Some fads hold on for decades—or at least as long as it takes us to realize that what we’re doing is dangerous. With the recent anti-vaccination movement, along with the relatively new fads of weight loss pills and e-cigarettes, there’s a whole list of mistakes we’ve made that, in the end, we find out we probably shouldn’t have.

10Skipping Vaccinations

The anti-vaccination movement somehow keeps attracting followers. Its advocates try to warn the public about vaccine side effects like seizures (which are extremely rare and have no lasting effects) and about the link between vaccines and autism (which is non-existent and based on a single discredited report). The movement helps no one. Instead, it’s making hundreds of people sick.

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. Nonetheless, the Center for Disease Control has identified 288 cases of the potentially deadly disease in 2014 across 18 different states. Most of the cases were contracted when unvaccinated individuals traveled overseas and were exposed to the disease before bringing it back. Among those hardest hit by the outbreak is the Amish community through unvaccinated missionaries.

Vaccines save lives. The last 20 years of vaccines have prevented an estimated 732,000 deaths.

9Wearing Muslin

Muslin is a versatile cotton fabric first made in the Middle East and popular in Europe since the 17th century. When the material came to France, it brought with it a deadly fashion trend.

Limitations had already been placed on fashion by sumptuary laws, which restricted what clothing French citizens could wear. Women started wearing light, sheer muslin dresses that harkened back to ancient Greece. The goal was to look like a Greek statue: pure, white, and marble. The muslin dresses were often worn over tights. They were also worn wet to accent the features of the body beneath.

While it might seem like a harmless, if somewhat immodest, display, it gave rise to what was popularly known as muslin disease. Women wore thin, wet clothes all year ’round, even in the winter. When influenza swept through Paris in 1803, it struck some 60,000 people each day, mostly women whose ability to fight off the disease was seriously compromised by their fashion choice.

8Asbestos

A huge number of buildings still contain asbestos, but the fire-resistant material is far from a new discovery. Asbestos was used as far back as 4000 B.C., when the slow-burning material appeared ideal for candle wicks. Early Egyptians used asbestos to wrap the bodies of their dead to prevent decay, and in ancient Greece, bodies placed on funeral pyres were wrapped with asbestos cloth to separate their ashes from the ashes of the fire.

Clay cooking pots were lined with asbestos in areas across Europe, and in ancient Rome, cloths made from asbestos could be cleaned just by throwing them into the fire. Charlemagne ordered tablecloths made of asbestos to keep them from catching fire during his parties, and knights in the Crusades flung burning tar from their catapults wrapped in—you guessed it—asbestos. Long thought to be a byproduct of a fiery lizard (an idea that was disproved by Marco Polo), asbestos was even the material of choice for sellers of holy relics. The unique properties of the material gave wood an ancient, weathered look that made it look a part of The Cross.

The dangers of asbestos have been known since the time of ancient Greece, when miners wore masks made of animal innards to keep from breathing the fibers. But in modern times, not till the 1970s and the emergence of mesothelioma did the asbestos industry shut down.

7E-Cigarettes

E-cigarettes give you the same nicotine hit as conventional cigarettes without the toxic tar. Even advocates who oppose vaping—believing it may discourage smokers from abandoning nicotine altogether—say it is better than smoking. However, users who think they can inhale a chemical for a nicotine high without suffering any effects are mistaken.

The vapor can contain chemicals like formaldehyde and acetone and can produce eye and respiratory irritants like propylene glycol. While the levels in secondhand vapor are less than those in secondhand smoke, they can still pose health risks. These risks increase when the e-cigarette is turned up higher.

Beyond the effects of inhaling the vapor, e-cigarettes present consumers with a concentrated, toxic chemical, and many have shown themselves incapable of using or storing it properly. In one month in 2014, poison control centers reported upward of 200 phone calls after children ingested the poison or got it on their skin. Pets are also at risk. Depending on the size of the dog, chewing a single cartridge can result in anything from seizures and cardiac arrest to death—all within 15 minutes. Users of e-cigarettes should keep cartridges out of the reach of children and pets, as they would alcohol or any other potentially dangerous substance.

6Dietary Supplements

Many swear by their vitamin C and calcium pills, but supplements touted as healthy sometimes turn out to be just the opposite.

In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration pulled several weight loss supplements from the market. They’d linked a stimulant called dimethylamlamine (DMAA) with 86 cases of psychiatric disorders, nervous system malfunction, and death. Even after the danger was documented, one company the FDA contacted refused to stop manufacturing the drug until the FDA visited them in person.

The FDA doesn’t review supplements before they hit the market. Bills have been put before Congress to make the agency do so, but for now, consumers must just trust the manufacturer. A supplement may be useless at best or contain deadly substances at worst.

5Radium Watches And Dials

Radium was first discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie. It naturally occurs when uranium decays, and purified radium has the property of glowing in the dark. For the public in the early 1900s, that glow was unique, and radium was used in the first glow-in-the-dark watches. Soldiers in trenches during World War I told time after sunset using the glow. And many industrial dials, such as on ship and airplane control panels, were coated with radium for easy reading.

Dial painters were mostly young women, and they were expected to paint about 250 watch dials every day. Many took to rolling the tips of their paint brushes between their lips. Others streaked their hair with radium to make themselves shine. Slowly, the girls fell ill. Teeth fell out, sores developed, and the bones in their faces rotted away.

In 1924, Harvard University and the US Radium Company investigated the effects of radium for the first time. The study concluded that the deaths of the young women in the plant had nothing to do with radium. But when the Consumers League of New Jersey got involved—with the help of some less-biased doctors—they found that radium is dangerous, and so were the working conditions at the factory. Turning off the lights revealed that the women were constantly covered in radium dust, glowing in the dark like their watch dials. Exposure was so great that when they breathed, they were breathing out radon gas.

4Mercury

The phrase “mad as a hatter” comes from the use of mercury in 19th-century hat-making. Originally, hatters separated fur from animal hides for felt using camel urine, as the urea’s chemical reaction pulled the hairs out of the skin. Later, people wondered why they were going through all the trouble of getting camel urine when they had plenty of their own readily available. So manufacturers shifted to human urine instead.

Over time, it appeared that syphilitic felt-makers consistently produced higher-quality felt. Those workers treated their disease with mercury, which entered their urine. When their urine hit animal skins, it reacted differently, fur came off more easily, and the skin took less damage. Felt-makers stopped using urine altogether and switched to mercury nitrate.

The process was banned in the United States in 1941—but not because of the risks, which had been known since 1874. Mercury was needed for weapons manufacturing, so the government appropriated it for wartime use.

3Cadmium Paint

Cadmium sulfide is a component of many yellow paints. It was hugely popular with the Impressionists and was a favorite of artists like Van Gogh, Monet, and Matisse. Long-term effects of cadmium-based paints weren’t known at the time, though, and now, more than a few Impressionist paintings are decaying because of the breakdown of the cadmium sulfide. Even after we realized the compound decays and changes color, we kept using it.

But while calcium sulfide can lead to paintings changing over time, some paints contain pure cadmium metal, which can be dangerous. Cadmium is a toxic carcinogen. McDonald’s was caught using cadmium paint on merchandise in 2010 and had to recall 12 million units of Shrek tie-ins.

2Carving Pumpkins

Halloween is loosely based on the Celtic holiday Samhain, the final harvest of the year traditionally observed on October 31. It prepared people for the long winter months, when bonfires were lit to protect the living from the spirits of the dead. Those massive bonfires turned into smaller fires and were made safer by lighting them within a turnip.

When the tradition crossed to North America, turnips were in short supply, but pumpkins weren’t. So the tradition expanded to lighting fires within pumpkins, and with carving the thick-skinned vegetable came danger. According to Consumer Reports, about one-third of Halloween-related injuries happen when carving pumpkins. These range from cuts to severed tendons.

A SUNY Upstate Medical University research team wanted to learn how badly different carving knives hurt people, but testing them on live humans seemed ethically questionable. So they removed hands from cadavers, and they used a hydraulic press and a variety of kitchen knives to see what kind of damage each would do. They tested the pressure needed to carve the pumpkin against the pressure needed to damage the hand. Blades marketed as pumpkin-cutting tools were generally less dangerous than standard kitchen knives, but care should still be taken to avoid making the night a bit more gruesome than planned.

1Skin Care

Beauty might be only skin deep, but that’s all it’s ever taken for the human race to do a lot of damage to themselves. For hundreds of years, we’ve been more concerned with the current beauty ideals than safety.

Our history of dangerous skin care products goes back at least to feudal Japan, whose lead- and mercury-based face paints created highly desired white complexions. Those powders and paints remained popular through the 18th century, when people finally got concerned about side effects like lead poisoning and neurological disorders.

That’s about the same time that the Western ideal changed. Once, pale skin was considered beautiful, as it meant an indoor lifestyle free from manual labor. With the Industrial Revolution, pale skin meant you were from the working class, confined to factories and mines. A tan, however, meant you had leisure time out in the country and were likely healthier than those subjected to cramped, polluted cities.

Tanned skin became much more desirable, and when Coco Chanel began the trend of sunbathing, the idea really took off. But we now know that about 90 percent of skin cancer cases are linked to prolonged sun exposure. The same exposure can age you prematurely, weaken your immune system, and damage your eyes.

