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World's Most Useless Machine Does Nothing but Creep You Out
The gadget marketplace is littered with useless contraptions that are gobbled up by unwitting, tech-starved consumers despite having an utter lack of practical applications. While it may seem like those ridiculous devices typically reside in the USB category, a designer by the handle of SaskView has created a stand-alone box that just may be the most useless machine ever built.
Drawing his inspiration from Claude Shannon's 'Ultimate Machine' of the '50s, SaskView built a wooden box which houses a disembodied hand. Once the machine is turned on, the lonely hermit hand performs only one menial switch-flipping task: immediately turning itself off again (video after the break). The incredibly creepy and reclusive action does resonate, though, because, in the words of Arthur C. Clarke, "there is something unspeakably sinister about a machine that does nothing -- absolutely nothing -- except turn itself off." Well, unless that nefarious machine actually steals your hard-earned money first. [From: Make]
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Comments
48
Subscribe to commentsSanford LefflerJan 7th 2010 2:24PM
And I thought the Banana Hanger was useless except for hanging bananas.
todlsJan 7th 2010 2:07PM
And it will sell like hotcakes. Just like all the other useless stuff people waste their money on.
JanJan 7th 2010 2:10PM
The number 1 most useless machine I believe is called the political machine!
minionmuffJan 7th 2010 3:33PM
This machine is was originally called the RPSA, and was actually constructed as the archetype for the current Republican Party Strategic Agenda.
my98xlclassicJan 7th 2010 3:53PM
Whats the wager that over 5 million will be sold ?
sellcarsbJan 7th 2010 3:59PM
it's like a congressman in a box
smick1953Jan 12th 2010 12:27PM
Since when did this harmless little box become a political platform? You people who decided to turn this into a gripe session about government missed the simple charm of this re-constitution of the "Addams Family Thing coin bank". I had one too! It made me laugh to see this one. They probably couldn't put a hand on the part that turns itself off because of some patent ruling or copyright infringement. I think it subtly implies what all of us should do when some idiot starts babbling about something so inconsequential, trying to make it into some profound statement about nothing. This is a metaphor! Turn off the "stupid"!
jfchappellJan 12th 2010 8:10PM
It did come out long ago, and I think it was called "The Thing" at the time. The original (still have one) is a black plastic box with a shiny bat-handle switch. Throw the switch, and the box grinds and gyrates a bit until a green hand comes out of the trap door on top to turn the switch back off.
The bank version (not nearly as funny) replaced it. Same mechanism, but a coin holder with contacts replaced the switch and the little hand was altered so it could grab the coin.
This one works too fast, in my opinion. Anyway, it's not new at all.