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Which Inventors Were Killed by Their Own Creations?
- Posted on July 11, 2012 at 3:27pm by
Liz Klimas
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Inventors, although ingenious, can be a risky bunch. A Wikipedia post has even been created solely for those inventors killed in a “direct casualty” of their own creation.
The entry states those in the list met their end in ”some manner [...] by or related to a product, process, procedure, or other innovation that they invented or designed.”
Here are a few mentioned:
- William Nelson (ca. 1879−1903): Nelson was an employee at General Electric who invented a motorized bicycle but fell off during a test run of the prototype.
- Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier: Died in 1785 and is the first known aircraft crash. Pilâtre de Rozier invented the “Rozier Balloon” that crashed when he was attempting to fly across the English Channel.
- Henry Smolinski: Smolinski invented a flying car — the AVE Mizar — in which he was killed during a test flight in 1973.
AVE Mizar (Photo: Wikimedia)
- Michael Dacre: Dacre came up with a flying taxi design that would allow for affordable, yet fast travel to nearby cities. He died whiled trying to fly it in 2009.
- William Bullock (1813-1867): Bullock, who invented the web rotary printing press, didn’t die because his machine killed him. The machine being installed in Philadelphia crushed his foot. At that time, he developed gangrene, which resulted in an amputation that killed him.
- Marie Curie (1867-1934): Curie died of aplastic anemia after being exposed to radiation while inventing a process that would isolate radium.
Marie Curie (Photo: Wikimedia)
- Li Si (208 BC): Si was the Prime Minister in the Qin dynasty who was killed using a technique he himself created.
- James Heselden (1948-2010): Heselden bought company that manufactured Segways (invented by Dean Kamen) and was killed in an accident on the two-wheeled standing machine.
Segway (Photo: Wikimedia)
- Wan Hu: In the 16th century this Chinese official tried to rocket up to space with 47 rockets strapped to his chair. Needless to say, he didn’t make it to space (although, Wikipedia puts it as “neither he nor the chair was ever seen again”, so draw your own conclusions).
See who else is on Wikipedia’s list here. Share any other inventors killed by their own inventions you may be thinking of in the comments.
This story has been updated since its original posting to correct a grammatical error.
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Comments (69)
confederacyofdunces
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:22pmBut they made it into history. Obama, people make it into the history books for better or worse. Why not try for better?
Report Post »hagar
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 1:51pmYea he setting several historical firsts 1:Most money spent in a single term 2:Most money borrowed in a single term 3:Largest tax increase in U History (called Obamacare by many) 4:Most CZars 5: Most companies nationalized 6: I could go on but I am bleeding from my eyes
Report Post »Individualism
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 5:14pmCia killed by Al Qaeda and Israel killed by Hamas
Report Post »ScottyJ
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 3:28pmIf Wan Hu or his chair were never seen again, how do we know he didn’t succeed?
Report Post »Todd P
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:05amgood point!
Report Post »squaredog
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 12:56pmWould be safe to assume if he did indeed make it to space where there is no oxygen he would have died anyway…
Report Post »Gup20
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 3:08pmJesus.
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:48pmMust be “Jeopardy.” You give the answer and we guess what you are talking about.
Report Post »Gup20
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 11:47amJesus was killed by his own invention.
Jhn 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Jesus created human beings… and later became one and was killed by human beings, therefore, Jesus was killed by his own creation.
Report Post »Displacedsoutherner
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 1:47pmI blame Spell Check: If you’re not smarter than your computer then your ignorance (or laziness) is regularly on display; to believe otherwise is to incite/insight/in sight trouble and to be led/lead down a dangerous sloop/slop/slope.
In a world where “close” is “close enough” for many students things will only get worse/wurst.
Report Post »TheBurningTruth
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 4:20pmAhhh! Finally someone that gets it! Relying on spell checkers and calculators creates a laziness in English and Math that carries through to basic thinking. One can see in many posts that people don‘t know the difference between ’their’, ‘there’ and ‘they’re‘ or ’weather’ vs. ‘whether’ or any number of sound alike words. One can only wonder what their thinking processes are like.
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:51pmDon’t forget texting. Students don’t know English/grammar any more. Just incomplete mispelled sentences. My son said “That’s the way people talk now.” I guess that makes everything okay.
