Section D
Have you ever thought about inventing something？ Were you worried that your idea was too strange or unrealistic？ Well, maybe you should think again.
Strange and unrealistic ideas never stopped Arthur Pedrick. Pedrick was a British inventor. Originally a government clerk, he spent his retirement in the 1960s and 1970s developing new and unusual ideas. Some of these ideas contradicted basic physics, but that didn’t stop Pedrick. One of his strangest ideas was a plan to connect Australia and Antarctica using large tubes, a distance of 10, 000 km! These tubes were designed to carry giant ice balls from Antarctica to Australia. The ice would then melt in the Australian desert, and the water would be used for irrigation. Another of Pedrick’s inventions was a radio-controlled golf ball. A golfer could change the speed and direction of the golf ball using small flaps attached to the ball, which could be controlled by computer chips. Using radio waves, golfers could also find their lost golf balls. Arthur Pedrick had thousands of bizarre ideas for inventions, most of which were never constructed.
Though many of Pedrick’s inventions were never developed, a lot of other strange ideas have been. In 1989, a company designed and sold a theft-prevention device for expensive cars. As part of this device, several tubes were attached to the bottom of a car. If someone tried to steal the car, super hot flames were emitted from the tubes and burned the car thief. Some people who were not thieves, however, were seriously injured by this device which they accidentally set off by walking past the car.
Other strange inventions include underwear for dogs and pens with drinkable ink. The underwear keeps dogs from making a mess when they go out for a walk. Also if you were ever thirsty during a test, a pen with drinkable ink would be very handy!
If you have an idea that seems a little out in left field, don’t let that stop you from trying it. You' 11 be in good company.
Summary:
Most inventions are for useful things that help people in everyday life. Some inventions, however , are just【46】Some of the world’s weirdest ideas for inventions came from a man named Arthur Pedrick. Pedrick’s inventions included irrigation【47】that would carry ice from Antarctica to Australia and【48】golf balls. Not all weird inventions came from Pedrick, however. Every year many people【49】products that could be【50】unusual. Things like underwear for dogs and pens with drinkable ink are good examples.
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