InventorSpot

If beauty fades but stupid is forever, what can anyone say about US patent # 4202456? Toy building blocks made from bottle caps might seem thrifty and practical, but how could they be so when it cost thousands of dollars to patent such an idea? A bit contradictory, no? Read on for some details and a bit more ambivalence.

The specialists at NASA have spent 19 million dollars on what surely must qualify as the most expensive toilet in the world. What makes this flusher so extraordinary? It turns urine into drinking water. For that price it would seem a little more alchemy should be included; you know, the kind that transforms common metals into gold, silver, platinum and uranium! Read on for the astounding details.

Mammoths roamed Europe, Asia and North America in the second half of the Pleistocene era and died out about 10 thousand years ago during last ice age. Until recently, many scientists blamed ancient hunters for their extinction. What really killed them and why? Read some answers to this ancient mystery, albeit you walk away with even more questions.

Who out there does not remember those old light-bulb jokes? You, know, the ones that went, ‘how many whatevers does it take to change a light bulb?’ Answers were precursors to Polish and other bad ethnic jokes, but the patent for the light bulb changer, (#6826983 to be exact) is neither. It is, however, quite ridiculous, and as such, belongs here now. Read on and realize you simply haven’t seen it all.

A unique technology for growing profiled sapphire crystals has been recently developed by Russian scientists. Read all about the amazing medical advances these crystals provide for medicine in general and oncology in particular.

The world’s first integrated GSM/WiMAX handset, the HTC MAX 4G is here. It is the result of a partnership between HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile phone innovation and design, and Russian carrier, Scartel (Yota brand). Designed and optimized for the Russian market, the HTC MAX 4G will be available in Russia on November 26th. Read on for details.

Mr. Ripley might be interested in this growing Russian phenomenon for his Believe it or Not exhibitions, or perhaps it would be too weird even for him. Exporting Russian urine by ordering online is the ultimate solution for those who can’t pay a personal visit to the clinic. The fact that it isn’t their urine making the whole thing counter productive and a waste of money to boot doesn’t seem to enter into the equation. Read on but…don’t buy.

Sometimes solutions are simple and sometimes they are not. One Russian scientist believes he has found an alternative to the billions of dollars spent on ground-based missile defense systems in the form of giant domes placed over entire cities. Does he have a point or no? Read on and maybe you will come to a decision on the matter.

Read all about this very special musical egg so reminiscent of the masterpieces crafted by Carl Fabergé for the royal family of Russia.. Its beauty is only magnified by the fact that it plays, upon opening, The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite on an 18-note key-wound musical movement.

During the last twenty-five years, the aerospace industry in Russia, has developed a remarkably diverse range of weapons and has displayed enormous creativity, particularly in the sphere of missile design. Read on and…hold your breath.

There have been some recent changes in beer products related to the international market, notably Russia’s PEGAS Novo Tap. Read all about this innovative product that offers to beer-lovers everywhere less foam but more taste.

Popular Science has announced its Best of What's New awards for 2008; they are all brilliant inventions, but some are phenomenal! There were 11 categories of best invention awards ranging across a wide spectrum of technology, from automobile to security technologies. One of the 11 winners was named the Grand Award Winner... see if you can guess which one!

Russian and Chinese engineers are planning a joint project for controlling energy consumption that will concentrate on developing high-tech, automated systems to control energy resources via wireless technologies. Read on for some energy-saving details.

Next month at Sotheby’s auction house in New York a landmark sale is slated to take place. It will include prized relics from the Soviet era of space exploration that are owned by American billionaire, Ross Perot, who purchased them back in the 90s. Read on, but remember there are no exchanges or returns.

Archeologists in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar are baffled by the remains of an ancient loving couple found in a burial ground discovered during excavation for a hotel complex. Buried together, it is thought that the couple might be members of a mysterious tribe heretofore unknown to science. Read on and learn more. Maybe.

Custom-made luxury armored cars represent a unique niche in the Russian automotive industry and RIDA is in the lead when it comes to providing them to the rich and famous. Read all about these luxurious armored cars even if owning one is far out of reach. Still, one never knows, does one?

Two winning Russian innovation projects have received investment backing from two mega supporters, AFK Sistema and Tekhsnabexport and some new awards to honor technological innovation have developed as the result of this competition as well. Read on and learn more about this contest and its winners.

Outer space is fast becoming accessible inner space as more and more of the wealthier among us dare to dally within its infinite essence. Read all about technology heavyweight, Esther Dyson, and her plans for travel along the rim of the new frontier.

Last month a weekend was set aside and considered a professional holiday for Russian tank enthusiasts. There were no wild celebrations in Gorky Park; just a visit to the small town of Kubinka and its huge tank museum, which actually belongs to a former top-secret research institute for armored vehicles. Read on but…hush, hush. Need I say more?

Boat-loving seagulls will have to poop elsewhere if a team of high school students have anything to say about it. The team, named Vanish Productions, recently won the top regional prize in New Zealand's Young Enterprise contest for their Ultrasonic Bird Repeller.