Human ingenuity has led to remarkable advancements, yet the same creative spirit sometimes results in bafflingly impractical inventions. Throughout history, individuals have pursued ideas that, despite their absurdity, were brought to life. Often motivated by a mix of optimism, ambition, and perhaps a dash of delusion, these ventures have left us with a legacy of incredible yet undeniably dumb ideas.

These examples underscore the human tendency to dream big, sometimes at the expense of practicality and common sense. Yet, these stories are not just about failure. They highlight the enduring human spirit to innovate and the lessons we learn from our mistakes.

Whether it’s the world’s slowest car or a spoon that melts at the mere touch of warm food, each entry in this list is a testament to the quirky, sometimes reckless, side of human invention. So, let’s dive into these incredibly dumb ideas that people actually implemented and marvel at the audacity behind them.

Related: Top 10 Dumb Inventions That Made a Millionaire

10 A Bicycle with Triangular Wheels

In the realm of unconventional transportation, few ideas are as puzzling as the bicycle with triangular wheels. This bizarre invention was intended to provide a smoother ride by utilizing a unique wheel shape. However, the reality was far less impressive.

Unlike circular wheels, which roll smoothly, triangular wheels create a bumpy and unstable ride. Each rotation results in a jarring motion that disrupts the cyclist’s balance. This fundamental flaw rendered the bicycle nearly impossible to ride effectively, turning what was supposed to be an innovative solution into an impractical oddity.

Despite its impracticality, the triangular-wheeled bicycle garnered attention as a novelty item. Inventors showcased it as an example of thinking outside the box, albeit without considering practical applications. This invention stands as a testament to the importance of combining creativity with practicality in design.^[1]

9 Building and Buying Properties in Flood Zones

One of the most baffling real estate practices is the persistent development and purchase of properties in flood-prone areas. Despite frequent and devastating floods, cities worldwide continue to expand into these risky zones. This seemingly irrational decision often leads to catastrophic financial and personal losses when the inevitable floods occur.

Government policies and insurance schemes also play a role in perpetuating this cycle. Subsidized flood insurance and disaster relief funds can create a false sense of security, encouraging people to rebuild in the same vulnerable locations. This endangers future residents and places a significant financial burden on taxpayers who fund these relief efforts.

The ongoing development in flood zones is a glaring example of shortsighted planning. It highlights the need for stricter regulations and better urban planning to prevent recurring disasters. By prioritizing safety and sustainability over immediate gains, we can avoid the repeated heartbreak and economic strain caused by flooding.^[2]

8 The Concrete Fleet of WWII

During World War II, a remarkable yet impractical solution was attempted to address the shortage of steel for shipbuilding: concrete ships. These vessels, known as the Concrete Fleet, were constructed from reinforced concrete, a material commonly associated with buildings and infrastructure, not seaworthy vessels.

Despite the ingenuity behind this concept, the execution left much to be desired. Concrete ships were significantly heavier than their steel counterparts, making them slower and less maneuverable. Their structural integrity was questionable, leading to numerous maintenance issues and a higher risk of damage in rough seas.

Interestingly, the concrete ships did find some limited success in non-combat roles, such as storage and breakwaters. However, their inability to perform well in active service highlighted the limitations of using concrete as a primary material for shipbuilding. The Concrete Fleet remains a fascinating footnote in naval history, illustrating how innovative ideas can sometimes miss the mark.^[3]

7 The Christmas Bullet: The Worst Plane Ever Made

In the early 20th century, one of the most notorious aviation failures was the Christmas Bullet, an airplane designed by Dr. William Christmas. Promoted as a revolutionary fighter plane, the Bullet was intended to be a marvel of modern engineering. However, its design was fatally flawed from the outset, leading to catastrophic results.

The most glaring issue with the Christmas Bullet was its lack of wing struts, a feature essential for the structural integrity of an aircraft. Dr. Christmas believed the wings would be more efficient if they were allowed to “flap” like a bird’s, a disastrously incorrect theory. During its first test flight, the wings detached from the fuselage, resulting in the death of the pilot and the complete destruction of the plane.

Undeterred, Dr. Christmas built a second Bullet with the same design flaws, which met the same tragic end. Despite the obvious dangers, the project continued to receive funding due to Dr. Christmas’s persuasive abilities and connections within the government. This persistence in the face of repeated failures turned the Christmas Bullet into a symbol of misguided innovation and tragic hubris.^[4]

6 The Peel P50: The World’s Slowest and Smallest Car

The Peel P50, a microcar manufactured in the 1960s on the Isle of Man, holds the dubious honor of being the world’s smallest production car. Marketed as a convenient vehicle for short urban commutes, its design was intended to revolutionize personal transportation. However, the reality of driving the Peel P50 proved far less practical.

Measuring just 54 inches (137.2 cm) in length and weighing a mere 130 pounds (59 kilograms), the P50 was powered by a tiny 49cc engine that delivered a top speed of about 38 mph (61.2 km/h). Despite its small size and low speed, the car was notoriously difficult to maneuver, with a single door on the left side, no reverse gear, and a tendency to tip over due to its narrow wheelbase. The P50’s impracticality was further highlighted by its lack of modern safety features and limited storage capacity.

Interestingly, the Peel P50 has found a second life in recent years as a quirky collector’s item and a symbol of automotive eccentricity. It even holds a spot in the Guinness World Records as the smallest production car ever made. While its practical use remains questionable, its charm and novelty continue to captivate car enthusiasts around the world.^[5]

5 The Useless Spoon That Melts

In the world of kitchen gadgets, few inventions are as bafflingly impractical as the spoon that melts at 86°F (30°C). Marketed as an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic utensils, this spoon was made from a biodegradable material designed to break down quickly.

The most glaring flaw of this spoon is its low melting point. At just 86°F, the spoon begins to soften and lose its shape, making it utterly useless for most hot foods and beverages. Imagine stirring your morning coffee or eating a bowl of hot soup, only to find your spoon disintegrating before your eyes. This renders the spoon not only impractical but also a potential hazard, as it can leave bits of material in your food.

Despite its shortcomings, the melting spoon did gain some attention as a novelty item. It was occasionally used at events to highlight the importance of biodegradable products, albeit more for its shock value than its practicality. Its failure underscores the need to carefully consider functionality when designing eco-friendly alternatives. This kitchen gadget, though well-intentioned, ultimately failed to deliver on its promise of sustainability.^[6]

4 Balfron Tower: The Most Unattractive Building in the World

Balfron Tower, an example of Brutalist architecture, is often regarded as one of the most unattractive buildings in the world. Designed by Ernő Goldfinger and completed in 1967, the tower was intended to provide affordable housing in East London. However, its stark, concrete exterior and imposing design quickly became symbols of architectural excess and urban decay.

Inside, residents faced numerous issues, including poorly insulated apartments, malfunctioning elevators, and inadequate heating. These problems, combined with the building’s austere appearance, led to widespread dissatisfaction among tenants.

Despite its flaws, Balfron Tower has garnered attention from architectural enthusiasts and historians. Some praise its bold design and the vision behind it, while others see it as a cautionary tale of sacrificing functionality for architectural experimentation.^[7]

3 The Voynich Manuscript: The Book Intentionally Designed to Be Impossible to Read

The Voynich Manuscript, often described as the world’s most mysterious book, has baffled scholars, cryptographers, and historians for centuries. Discovered in 1912 by antiquarian bookseller Wilfrid Voynich, this medieval manuscript is written in an unknown script and illustrated with bizarre drawings of plants, astronomical diagrams, and naked figures. Despite numerous attempts to decode its contents, the manuscript remains an enigma.

One of the most perplexing aspects of the Voynich Manuscript is its unique language, which does not match any known linguistic patterns. Some researchers believe it to be an elaborate hoax, intentionally designed to be impossible to read. Others speculate it could be a cipher or a code waiting to be cracked.

The manuscript’s illustrations add another layer of intrigue. The plants depicted do not correspond to any known species, and the astronomical charts do not match any known constellations. Despite extensive research and advanced technological analysis, the Voynich Manuscript remains undeciphered, preserving its status as one of history’s greatest unsolved mysteries. It continues to captivate the imagination of all who encounter it, symbolizing the allure of the unknown and the human quest for knowledge.^[8]

2 The World’s First Underwater Car

The concept of an underwater car sounds like something straight out of a science fiction movie, but in the early 2000s, Swiss company Rinspeed made it a reality with the sQuba. Inspired by the Lotus Esprit from the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, this vehicle was designed to transition seamlessly from land to water, allowing drivers to explore underwater environments.

Despite its futuristic appeal, the sQuba faced numerous practical challenges. It could only submerge to a depth of about 33 feet (10 meters) and had a top underwater speed of just 2 mph ((3.2 km/h). Moreover, the car required its occupants to wear scuba gear, as the cabin was not watertight, adding complexity and inconvenience.

The sQuba also came with a hefty price tag, limiting its accessibility to only the wealthiest enthusiasts. Its limited range and speed, both on land and underwater, further restricted its practicality. While it was a marvel of engineering and showcased innovative technology, the sQuba ultimately remained a niche novelty rather than a revolutionary mode of transportation.

The world’s first underwater car is a fascinating example of pushing the boundaries of automotive design. However, its many limitations highlight the gap between ambitious concepts and practical applications.^[9]

1 The Motorized Ice Cream Cone

In the world of impractical inventions, the motorized ice cream cone stands out as a particularly unnecessary gadget. Designed to rotate your ice cream for you, this device aimed to eliminate the “effort” of turning the cone by hand. Despite its novelty appeal, it quickly became apparent that the motorized cone was more of a gimmick than a practical tool.

