That Spruce Goose Was Mostly Birch
Howard Hughes built a giant wooden plane everyone nicknamed the 'Spruce Goose'-only problem, it was mostly birch and it flew once like a tipsy museum exhibit.Read More 
The PDA That Couldn't Read Your Scribble (But Read Our Mood)
Apple's Newton was brilliant and earnest, a 1990s pocket oracle whose handwriting recognition turned grocery lists into abstract art and taught us that good intentions need better handwriting.Read More 
Bucky's Dymaxion Disaster
He wanted a space-age limo on three wheels; New York preferred being able to steer without a prayer.Read More 
The Day They Bolted Jet Engines On A Train And It Absolutely Peaked
New York Central's 1966 M-497 strapped two jet engines to a railcar, hit 183.85 mph, and then we all agreed to pretend it was a joke.Read More 
Colgate Tried to Feed Us ToothpasteBranded Dinners and It Bombed
In the early 1980s Colgate-Palmolive launched frozen entrees and learned the hard way that some brand loyalties stop at the dinner table.Read More 
Goodyear's Inflatable Plane Blew My Mind
In the early 1950s Goodyear built a rubbery plane you could stuff in a canister, parachute to a stranded pilot, inflate in minutes and then actually fly - and we politely archived it instead of handing pilots pool toys.Read More 
France's Floating Train That Never Rode
They built a hovering train that hit 400 kph in tests and then the government politely gave the money to something boring and steel-merci, moneybags.Read More 
The Tiny Electric That Flopped Spectacularly
Sir Clive Sinclair built the C5 like a hopeful toy for adult commuters and Britain politely laughed until the recall paperwork arrived.Read More 
They Tried To Make Films Smell. It Was A Right Mess.
In 1960 someone decided cinema needed scents, hired a machine, and the result smelled like a bad idea with tickets.Read More 
The Pigeons Who Nearly Drove Our Missiles
A famed behaviourist trained pigeons to steer weapons by pecking at a projected target and the Navy eventually chose circuits over clucks.Read More 