Everybody wants an instant gratification success without any real hard work. Just pop a few magic pills and everything is better! People who want to seriously lose weight need to make major decisions that slightly alter everything they do.

Instead of driving 60 miles to work, move closer to a walkable neighborhoods and walk/bike to work. Bingo, free exercise while you commute. Bonus points if you can also walk to the most common stores you'll need (grocery store, convenience store, pharmacy, etc).

When in the grocery store, don't buy junk food. If you don't have any in your house, you can't eat it.

Keep a list of all the calories you eat everyday; after a while you'll begin to dread having to add that snack to the list and you'll just skip eating it.

Stop driving to the corner store to buy a gallon of milk; seriously if it's less than a half mile away you can walk there and back in under 15 minutes.

Get rid of your leaf blower. Use a rake. Unless you have a back condition, get rid of your snow blower and use a shovel.

If you have to eat fast food the breakfast menu is generally more healthy than the lunch/dinner menu.

Eliminate high-fructose corn syrup from your diet. It's not natural, and the enzymes in your stomach can't break it down easily. Thus, your body doesn't accurately know when it's full, and you'll tend to eat more food than you need.

It's lots of little decisions like this compounded together that all help reduce weight. There is no magic solution other than consistent hard work and personal will power.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

This is what I mean about people being lazy, they DON'T do those... I know its a long process, I was 210 after my Freshman Football Season, dropped down to 187 then got back up to 205 and leaner, that took 1.5 years... and countless hours in the gym busting my $@#$@#$@# lifting some heavy $@#$@#$@# weights...

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

They're off in a number of ways. He quoted the 68% figure for "overweight or obese" and tried to multiply it by the extra cost for "obese". That overstates the cost by a factor of two even without taking into account the "age 20 and older" distinction.

The advice to do some research didn't go far enough. It is also necessary to read for comprehension, and not just stop when a quick scan of the numbers looks like they confirm a pre-existing point of view.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

While overall message in your post is reasonable, the quoted point is pretty much entirely wrong.

1. "Natural" means nothing in this context. The product is chemically simple enough that it wouldn't matter if it was derived from plants or petroleum (through some creative organic chemistry). You're just getting glucose and fructose. (Glucose and fructose are the same sugars that combine to form common sucrose, and, along with water, are the principal chemical constituents of high-fructose corn syrup.) The implication that natural things are generally better for people is a dangerous falsehood.
2. Stomach enzymes don't break down glucose and fructose. (You might be thinking of amylase, which makes simple sugars from starches. Glucose and fructose are already simple sugars, and don't need to be broken down in the mouth or stomach.)
3. The satiation reflex is complicated and it's not correct to summarize it in terms of false premises. Bulk of food, appetites for specific chemicals (e.g. sodium) and other factors act more quickly and directly than the response to oxidative metabolism. (Digestion takes hours.)

There's a grain of truth to the idea that high-fructose corn syrup has some impact on health. Fructose is one step further along the glycolysis process than glucose is. And because the step that converts glucose to fructose consumes adenosine triphosphate (ATP, the chemical that your body uses as a unit of energy for immediate use), you use slightly more energy metabolizing glucose than fructose, when using the glycolysis metabolic pathway. However, most fructose doesn't get used in glycolysis (via phosphorylation), and instead is undergoes another metabolic process, fructolysis, in the liver. That means that the (slightly) increased concentration of fructose in high-fructose corn syrup will cause a relative increase in fructolysis and a decrease in glycolysis.

There's no scientific consensus on the health consequences. Both glycolysis and fructolysis are normal processes in healthy animals, and it's unclear whether more of one and less of the other poses a risk to human health. Studies are underway to determine if there are measurable problems with metabolizing proportionally more sugar in the liver (glycolysis takes place everywhere; fructolysis is localized in the liver).

Many of the myths surrounding corn syrup are the product of people who don't understand to any extent whatsoever the biological processes at work, and are drawing conclusions based on this lack of understanding. The only thing they get out of it is the dubious proposition that "HFCS makes you fat". This is why high school biology is useful, even to non-biologists.

Re: Segway listed as #1 on list of 50 worst inventions.
 

The subject of this thread is obviously changing. I just want to throw out there that the weight limit for a Segway is 260 lbs. There are obviously a range of people who weigh 260 lbs but the vast majority of them I am sure are capable of walking any where that a Segway would be bringing them. I doubt many people (if any) are morbidly obese because they ride a Segway.