The cone features a small electric motor that spins the ice cream while you hold it. This might sound amusing, but eating ice cream is already a simple, enjoyable activity that hardly requires mechanical assistance. The motorized cone complicates this simplicity, adding unnecessary bulk and requiring batteries to function.

Moreover, the device’s environmental impact is concerning. The need for disposable batteries adds to waste, and the additional cost of maintaining the cone outweighs any minor convenience it might provide. The motorized ice cream cone, while an interesting concept, ultimately serves as an example of over-engineering a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.

This quirky invention reminds us that not all technological advancements improve our lives. Sometimes, the simplest pleasures, like eating ice cream, are best enjoyed without unnecessary gadgets.^[10]

We have finally arrived at the end of the Skywalker saga. All nine movies were wrapped up with a neat little bow when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was released in cinemas around the world in December 2019.

Now that the saga is over (or at least the numbered films), let’s look back at some of the fun and cool ideas that didn’t quite make it into The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, or The Rise of Skywalker. Here are the top 10 unused Star Wars sequel trilogy ideas.

10 Ideas George Lucas Wanted To See In The New ‘Star Wars’ Movies

10 Han Solo The Drunk

While Han Solo is undoubtedly the most lovable scoundrel in the galaxy, his introduction in The Force Awakens would have been drastically different in this story line. Rather than going back to the life of a smuggler after separating with Leia (due to their son’s fall to the dark side of the Force), Han would have turned to the bottle instead.

A piece of concept art shared on Lucasfilm artist Christian Alzmann’s Instagram page shows Solo drinking his problems away in some seedy establishment by outlasting every exotic patron around.^[1]

Although this could have been a fun idea and a nice bit of character development for Han, it would have been a little too heavy and “real” for what is essentially a fun and upbeat movie.

9 A Bald Kylo Ren

The Last Jedi was a real roller coaster of a movie. Although it divided the Star Wars fan base, it can’t be denied that director Rian Johnson made some bold decisions as to the direction of the film and its characters.

Speaking of bold . . . early concept art for the highly volatile Kylo Ren depicts him as being completely bald. Johnson wanted Kylo to have a duality to his character—part good, part bad. The harsh, bald look would have contrasted with his sleeker and smoother outfit.

In the end, it was decided that the dreamiest bad guy in all of Star Wars did need that luscious head of hair. The egghead look would have been too much of a departure from the character we knew in The Force Awakens.^[2]

8 The Alternate Opening Shot Of The Last Jedi

Star Wars movies (at least the numbered ones) traditionally start off with the crawl that pans down—and, on one occasion, up—to reveal a planet. While The Last Jedi follows suit, the film was originally meant to begin in a somewhat different way.

The crawl would happen and fade away into the depths of space. Then the camera would pan down to reveal a planet . . . but wait . . . it’s not a planet. The audience’s expectations are subverted, and it is revealed that this “planet” is the domed top of the medical capsule where Finn is recovering after he sustained injuries in the previous movie.

This interesting idea was filmed and even included in the deleted scenes on the home release. But it didn’t make the final cut. Instead, The Last Jedi gets off to a more action-packed start with the Resistance’s evacuation of their base and the First Order attack.^[3]

7 Rey Was Going To Be Called Keera

When J.J. Abrams first got the ball rolling on what would become The Force Awakens, he only knew that he wanted a female lead. But according to Daisy Ridley, who played this Star Wars heroine, the undefined character did have a name attached to her: Keera (or Kira, depending on whom you ask).

The name seemed to be an almost sure thing. However, when filming for Episode VII began in the Abu Dhabi desert in 2014, Abrams changed the character’s name at the last minute to Rey.^[4]

The name Keera wasn’t completely abandoned, though. It was repurposed and changed to the slightly more exotic-looking Qi’ra for Emilia Clarke’s character in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

6 The Underwater Millennium Falcon

Everyone recognizes the Millennium Falcon as the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy. But did you know that there was early concept art in which the Falcon journeyed under the sea?

The official Star Wars Twitter account tweeted out an image of the submerged spacecraft approaching the spire that housed Emperor Palpatine’s throne room from Return of the Jedi.

Clearly, the notion of an underwater exploration was scrapped early during the production of the trilogy. But the idea of the Millennium Falcon being watertight as well as airtight is awesome!^[5]

Top 10 ‘Star Wars’ Background Characters You Never Even Noticed

5 The Warhammer

Bad guys get all the cool things—cool armor, cool masks, and even cool superweapons!

In The Force Awakens, the newly formed Resistance needed something to tackle the First Order’s new system-destroying Starkiller Base (pictured above). Enter The Warhammer. This Resistance superweapon was going to drive a wedge between the New Republic and General Leia Organa, but she took great pride in this secret weapon.

Unfortunately, The Warhammer would have been destroyed during the attack on Starkiller Base, rendering The Warhammer useless to the overall plot of the movie. Still, it’s cool to know that the good guys almost had a superweapon, too.^[6]

4 Force Ghost Anakin . . . And Darth Vader

The Skywalker saga is inarguably the story of Anakin Skywalker. The prequel trilogy explains his rise, the original trilogy depicts his fall, and the sequel trilogy shows his legacy. Despite his large presence in the first two trilogies, Anakin remains largely absent from the sequels. However, this was not originally going to be the case.

A Force ghost Anakin was going to show himself to either Rey or Kylo Ren. However, this ghost character was going to slip back and forth between the good—Anakin Skywalker—and the bad—Darth Vader. Speaking about the idea in the book The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, artist Iain McCaig said:

When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow. That inspired me to propose, for the first time, that Anakin’s ghost could come back. [ . . . ] If we see Anakin Skywalker, because he does flow back and forth between Darth Vader and Anakin, let’s see him as a character with a dark and light side.

Although the idea never made it very far, it’s an extremely cool concept to highlight that this is still the story of Anakin Skywalker. Luckily, he did finally make his comeback (albeit only in voice form) in The Rise Of Skywalker.^[7]

3 The Floating Hand

We’ve talked about the alternate opening shot of The Last Jedi, but there was also an alternate opening for The Force Awakens: The camera pans down from the iconic opening crawl to see not a planet but a hand!

It’s Luke Skywalker’s severed hand from The Empire Strikes Back—the one that Darth Vader chopped off during their climactic battle on Cloud City. The hand—still clinging to the lightsaber—floats through space and ends up falling toward the planet Jakku. The lightsaber (without the hand, which burns up as it enters the atmosphere) lands on Jakku and is eventually picked up by Rey or another heroic character.

Although the opening of the movie was changed to something more traditional, actor Mark Hamill confirmed that the alternate macabre opening was in a rough cut of the film.^[8]

2 The Eye Of Web­bish Bog

The Rise Of Skywalker opens with Supreme Leader Kylo Ren rampaging through the desolate forests of Mustafar in search of a mysterious wayfinder. However, Ren’s encounter with a creature called the Eye of Webbish Bog didn’t make it into the final cut of the movie.

The creature was conceived as a pasty-skinned being that merged with a spidery tentacle parasite that lived in a rancid lake near the ruins of Darth Vader’s castle (as seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). The abomination would have pointed Ren in the right direction to find the coveted wayfinder that would lead him safely through the unknown regions of the galaxy.

Although the Eye of Webbish Bog never made it to the screen (presumably because it would have made Ren’s quest extra confusing), it is one of the few things on this list that has found life in the novelization of the movie.^[9]

1 The Whills Of The Force

Until relatively recently, this renegade idea had never made it any further than the mind of the original creator of Star Wars, George Lucas himself. His idea for the entire sequel trilogy (had he kept the rights to Star Wars and made the movies himself) was to focus on the midichlorians (or midi-chlorians), the microscopic life-forms that live within Force-sensitive people.

Lucas wanted to ground the Force in the biological world. Although it would have taken away the mysticism of the Force, this idea would have provided a fascinating new angle from which to view the saga. Lucas explained it this way:

Back in the day, I used to say . . . we were just cars, vehicles for the Whills to travel around in. [ . . . ] We’re vessels for them. And the conduit is the midichlorians. The midichlorians are the ones that communicate with the Whills. The Whills, in a general sense, they are the Force.^[10]

Unfortunately, Lucas decided to sell his company Lucasfilm (which included the rights to the Star Wars movie franchise) to Disney in 2012 for $4.05 billion. He also provided Disney with an outline for a sequel trilogy. But Disney largely ignored Lucas’s ideas and took the Star Wars franchise in a much different direction.

10 Reasons Disney Axed The ‘Star Wars’ Expanded Universe

Poaching is snowballing out of control. By threatening the variety of life on Earth, poachers disturb our ecosystems in ways that are not completely known. Resources are overused in the fight against these criminals. To ward off the threats, conservationists must think outside the box.

They leave cell phones in the woods to catch loggers and turn rhino horns pink with poison. Then there is EAGLE, the only eco-group that takes down the bad guys James Bond–style. All right, maybe not entirely like 007, but they are still pretty badass.

10 Environmental Disaster Time Bombs

10 Saving Water By Turning It Into Art

Fine living often comes at the expense of the environment. But a few years ago, a design student named Simin Qiu proved that taps can be upper-crust utensils and save water. While the faucet itself is chic, the real stunner is the water. While pouring, it looks like glass with patterns.