Report Post »shakedowncrews
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 1:18pmWho is the writer at the blaze, and who are the editors? Or are these errors from Wikipedia itself?
“Wikipedia puts it as “neither he nor the chair was ever seen again, so draw your own inclusions“ Draw your own ”inclusions”? You mean “conclusions”, don’t you?
“fell off during a text run” A “text” run?
The only “text” that is killing me is this horrible writing.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:31pmMounting wings to a Gremlin wasn’t the smartest move. He should have mounted them to a faster, lighter car.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:37pmOr a Pinto, hard to tell with the motor mount in the way, but the brake lights were larger on an AMC.
Report Post »Rogue
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 2:02pmThat is indeed the mighty winged Pinto. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzv4q5EEy1k
Rumor has it that it wasn’t a crash at all… it was rumored that the pilot was doing a pre-flight check, and while kicking a tire, accidentally kicked the gas tank instead.
Report Post »AzThunder
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 4:34pmits a pinto
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:16pmNewton: Law of Gravity….and also fig newtons (just kidding)
Report Post »booger71
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 3:02pmI was thinking Dr Frankenstein.
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:59amOn a lighter note?, Alfred Nobel’s brother was killed in a blast while they were working together on dynamite. Alfred never forgave himself for that, and when he saw the ‘uses’ his invention was being used for, he instituted the Nobel Peace Prize.
BTW – I’m a Polish racist, bigot, child molestin’ lecher myself. There’s more too, but i ain‘t goin’ there right now… :)
Report Post »MAMMY_NUNN
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:38amHow about Jimmy Hoffa.
Report Post »Go Glenn
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 2:47pmLOL good one. Although he didn’t invent crime or invent “******* people off” it was his un-doing anyway.
We can only hope that Obamacare will be the end of Obama……..maybe just maybe it will.
Report Post »evenhand
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:35amGeez, how could they have missed Mr. Gulliotine, who invented the Gulliotine, and then was killed in the French Revolution by a Gulliotine.
Report Post »paperpushermj
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:30pmNuts you beat me to it.
Report Post »Coyote6
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:34amThe Blaze desperately needs a copy-editor. Fortunately, I’m available.
Report Post »VISITORNUMBER3
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:58amA-MEN !!! Half the stories on here look like the people who wrote them either slept late or were typing three or four things at once…
Among all the other gross errors in this one, what was the point in mentioning this one? : “•Li Si (208 BC): Si was the Prime Minister in the Qin dynasty who was killed using a technique he himself created.”
Hmmmm… A technique of what ??
Report Post »VISITORNUMBER3
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:01pmI think part of it has to do with the fact that many writers today are part of the “sound-it-out” generation whose teachers thought it was okay to let them get by without learning to spell or use correct grammar. If they got two or more letters right, they gave them a passing grade.
Report Post »steelpanther
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:20pmWhat’s a text run?
Report Post »JamesHMiller
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 1:18pmWas this the 1st texting while driving accident?
Report Post »Dismayed Veteran
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 3:51pmWhatever you do don’t use the same positional technique as Si.
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:45pmAll part of “Dumbing Down America.” It’s working, isn’t it?
Report Post »RANGER1965
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:27amOne of the great ironic classics is an invention called the Brazen Bull. It was a full sized brass bull whose insides were hollow. A series of twisting metal tubes were attached to this interior hollow. The victim/prisoner was placed into the hollow through a metal hatch. The hatch was closed, trapping the victim. Then a bonfire was lit under the brass bull. The brass would heat up, and the victim would begin screaming in pain. The clever tubes connected to the interior prison would transform the screams into a deep bass mooing sound. Just like a cow.
In this way a greek king and his famly could enjoy a nice dinner while being entertained by the Brazen Bull, all while torturing a prisoner, and without being disturbed by his pesky screams. ( If you saw the movie Immortals, you might remember this device being used)
The inventor of this device was a metal worker named Perillos of Athens, who it is claimed was executed by his own invention.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:46amWonderful story, I had no idea, thank you!
Report Post »Qtaug
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:05pmAll of them are “feel good” stories!
Report Post »RANGER1965
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:25pm@QTaug…LOL!