Qiu achieved this by running the water through a double turbine and nozzles capable of spinning different patterns. The faucet also limits the flow by 15 percent. Considering how much taps are used each day, this feature saves a lot of water. Additionally, the award-winning “Swirl Faucet” keeps the temperature steady which avoids unnecessary heating costs.^[1]

9 Saving Lions By Painting Cows

Antelope are swift. Lions and cows not so much. For this reason, the big cats are increasingly looking to buy steak. But the farmers are not selling. Instead, they shoot any lions that kill livestock or plainly any lion they see. There is a problem with that—wild African lions are endangered.

In 2015, desperation led to innovation. Conservationists started to paint the butts of cows.

They took inspiration from two facts. First, lions are ambush hunters. These predators often give up the hunt the moment they realize that their cover is blown. Second, butterflies have wing patterns with fake eyes to look more “aware” of anything that might be trying to eat them.

An experiment in Botswana suggested that these “butterfly eyes” might discourage lions from an attack. A herd of 62 cattle was followed for 10 weeks. A third of them grazed while fake eyes on their bums glared at the world behind them. During that time, three cows were killed but none of them were the marked ones.^[2]

8 Letting Grannies Count Toxic Snakes

In New Caledonia, tourists love swimming near the city of Noumea. The bay is also home to sea snakes. Researchers wanted to better understand the reptiles in order to protect them (and people from getting fangs in unspeakable places).

After studying all species for 15 years, the focus switched to one deadly customer. The greater sea snake is a 1.5-meter (4.9 ft) ribbon of venom. The survey was heartening. Only around 10 were spotted every year. But the numbers changed dramatically when a group of snorkeling seniors got wind of the project.

The seven women in their sixties and seventies were frequent swimmers at the bay. They offered to photograph any greater sea snake they saw. After receiving the green light, the grandmothers swam with the reptiles for years. Their work was groundbreaking.^[3]

The seniors captured unknown breeding behavior and hundreds of the toxic snakes. This massive population proved that the species was not aggressive. Countless swimmers visit the area, but nobody has ever been bitten.

7 Stalking Fish With Another Fish

The stalker is not a normal fish. Wiggling through the waters off Fiji, this robot rubs shoulders with shoals and they cannot tell the difference. The critter is called SoFi—or more adorably, the Soft Robotic Fish.

It was created by MIT to study fish without disturbing them. As pollution and overfishing decimate the oceans, time is running out to gather knowledge about vulnerable species. But a scuba diver with a notepad is not going to get up close and personal with fish. This is where SoFi can help.

The lifelike robot can record videos of natural behavior, the kind that rarely happens when humans are around. Besides spying on the reef crowd, SoFi also allows an accurate look at the health of the marine ecosystem. In fact, the wobbly wonder is doing such a good job that shoals of SoFis might monitor the ocean’s well-being one day.^[4]

6 Growing A Monster Jungle From Orange Peels

When Princeton scientists approached a fruit company in the 1990s, they wanted to make the land more fertile. They chose Del Oro, a juice company in Costa Rica. If Del Oro donated a part of its property to a nearby reserve, they could use the land as a free dumping site for all their orange peels. The company agreed.

Del Oro dumped 12,000 tons before a rival company interfered. TicoFruit claimed that the reserve was being defiled, and Costa Rica’s Supreme Court agreed. It did not seem to matter that the soil was so lifeless that it could not be defiled, even if Del Oro tried. But when the gavel came down, the experiment ended.

In 2013, a Princeton scientist was visiting Costa Rica for other reasons when he decided to check on the dumping site. He found something shocking. The soil had become insanely fertile. He could not find the giant sign that marked the site because it was overgrown with vines. (They finally found it years after his visit.)

The dead land was now a virile jungle. One fig tree was so thick that three people had to link together to hug the trunk.^[5]

Nobody had expected this level of success. Even more mysterious was how the humble orange peel had turned things around so quickly. Indeed, Del Oro had only dumped their waste for two years. Then the site was left alone for 16 years. The speedy recovery was inexplicable—and probably the greenest defilement on record.

10 Weird Environmental Issues With Serious Impacts On Wildlife

5 Making Cows Burp Seaweed

Cows are burping massive amounts of methane. This potent greenhouse gas is a natural part of their digestion. They swallow food, burp it back up, and then chew the cud before swallowing it again. Unfortunately, cows burp countless times a day and Planet Earth has a lot of cattle. A lot.

When a cow munches, an enzyme in their gut produces the methane. After trying several things, researchers found that seaweed made the enzyme a bit lazy. Which was great. The less active it was, the less methane the enzyme was likely to cough up.

One of the most remarkable reductions was seen when scientists added a mere 2 percent of seaweed (a type called Asparagopsis taxiformis) to the animals’ regular feed. The cows still burped up their food to chew, but it happened less and the methane dropped by 99 percent.^[6]

4 Hunting Poachers Like Foxes

The Kruger National Park is South Africa’s flagship reserve. Sadly, most rhinos that are poached are killed inside this park or the surrounding game farms. In the past, tracker dogs were used, but they stayed on leads. This slowed the chase, and too many poachers escaped.

Then the staff heard about coonhounds in Texas. This bloodline was bred for generations to be aggressive and to run in packs after escaped inmates. They ran the men down like foxes. The South Africans liked the idea of free-running dogs but not the fact that they were so aggressive. One demonstration left a heavily padded volunteer badly bruised.^[7]

The Texans complied and retrained some of their best dogs not to bite. The pack was then flown to South Africa. Scarcely had they landed when a call came in that a rhino had been killed.

The dogs were released from helicopters and caught the poachers. The next day, they caught some more. The day after that, two more. Since then, the coonhounds have caught 54 percent of poachers that enter the park. (Previously, it was more like 3 percent.)

3 Leaving Cell Phones In The Forest To Catch Loggers

Illegal tree loggers are swift and sometimes armed. In places where the local rangers are too scared or understaffed to deal with the problem, they can now look forward to catching thieves with an unusual surveillance system. Topher White is a conservation technologist who rigs treetops with old cell phones and AI software.

His California nonprofit, Rainforest Connection, has an annual budget of over $1 million, thanks to wealthy donors like Google and Huawei. By 2019, his units hugged treetops in several countries. Combined, these contraptions listened to a forested area of 2,590 square kilometers (1,000 mi²).

The cell phones are tweaked to detect noises from as far away as 1.6 kilometers (1 mi). The software then filters the feed in real time to look for sounds of logging. Once it picks up on trucks, chain saws, or trees splintering, the authorities are instantly alerted via an app.^[8]

This quick response has brought success. A pair of prolific Peruvian loggers was recently arrested. In Sumatra, illegal cutting slowed dramatically after Rainforest Connection strung the trees of a severely affected island.

2 Serving Up Poisoned Rhino Horns

There are rhinos in South Africa with pink horns. When poachers see this, they know that the product is spoiled. Rhinos are slaughtered in record numbers each year for traditional Eastern medicine. But a spice that promises bouts of diarrhea, vomiting, and stomachache will cause the loss of customers. These are the symptoms that come with eating pink rhino horns.

In 2013, wildlife managers walked into a store. They purchased over-the-counter dip for ticks and mixed it with pink dye. The poison was then injected into the hood ornaments of 100 rhinos.^[9]

The project is entirely legal. Those involved also played open cards with poachers and consumers by launching a media campaign to warn them. Reserves posted warning signs along their own fences, too. The pink toxin can be detected by airport scanners—even when the horn is already ground into a powder.

1 Going Undercover Like Nobody’s Business

The EAGLE Network is an eco-group. However, they do things differently. They do not march and wave placards at meat-eating people. They have zero interest in opening sanctuaries, educating the public, or tweaking policies. Instead, EAGLE is devoted to law enforcement. In fact, this is the world’s only nongovernmental enforcement agency.

They excel at undercover work and gathering evidence. In 2015, they took down Ansoumane Doumbouya, the top wildlife official in Guinea. For years, he illegally sold the very animals he was supposed to guard, especially great apes.

EAGLE members posed as buyers and built the case. Thanks to their work, Interpol and Guinean authorities had enough dirt on Doumbouya to arrest him. The moment was a big one. As many as 3,000 of Guinea’s wild apes are trafficked every year.^[10]

This avalanche of primates leaving the country is mainly due to corruption. Removing a powerful player like Doumbouya was a step in the right direction. For EAGLE, it was not the first step, either. Over 1,000 arrests across the world have been spearheaded by this group.

10 Problems With the Green Agenda

Medical science and technology are always changing. Advances in equipment and scientific knowledge allow medical procedures to become safer and less invasive so that we can all stay healthy and live longer.

However, you may be surprised by how much our medical knowledge has changed in just the last 100 years. Not that long ago, we all believed in and trusted these crazy procedures that we now know were terrible ideas. It begs the question: What current medical ideas will we look back on as insanity in the next 100 years?

10 Lobotomy

For mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression, some psychiatrists in the 1940s suggested putting two ice picks through your eye sockets and hammering them into your brain. By damaging the brain tissue, specifically the frontal lobes responsible for personality, lobotomy was supposed to stop the “bad behaviors” seen in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses.

Surprisingly, Antonio Egas Moniz, who developed the lobotomy, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1949. This surgical procedure only helped about 10 percent of patients. Most individuals who had lobotomies became withdrawn, childlike people with dull personalities. They were no longer able to perform basic tasks and take care of themselves.^[1]

Around 40,000–50,000 people were lobotomized in the US alone. The USSR banned this surgery in 1950 as an inhumane procedure, saying it “changed an insane person [into] an idiot.” Soon, other countries also banned it.

Lobotomy procedures were discontinued with the advancement of psychiatric medication for mental illnesses. Many people have also petitioned that Moniz’s Nobel Prize be revoked.

9 Radioactive Water

While we try to avoid radiation now, radioactivity was a new, exciting discovery about 100 years ago. We thought it was good for our health. People bought radium pendants, uranium blankets, and radon water with the hopes of improving their digestion, arthritis, and whatever else ailed them.

One popular product was the Radium Ore Revigator, which was a watercooler lined with a radioactive ore that upon decay would “enhance” your drinking water with a high concentration of radon.^[2]

Eben Byers, a wealthy Pittsburgh steel industrialist and moderately famous golfer in the 1900s, began taking a radium water product called Radithor when his doctor suggested it for his health. By 1930, Byers had multiple cancers and holes in his skull. Most of his jaw had also fallen off.

Upon his death, people began to realize the dangers of radiation exposure. Soon, the EPA began taking steps to prevent exposure to radiation among the general population. Of course, we now know that radiation should be avoided.

8 Heroin For Your Cold

From around 1900 to the 1950s, heroin was a prescription drug used for coughs, colds, pain relief, and more. Heroin cold medicine was made by Bayer, a well-known pharmaceutical company, which even marketed the cough syrup for children.

Heroin also gained popularity as a prescription painkiller because testing showed that it was eight times more powerful than morphine. Due to its euphoric effect on the patient, heroin became an abused drug in the years following.^[3]

The US government realized that heroin was one of the most dangerous and addictive narcotics in the world and probably shouldn’t have been so readily available. The drug’s recreational use and addictive properties resulted in the discontinuation of its common medical use. In 1924, the US banned heroin. Today, it is listed as a controlled substance, illegal to possess without a DEA license.

7 Soothing Syrup For Babies

A popular medicine in the late 1800s to early 1900s was “Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup,” a drug given to babies to stop teething pain, diarrhea, and other minor ailments.

The soothing syrup aimed to prevent crying children and had popular advertising that contained appealing domestic images of mothers and babies. Many mothers told others about how well it worked to stop their children from crying and to soothe the kids to sleep.

What was in this miracle drug, you ask?

The syrup was pure morphine dissolved in alcohol and was sold until the 1930s. Morphine, a strong opiate painkiller with serious side effects and a highly addictive nature, was a dangerous substance to be giving to babies in concentrated doses.^[4]

Widely popular, the syrup unfortunately led to numerous infant deaths from overdose as well as many drug-addicted children. This resulted in its removal from the market.

6 Ecstasy

Throughout the 1970s, MDMA (aka “Ecstasy”) had a decent following of psychiatrists who suggested its use for psychological therapy in patients with depression, autism, PMS, and, ironically, substance abuse.

Psychotherapists who promoted MDMA often felt that the drug accelerated the patient’s therapy. If the patient had no inhibitions, his communication improved and he responded to his therapist’s ideas positively and openly.

With its euphoric effects, MDMA quickly became a heavily abused, recreational party drug. It was made illegal in the 1980s. Surprisingly, Ecstasy therapy may be returning for use with PTSD patients.

While MDMA is still illegal, the FDA has given it “breakthrough therapy” status as early trials showed positive results. The drug is currently going through FDA-approved clinical trials for potential use in returning veterans with PTSD.^[5]

5 Smoking For Your Health

In the early 20th century, we actually thought smoking was good for us. Inhaling tobacco fumes was believed to help asthma. Tobacco advertisements from the 1920s to the 1950s often featured doctors smoking cigarettes and endorsing their health qualities.

Lucky Strike cigarettes advertised that their manufacturing process produced a cigarette that was “your throat protection against irritation and against cough.” Smoking cigarettes was also a dieting trend among women in the 1920s. Advertising such as “reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet” attracted women to nicotine’s appetite suppressant qualities.^[6]

In 1953, three scientists named Wynder, Graham, and Croninger published their laboratory findings that confirmed cigarettes caused cancer. As a result, the tobacco industry began to suffer.

Doctors soon stopped smoking, and people realized that cigarettes were dangerous. Now, many tobacco-related ad campaigns try to get people to quit smoking and are open about how bad cigarettes are for our health.

4 Methamphetamine Diet Pills

If smoking cigarettes wasn’t enough to get you losing weight in the 1950s, you could have taken crystal meth diet pills. Amphetamine medications were taking over the country, including diet pills such as Obetrol, Dexamyl, and Eskatrol. Obetrol, which was marketed specifically for “exogenous obesity,” contained a mixture of several amphetamine salts, over half of which was methamphetamine hydrochloride (aka “crystal meth”).

Amphetamines were extremely popular. According to FDA manufacturer surveys, US production of amphetamines in 1962 reached the level of about 43 doses (of 10 milligrams each) per person per year based on the total population. Approximately 33 percent of the prescriptions were for weight loss, and women made up 85 percent of all amphetamine patients.^[7]

This widespread popularity also revealed the health problems and addictive properties associated with excessive consumption of meth. Not surprisingly, it became an abused drug.

In the 1970s, the government started restricting amphetamines and listed them as controlled substances. The popular diet pill Obetrol, which was abused as a recreational drug in the 1960s, was reformulated to remove meth, although other amphetamine salts were still present. Obetrol is no longer made today.

3 Plombage

From the 1930s to the 1950s, tuberculosis was one of the leading causes of death. Antibiotics of any kind were rare at the time, and no medications were available for the treatment of tuberculosis. However, there was a medical procedure called “plombage.”

The plombage surgery consisted of filling the patient’s pleural cavity (the lung area behind the rib cage) with random materials such as mineral oil, Lucite balls, gauze, paraffin wax, rubber, or animal fat. There is even a published study of plombage surgeries performed on children in which sterilized Ping-Pong balls were used as fillers.

The procedure would cause the lung to collapse and no longer function. According to the theory, if the diseased lung was made to collapse, it would heal itself over time. The surgery would often allow the patient to live longer and experience short-term improvement.

However, many complications were seen decades later, often from infection, hemorrhage, or movement of the foreign material filler. Thankfully, after the availability of modern antibiotics for tuberculosis in the 1950s, plombage surgery was abandoned.^[8]

2 Ear Candles

This alternative method for cleaning out earwax was often advocated because it was cheap and people could try it themselves at home. The idea was to place the unlit end of a hollow candle in your ear and then burn the other end to create negative pressure and draw wax out of the ear.

Not surprisingly, a study proved that this practice was not effective and could actually deposit hot candle wax in your ear. Many people who tried this had to see a doctor for injuries resulting from candle use.

The most shocking part? This study was published in a professional medical research journal in 1996! That is surprisingly recent for people to be using their ears as candleholders.^[9]

1 Shark Cartilage Supplements

The theme behind this health fad: “Sharks don’t get cancer, so let’s all take shark cartilage.” Research on shark cartilage in the 1970s and 1980s sparked the popularity of taking this substance for cancer. These studies showed that sharks rarely get cancer because their cartilage contains a substance that inhibits tumor growth.

Understandably, everyone wanted this to be the cure for cancer and the market became flooded with shark cartilage supplements. There were over 40 brands in various dosage formats, including pills, liquids, topical creams, and even enemas.

However, over a dozen clinical trials of shark cartilage were conducted with cancer patients and no health benefits were observed. The National Cancer Institute says that shark cartilage has no effect on cancer, and supplements are not approved for use by the FDA.^[10]

I work as a chemist and a professional pianist. I have a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a bachelor’s in music. I live on a small goat farm and am an environmental enthusiast.

The established norms of wedding day fashion are well-defined for heterosexual couples. However, for same-sex couples, the guidelines are much more flexible. One partner may opt for a modern blue suit, while the other might lean towards a black tie look. 

If both partners choose to wear wedding dresses, there’s an infinite range of silhouettes, styles, and gown types to either harmonize or contrast your ensembles. To assist you in navigating any potential attire conundrums for your special day, we’ve sought advice from experts and looked at fashionable newlywed couples for guidance and inspiration on same-sex wedding fashion.

Dark-Colored Styles for LGBTQ+ Weddings

Should your preferences lean towards the darker shades of the color spectrum, choosing an all-black or all-dark ensemble for your wedding can lend an air of sophistication and formality. It also  ensures your wedding photographs stand out remarkably.

Some duos opt for this look in both their suits, whereas others have brilliantly paired grand ball gowns with contemporary suits for a delightful deviation from conventional styles. It’s certainly an unconventional and inspiring idea for queer and lesbian weddings.

The Dress-Style Blazer

The blazer dress is an ideal fashion selection for contemporary brides whose style sensibility teeters between a classic suit or tuxedo and a conventional wedding dress.  Wearing it solo gives a more structured look, subtly nodding to the traditional bridal gown. For a look that is both suited and not, match it with a well-fitted pant and top or opt for a jumpsuit. 

Elevate the entire ensemble by attaching a long train at the back, eliminating the need for a typical wedding veil. You can also pair it with a micro bag from stores like Dihsan for a more delicate touch.

Bridal Attire for Lesbians in All-White

It’s hardly surprising to see a bride adorned in white, yet we admire how these brides have curated all-white outfits that not only harmonize with each other but also showcase their unique personalities and exude sophistication.