Report Post »Nasado
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 1:06pmDang, I was going to mention that one. Oh well, the early bird gathers not moss, the rolling stone gets the worm as they always say.
Report Post »huey6367
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:27amWonder if they ever found Wan Hu (the space chair traveler)?
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:42pmHis fame spread all over the region.
Report Post »THX-1138
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:09amI Dig Irony.
The Five Pains is a Chinese form of capital punishment invented during the Qin Dynasty (221 – 208 BC). The Five Pains were as follows: first the victim’s nose was cut off, followed by a hand and then a foot. The victim was then castrated and finally cut in half at the waist. Li Si, who was chief advisor to emperor Qin Shi Huangdi, invented this form of lethal torture, and was ultimately executed this way himself.
Report Post »cs104
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:08amBe careful Glenn!!! After this story you’ll never know if GBTV & The Blaze will plot agaist you.
Report Post »watersRpeople
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:18amIf the editing, and proof reading of the blaze articles is any indication – I‘d say he’ll do himself in.
Report Post »Mapache
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:03amIf it is still around, I suspect Obama will be done in by Obamacare.
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:02amHow about the guy who invented Russian roulette?
Report Post »billrow
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:59amWillie Nelson died of of a text run? Li Si was killed by a technique?
Who the heck writes this junk?
Report Post »pickupyurcross
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:02amHe was the first known death to be directly related to texting while driving.
Report Post »watersRpeople
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:21amIt is written by people who use calculators far too often, and who don’t really understand a main aspect of mathematics courses is to teach people to check their work – not just to get an a result.
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:56pmI am afraid I have to use a calculator. I haven’t seen my sliderule in 40 years. I still remember how to use it. I still have my draft card, too.
Report Post »N37BU6
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:55amhttp://i.imgur.com/sxbhj.jpg
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:10amLOL, I can the government using the ADA to post those everywhere.
Report Post »lylejk
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:45amOne of the Wright brothers died while flying one of their airplanes if my memory serves me correctly. :)
Report Post »lylejk
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:49amShould of gotten off my lazy keyboard and do a search. I was wrong. lol
Sorry; not sure why I remember seeing this. Sorry Wright bros. :)
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:24amMaybe you were thinking about the cough-drops made by the Smith Brothers….one brother choked on a cough-drop and the surviving brother came up with a new product…”Life-Savers”. LOL p.s. when most of us did not have much money but wanted to give Christmas gifts, remember the “Life-Savers” booklets that came out during the season? Remember when you could make up a chocolate/fruit baskets and decorate to give as gifts, but the price of fruit/vegetables are so expensive now-a-days, make up a basket with Dollar-Store decorations and put in variety of V-8 Juices..LOL
Report Post »God Bless America!!!
lylejk
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:38amI remember when I was very young, that Dad would take us to the Base Movie Theatre since they gave out free nylon stockings full of goodies (bet you know what I’m talking about; lol) after the cartoon was done playing. I still have memories of that. Was actually quite happy with the little toys and candy. Being a 2 2 stiper in the Airforce at that time, Dad didn’t make too money and we lived a humble but happy life as I recall (but I was under 3 so who really can remember all the details; lol). :)
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:44amMaybe Pelosi could invent something ….
Report Post »tzion
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:18amHow many communists have been killed by communism?
Report Post »Tirabi
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:42am“•William Nelson (ca. 1879−1903): Nelson was an employee at General Electric who invented a motorized bicycle but fell off during a text run of the prototype.”
Is this the first case of texting while driving?
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:58amYou beat me to it.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:29pmHe could have had the Ebonics translator running when he wrote that piece :-)
Report Post »SREGN
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:34amAl Gore invented the internet but his presidency was killed by the blogosphere.
Report Post »MAULEMALL
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:47amThats just tooo freakin clasic….
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:30amDon’t forget Dr. Frakenstien.
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:27amInventor of “recycling”. Sorry, my bad. LOL
Report Post »saved4ever
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:28amVictor Frankenstein was not killed by the monster. He died from an illness. The monster absconded with his body and he floated away on an ice floe.
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:11pm@saved
Remember the movie starring Robert DeNiro(sp) as the monster? It broke my heart when the Dr. died and the monster said the doctor was his father. Great movie and acting.
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