A predominantly white or entirely white suit offers a crisp, fresh take on this classic bridal color. We particularly adore when brides incorporate subtle metallic touches or other creative elements to personalize their look, but remember to steer clear of the red wine.

Wedding Dresses with a Contrast

If both of you are drawn to the charm of traditional wedding gowns, you can either opt to shop together and aid each other in selection, or you can involve your bridal party for assistance while maintaining the surprise element for each other until the big reveal.

However, if you wish for your wedding dresses to be distinct and reflective of your individual personalities, conversing about the desired styles is crucial. This way, you can ensure that your partner doesn’t pick something too similar to your choice.

A Vintage Influence

The affinity for vintage fashion is intrinsic to the queer community. Unless one was fortunate to be part of a society that celebrated queerness, adopting such attire can bring a sense of empowerment, given that in the era these styles emerged, dressing this way might have been unattainable. 

Endnote

Regardless of your decisions, ensure your chosen wedding outfit deeply resonates with you. As it’s your day, everything should be tailored to your preferences. Delightfully, you now have an array of exquisite queer wedding attire to select from, setting the stage for you to develop your distinct wedding style.

Related Posts

Sometimes, an idea is so brilliant that it changes the world immediately. Sometimes, it takes a little longer. In fact, a great concept may take millennia to catch on.

So don’t be too disappointed if your genius notion doesn’t impress people straightaway. It’ll get there even if you’re no longer around to see it. Here are 10 ideas that were way ahead of their time.

10 World-Famous Ideas That Started As Dreams

10 Unbreakable Glass

Glass is an excellent invention. Not only is it good for storing food and drink, it can also be decorated to make a luxury item. Discovered around 3600 BC in Mesopotamia, glass was only found in the hands of the elite at first. Given its fragility and the difficulty of its production, glass seemed destined to remain an expensive and rare material.

One invention may have changed that, however. According to Pliny the Elder, an inventor presented himself to Roman Emperor Tiberius with a curious discovery. The clever man had invented an unbreakable, flexible form of glass.^[1]

In another account, Tiberius was given a new glass cup that was pretty but nothing special in his estimation. After Tiberius handed it back to the inventor, the glassmaker threw the cup on the floor. To the emperor’s astonishment, it was not smashed but merely slightly dented. Surely, the man was made for life?

In a sense, he was. But it was not a long life.

Apparently, Tiberius was concerned that this discovery would destroy the value of silver and gold, so he had the inventor beheaded. While Pliny thought this story was unlikely, some researchers believe the man may have invented an early form of the shatterproof borosilicate glass used today.

9 Atoms

What happens if you take a piece of cake and cut it? You get two smaller bits of cake. What if you slice it again? And again?

For most thinkers in the ancient world, there was no end to the amount of cutting you could do. No matter how much you sliced, there was always a smaller piece of cake—like a terribly disappointing birthday party. But to Democritus and Leucippus, there was an “uncuttable,” smallest piece of cake. The Greek for “uncuttable” is atomos, from which we get the word “atom.”^[2]

According to these philosophers, atoms come in a variety of forms. By mixing these different types of atoms, all visible matter is created. Today, we might call these mixtures molecules. Despite being first postulated in the fifth century BC, the existence of atoms was still doubted by some people even at the end of the 19th century AD.

There were even hints of quantum theory in the ancient world. According to Epicurus, atoms moved in straight lines when nothing was acting on them, but they occasionally “swerved” at random.

8 Vending Machines

If we come up with one good idea in a lifetime, then most of us would be satisfied. But there are some lucky people who are just brimming with genius.

Heron of Alexandria was one of those individuals whose every idle thought seems to have been a stroke of inspiration. Living in the first century AD, he invented many things that would not be seen again for nearly 2,000 years.

One of his first ideas brought science and religion together in a very pleasing way. Holy water has long been a feature of religious worship. In the ancient world, you had to pay for this water. But even under the eyes of the gods, some people would steal more than they paid for. Heron was on the case, however.^[3]

He created the first vending machine. A worshipper deposited a coin into a slot, and this moved a lever that opened a pipe. Then the water flowed out. Once the coin fell into the machine, the water stopped. Every worshipper got the water he paid for, and the temple received all the money it was due.

7 Automatic Doors

Seven of the books written by Heron of Alexandria still exist, and they are full of amazing inventions. Some of his ideas were designed to seem miraculous. Although we associate automatic doors with shops, Heron hoped to startle worshippers when he created automatic doors for a temple.

In Heron’s design, the doors of the temple would not open when just anyone approached. They would only open when a fire was lit on an altar. The heat of the fire warmed the air held in the hollow altar, and the expanding air drove water into a bucket. The heavy bucket pulled on a rope and opened the doors.^[4]

Today, we might be more impressed by automatic doors if we had a priest light a fire and chant as we walked toward the doors.

6 Steam Power

Heron was not satisfied with religious tricks. One of his inventions might have truly revolutionized the world. The industrial revolution of the 18th century in Europe could have happened hundreds of years earlier if Heron’s steam-powered inventions had taken off.

Heron understood that water expands when it is turned into steam. He created an object called the aeolipile from a hollow ball and a few pipes. By producing steam and forcing it out of the pipes, the hollow ball would spin rapidly. Heron had invented the first steam engine.^[5]

Unfortunately, the aeolipile remained a mere curiosity and was largely forgotten.

10 Supposedly Good Ideas That Backfired

5 Contact Lenses

Pairs of glasses worn on the face to help people see were first used in Italy in the 13th century. As all individuals who wear glasses can tell you in this age of face masks, there are drawbacks to wearing glasses on your nose. Wouldn’t it be much simpler if you could just pop the lenses into your eyes?

In 1508, Leonardo da Vinci wrote a treatise that described how plunging your head into water changes how you see. He came up with funnels tipped with lenses and filled with water that could be attached over the eyes. They were not practical.

Rene Descartes thought of a simpler version. Why not fill a glass tube with water and attach it straight to the eyeball? These lenses would have been the first to be directly in contact with the eye. Unfortunately, they would also have stopped you from blinking.^[6]

To improve Descartes’s design, Thomas Young reduced the length of the glass tubes so that the eyelids could close. But to get them to stay in place, he did have to use wax to stick them to the eyebal . . . Contact lenses were a good idea, but technology just had not caught up.

4 Underfloor Heating

Fires are romantic things. On a winter night, it is lovely to sit and watch one. But they are incredibly inefficient at heating a home.

Most of the heat goes up the chimney. Those close to the fire can be burned on the parts near the fire and freezing on their backs. The Romans were not ones to let this inefficiency stand—they invented a method of centrally heating their homes.

When they built their villas, they first created a hollow space under the ground. These spaces were supported by tiles with large gaps between them.

Known as hypocausts, these structures allowed hot air to pass through them. A fire was channeled into the hypocaust, and the hot air warmed the home from below. The air was also drawn through channels in the walls. So the whole home was warmed and not just the parts near the fire.^[7]

When the Roman Empire collapsed, hypocausts went out of fashion and Europe became a much chillier place to live for hundreds of years.

3 Flushing Toilets

Toilets are always a good idea. Contact with human waste is one of the best ways to catch a nasty illness, so trying to move sewage away from where you live should be obvious.

For most of human history, the best that someone could do was wander a little way from his home to use a toilet that was little more than a hole in the ground. Often, the toilet in the home was just a pottery vessel that had to be emptied into the street.

In 1700 BC in the Minoan Palace of Crete, toilets were created that used running water to carry away the sewage. This incredible palace may have been the first place to have flushing toilets.

Communal toilets with long banks of seats and running water remained in existence for centuries, but we would have to wait for the modern flushing toilet to come into the home. And the invention of soft toilet paper.^[8]

2 Computer

In 1822, Charles Babbage presented a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society in London. Called “Note on the Application of Machinery to the Computation of Astronomical and Mathematical Tables,” it was nothing less than his idea for a mechanical computer.

At the time, long calculations were made easier by having hefty tomes filled with tables of mathematical results. To avoid errors in these vital tables and to do them faster than humans, Babbage had invented a machine to do repetitive calculations.^[9]

Babbage’s difference engine would have been a marvel. Made from 8,000 parts cast in bronze and weighing five tons, this hand-cranked contraption would have churned out all the mathematical results you could ever want. It even printed out the answers of the calculations fed into it.

Unfortunately, the difference engine was never completed. Despite the astronomical amount of £17,000 given to him by the British government, Babbage was unable to build a working model.

It was only in the 1990s that Babbage’s designs were actually made. Like the answers churned out by his machine, it turned out that Babbage had calculated correctly—his difference engine would have worked.

1 Computers (Again)

Charles Babbage’s metal calculating machine was not the first of its kind, but it took researchers some time to work this out. After corroded and encrusted lumps of metal were pulled from an ancient shipwreck off the coast of Antikythera in 1900, historians were puzzled by what they might be. These green fragments would have to wait until they were probed with X-rays to reveal their secrets.

The Antikythera mechanism, as these fragments were named, consisted of at least 30 metal cogs that had been housed in a wooden box. The device was made around 100 BC.

The interlocking wheels were marked with symbols that could be read by the user and used to calculate the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets. By turning the wheels, you could get the mechanism to tell you what the heavens would look like on any given night.

Some of the dials were marked with balls representing the heavenly objects they tracked—for example, a golden Sun and a red Mars. The mechanism could even predict lunar and solar eclipses.^[10]

Nothing else like the Antikythera mechanism has ever been found. Ancient writers hint at objects that could model the night sky, but these items seem to have been completely lost from history. Perhaps other ancient inventions lie at the bottom of the sea just waiting to surprise us.

10 Lucrative Ideas Sold For Almost Nothing

We have all heard about actors almost being cast in a role even though they did not seem right for the part. However, some casting ideas are laughable or even outrageous. These are 10 of the all-time most bizarre would-be pairings of actors with memorable motion picture characters.

Related: 10 Shocking Films From The Early Days Of Hollywood

10 Laurence Olivier as Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather

Before director Francis Ford Coppola won the hard-fought casting battle with Paramount over who should play Vito, Michael, and Sonny Corleone in The Godfather (1972), the studio execs had some truly off the wall ideas about who should portray the major characters in this screen adaptation of Mario Puzo’s novel, as recounted in such books as Mark Seal’s Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather. It’s hard enough trying to imagine actors like Robert Redford and Ryan O’Neal playing Michael Corleone, but even more shocking is that posh British actor Sir Laurence Olivier was in the running to play Don Vito Corleone.

Of course, Olivier was a versatile and amazingly talented actor, who Brando himself highly respected. However, the absurd possibility of Olivier playing this particular role finally compelled Brando to go after the part himself. However, the studio was so reluctant to hire him due to the actor’s string of box office flops and his difficult temperament that they insisted he agree to a screen test, a very small salary, and taking out a bond insuring against the loss of money due to his behavior before Coppola would even consider him. ^[1]

Watch a clip of Laurence Olivier to see if he would have fit the role!

9 Emilia Clarke as Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey

While Anastasia Steele is supposed to be fresh and innocent when she meets Christian Grey in the steamy drama Fifty Shades of Grey, an actress with the kind of sweet, almost childlike, girl-next-door presence Emilia Clarke often exudes would have clashed in a disturbing way with this BDSM world. So, it’s probably a good thing she turned down the role, which went to the more obviously sensual Dakota Johnson. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Clarke realized that the occasional nudity she had to do in the first few seasons of Game of Thrones had “pigeonholed” her, which was why she decided against starring in the ultra erotic flick.^[2]

Watch a clip of Emilia Clarke to see if she would have fit the role!

8 Ryan O’Neal as Rocky Balboa

Apparently, Ryan O’Neal was so massively popular on the heels of Love Story (1970) that he was up for just about every male lead. This even included characters who were worlds apart from the preppy, waspy, boyishly charming O’Neal like gritty, underdog boxer Rocky Balboa. A struggling actor and screenwriter at the time, Sylvester Stallone was rejected for the role, which would eventually make him a cinematic icon. He refused to let United Artists make the movie from his screenplay unless he could star as the Italian Stallion himself.

The studio was offering to pay Stallone what was then considered an enormous amount of money in exchange for letting either O’Neal or Burt Reynolds play Rocky. However, Stallone was stubborn and knew how to live poor. As reported by the Toronto Sun: “I thought, $250,000 will go away, but the scar and the self-loathing of watching Ryan O’Neal play Rocky…I don’t know!”^[3]

Watch a clip of Ryan O’Neal to see if he would have fit the role!

7 Britney Spears as Allie in The Notebook

Britney Spears has acted in more than just music videos over the years, including several episodes of TV sitcoms and her 2002 coming-of-age feature film Crossroads. However, it is a stretch to imagine the iconic pop singer as the intense, complex Allie in the 2004 historical romance drama The Notebook, based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel. According to E! News, she was a top contender along with Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jaime King, and Rachel McAdams for the role. It is impossible to say how Spears would have portrayed the character, but she seems much better suited to comedy.

The role of Allie went to a more natural choice, Rachel McAdams. Although she did not have a lot of acting credits to her name at the time either, her performance in this film and Mean Girls, released the same year, launched her career in a big way.^[4]

Watch a clip of Britney Spears to see if she would have fit the role!

6 Al Pacino as Han Solo in Star Wars

As hard as it is to visualize Al Pacino involved in anything even remotely connected to the Star Wars franchise, it was reported that George Lucas offered Al Pacino the role of Han Solo in the first Star Wars (1977) film shortly after Pacino had reprised his character of Michael Corleone in The Godfather: Part II. At the time, Pacino was hugely in demand.

Pacino was so hot that, “They didn’t care if I was right or wrong for the role, if I could act or not act,” said Pacino at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival. He turned down the part, which, of course, went to Harrison Ford because Pacino claimed the script was too confusing.^[5]

Watch a clip of Al Pacino to see if he would have fit the role!

5 Jennifer Hudson as Precious

Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson has played a number of challenging characters. However, it is still surprising to learn that she was asked to audition for the title role of damaged and horrifically abused teen mom in the heart-wrenching 2009 film Precious, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The reason why Hudson, who became a Weight Watchers spokesperson, turned down the opportunity was actually that she did not want to have to gain weight for the part. This is something she had done not long before in order to play Effie in Dreamgirls.

Director Lee Daniels had so much trouble finding an actress who was right for the character that Gabourey Sidibe, who went on to give an Oscar-nominated performance as Precious, was not cast until weeks before filming was set to begin. The fact that she was an unknown at the time made it easier to accept her in the part, which would have been a struggle for some other actresses.^[6]

Watch a clip of Jennifer Hudson to see if she would have fit the role!

4 Doris Day as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate

While The Graduate (1967) was intended to be a satire, the choice of wholesome American sweetheart Doris Day as Mrs. Robinson would have pushed the film beyond satiric comedy into the territory of sketch-show spoofs. However, according to the Douglass K. Daniel book Anne Bancroft: A Life, Day was actually being considered before Bancroft was cast as the predatory seductress. It reported that Day turned down the part. She said the role “offended my sense of values,” quoted The Columbus Dispatch.

Bancroft played her so perfectly that Mrs. Robinson became not only her most memorable role but one of the most famous movie characters of all time.^[7]

Watch a clip of Doris Day to see if she would have fit the role!

3 Justin Timberlake as Elton John in Rocketman

Although Sir Elton John would later describe Taron Egerton’s portrayal of him in the 2019 biopic Rocketman as “scary brilliant,” Egerton was not the first choice for the role. Justin Timberlake, who did an impressive imitation of Elton John in a 2001 music video for “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore,” was at one time a favorite for the part, but he was not actually offered it. However, Egerton’s critically acclaimed portrayal was so amazing—both in the context of the character as a showman and in his turbulent personal life—that his casting seemed meant to be.

It turned out that Egerton was not even the second choice to play John. He got the role after Tom Hardy, who had already been cast, quit the film. Regardless of whether or not Timberlake is capable of a demanding performance, the former Mickey Mouse Club star is known for his lighter fare, such as the 2011 rom-com Friends with Benefits.^[8]

Watch a clip of Justin Timberlake to see if he would have fit the role!

2 Anne Hathaway as Alison Scott in Knocked Up

We’ve seen Anne Hathaway do wacky comedy before, but her natural classiness would make her seem out of place in any of Judd Apatow’s earthy and irreverent flicks, even the 2007 rom-com Knocked Up. Hathaway was initially cast to play smart, polished, and very desirable E! News reporter Alison Scott opposite Seth Rogen as slacker Ben Stone.

It’s easy to believe Hathaway left the production because of creative differences, but that doesn’t mean what you might think. Apatow told The New York Times that Anne Hathaway exited the project because she did not want the filmmakers to use footage of a real birth to make it appear that she was giving birth on screen. Katherine Heigl ended up playing Alison, who was everything the role called for but still managed to fit into the world of her unlikely love interest.^[9]

Watch a clip of Anne Hathaway to see if she would have fit the role!

1 Bette Davis as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind

The legendary talent search for an actress to play Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind resulted in some surprising contenders such as Katharine Hepburn and Joan Crawford, but one of the weirdest ideas was Bette Davis in the role of the enchanting and coquettish Southern belle. Scarlett could be conniving and possessed an iron will, two things she had in common with many of Davis’s characters. But Scarlett often concealed these traits under layers of old-fashioned feminine wiles and gentile Southern charm. The sharply edged and feisty Davis wasn’t good at hiding anything, and her portrayal of Julie Marsden in Jezebel (1938) was more of an anti-Southern belle.

It was Warner Bros., the studio Davis was under contract to, that first came between Davis and the most coveted female role of the century. Apparently, Jack Warner only wanted her to play Scarlett if she did a movie called God’s Country, in which she would play a lumberjack. Iconic producer David O. Selznick wanted to cast Davis if he could get Errol Flynn for Rhett Butler. However, Davis “felt Flynn gave you nothing to work with—he just said his lines, and that was it.”^[10]

Watch a clip of Bette Davis to see if she would have fit the role!

If you are thinking about having a nice time with your spouse and you are thinking of having it at home, then we are on the same page. Yes, you are thinking right. You can spice up your love at home. So, this piece comes with some stay-at-home date ideas you can take advantage of without breaking the bank or killing yourself with much stress while planning it out.

It also means that a date doesn’t have to be somewhere in the eatery, recreational facilities, bar, club, etc. It can happen in the house too. The essential thing in a date is to have time to share and be together intimately. So, it’s a great idea that you can hang out with your partner right in your home too. You may begin by making some decorations at home to put you guys in the mood and make it different.

Well, the world itself has changed from what it used to be. Moving around for a date may not be advisable. Remember that Covid19 has not backed down. It is safer to do this to avoid being a victim of covid19. With a stay-at-home date ideas, you would have abolished the stress of moving around. Kindly take your time to read through each and choose one for yourself and your partner.

These are 15 Great Stay At Home Date Ideas.

Paint And Sip Idea

Paint and sip is a great date idea for you and your spouse. It’s just the same thing you do in a paint and sip outing. All I am saying is, bring the idea home. Simply get blank canvases, some paints, and bottles of wine. So, make the moment counts with your painting exercise. Enjoy every moment of the painting. You may add other activities to spice up the moment and make it unique.

Food Date Idea

Here is another idea for a home date that you and your partner can try out. Simply get food ingredients ready. You may select a meal type outside your regular. It could be something you eat once in a while. Then make the date happen in the kitchen as you show your skills. Spice it up with light music. You can even make a food manual available. Make sure you rate the outcome, I mean the food.

Video Games Idea

Not a video game fan before now? Well, it is another great stay-at-home date ideas. Just check out one video game and get it ready for a great time. You play, laugh, and have a great time together. There are lots of video games to select from. These may include but are not limited to strategy, sport, etc. Choose any one that will be of interest to you and your partner. Of course with drinks and something to make the moment count.

Backyard Camp Idea

This is a great home date idea. You can make a camp happen in your backyard with your partner. It gives you the two experiences; you feel in a camp and at home. The vegetation in your backyard can give you that camping feeling. You can add other things to make it great.

Puzzle Date

Create a date with your spouse to solve the puzzle together at home. The puzzle may seem old-fashioned or underrated but it’s a great way to catch fun and make the moment great. It can be picture puzzles, an alphabet, or simply arithmetic arrangements. Whichever one, be sure you are in for a nice time. You can spice it up with discussions in between.

Draw Me Out Idea

Make the home date count by making it a draw-me-out challenge. Simply provide drawing materials. Then take a posture of your choice and wait why your partner draws you out. Spice up the draw-me-out date with great drink, music, and conversation. Artistic couples will this more interesting.

See also: TOP 10 Useful Advices For Your First Date.

Family History Idea

This home date idea will not only give you memorable moments but will also bond you and your partner together. So, you have the opportunity to share histories in your family that your partner doesn’t know. Your partner can also share what they think on what they know about your family. Spice the moment with other side attractions.

Sing Aloud

Try out this great idea. All you need to do to make it great and special is to sing along or mime the songs. So, simply get an old playlist of songs. You can as well get the lyrics. You will be shocked at how much fun you will get from this. You can try those miming things and see how you can go with old and new songs. You can begin with college days music.

See also: How to propose a girl? 10 proven ways.

Personality Test

Well, here is another way to get started with the fun. Take your personality test together and have your results. After getting the results, discuss them. But you can take the test together. This is where you maybe be knowing something new about your partner. So, you catch more fun while you know your partner more. You may even get to discover more than you think there is to your partner.

Digital Event Idea

You can make it a date with your partner in your home as you go for the digital event. So, you learn and laugh together especially if it’s an entertainment digital event. It promises to be great as you engage your partner. It can be something like a comedy show, couples night, or anything to get you together. Just connect.

Don’t Forget The Steps

I will advise this, especially for older couples. Remind yourself of the dance steps. Call it any moment but let it take you back to some dance steps in your history. Remember the dance steps that stole your heart then, it can still do the magic now. Try this stay-at-home date idea, I am sure you will be glad you did. You may spice it with other things to make it a great stay-at-home date.

Something New

This is another one to try among the stay-at-home date ideas, here you will need to identify something you can learn together in a few words. Even if you don’t learn it all in one sitting, at least get started in love. You can even see these things on YouTube. There is hardly anything you want to learn that is not there. You will even get a step-by-step video. You only need to select the things that you want to learn that can connect both of you. You can as well get a manual that gives instructions on how to go about understanding that particular thing or subject.

Tie-Dye Craft

Here is another great stay-at-home date idea that can enable you and your spouse to get creative, catch fun and make the moment count. Simply get a kit for tie-dye and some white cloth on which the design will be appearing. Make some great designs with the love of your life as you have a great time out. You can create designs with it that will serve as your souvenir for your home date. Make sure you add some music depending on the genre you love. That’s you making the moment count for you both.

Technology Aside Idea

This is another great idea to experience yourselves and keep the fire of your love burning. Put all forms of technology aside so that you can see just yourselves. There should be no interference with the outside world through SMS, chats, calls, etc. Well, this technology seems to be taking more from our relationship than it is adding. You may either move them aside or pick a venue in your home where you will neither see them nor be influenced by them. It’s a moment for you and your partner. This is a great idea much more than you can ever think of.

Through The Pages Idea

You can as well consider this great date idea for a home date. Get a nice short romantic book you can read together. Take turns to read it to each other while you discuss the book content. Pick a book with a theme or something you and your partner will enjoy together. It will foster the connection with your partner if it is done regularly. Blend it with light music in the background and drinks. It promises to be great.

These are great but simple stay-at-home date ideas for couples. Interestingly, these are not expensive. These ideas can be achieved without you breaking the bank. This list was made with your pocket in mind. It only calls for creativity and it does not necessarily have to be expensive. It can only come with creativity. Just do something outside the box. The more creative you are about it, the more you enjoy it.

Finally, please note that the relationship only works by the extent to which you have worked it. If you see other people’s relationships getting stronger, it is because they decided to work it out. This is part of the strategy to work your relationship with your partner. Try out as many as possible any of these stay-at-home date ideas in this piece. This is the moment for it, at least for now until covid19 infections drastically go down.

Article written by: Adeyemi Bello

Best Business Ideas for Women: Looking for an easy to manage business that you can start from the comfort of your house? Often, managing a full time job, kids and household is quite difficult for Women. This is why many of them look for a home based business that does not need any huge investment and is easy to start and manage.

Most of the home based businesses are easy to start and could be managed from the house. These businesses are great for the women who are looking for something that they could start from minimal investment and could be managed besides other responsibilities.

Online, there are a number of businesses that are easy to start, need less startup cost and are easy to manage. Below, we have listed top 10 business ideas for women.

10 Best Business Ideas for Women 2023

10. Daycare Services

This business is the best if you have toddlers yourself. Due to busy schedules, parents are often looking for safe and nearby daycare facilities to leave their kids. It is ideal if you love to be around and take care of kids and are great at it. To start today, look in your neighborhood and acquaintances if they need a trusted daycare facilities provider and offer your services.

9. Dog Walking Services

People love to have pets but many of them do not have time to look after them and groom and walk them often. This is why they look for someone to help them with it. If you love pets, know how to groom them and want to turn some extra hours into good cash then this is a perfect opportunity.

Offer pet sitting, grooming and walking services in your nearby areas. This is quite a lucrative business idea as people are willing to pay anywhere between $20 to $40 per hour.

8. Catering and Baking

Love to cook? Great! And something that makes it an even greater thing is that you can easily turn it into a lucrative business. People have become more conscious about their food and prefer home cooked meals and baked goods like cakes, cookies and breads.

Start by offering baked items and after you’ve built a clientele, start offering catering services to small to medium sized parties.

7. Online and In Person Tutoring

Whether you are a seasoned tutor or want to start as a teacher, this is an excellent business idea. It works especially well if you have school going children and you want to make some extra cash teaching kids while helping your own kids also. You can choose from both online or in person teaching and choose that works with your schedule.

6. Freelancing and Blogging

Love to write and want to use your skill to earn a living? There are a number of ways through which you can use your writing skills. Write a book on a popular or self help topic and become a self published author, start a blog on a trendy topic like parenting, health and fitness, organic household, etc. or make your writer’s profile on several freelancing sites to get clients. It is a great business idea but you need to have at least some hours to spare for it.

5. Organic Gardening

Have some space in your backyard? Why not use it to grow vegetables and fruits? Demand for organic produce is always on a rise and people are willing to pay a little more for it.

Moreover, they usually prefer local gardeners and producers, which means that you have very fair chances to succeed. You can sell the produce from your front-yard or take it to the local farmer’s market.

4. Virtual Assistance

Different virtual assistant jobs have different requirements and you will need to find out if the job specifications meet your skillset. Search online, there are a number of different kinds of virtual assistant jobs and we are sure that you will find the one matching your skills and schedule.

3. Carpet Cleaning

Carpet Cleaning is and will be a lucrative business idea. People have carpets everywhere but they do not have time and the needed equipment to wash it properly. Starting the business is easy and you will need to invest in some equipment once only. The best thing about it is that it is easy to start, do not need much space and has a huge potential.

2. Cards and Gift Delivery

Fond of card and handicrafts making? People prefer things with a more personal feel, which clearly lacks in store bought cards and things. Card making is an art but if you can still do it if you have some basic design and writing skills.

Besides, you can also make handicrafts and deliver them as gifts. Life is busy and people need help with treating their loved ones, you can help them do it conveniently.

1. Party and Wedding Planning

This business idea is great if you do not have time for regular work but can spare some time here and there. Party and wedding planning is an exciting business prospect and you get to meet new people also. However, the role comes with a high level of responsibility and you must take on it only if you are confident about your abilities.

There are hundreds of other business ideas for women that you can check and start. Being financially independent is important and these businesses will help you do it.