What a great idea!

It's always fun to point out the obvious flaws and backward thinking displayed by the intellectuals of yesteryear. A few amazingly daft ideas somehow make it through the complicated systems, paperwork and fail safes and end up hitting the production lines with disasterous effect.

Thomas Midgley Jr. for instance, almost single-handedly spelled disaster for the human race by getting two of his inventive ideas mass produced. The first, CFCs in refrigerators and aerosol cans and secondly Lead based lubricants for fuel (leaded petrol). Not only was this man responsible for nearly destroying the Ozone layer but also succeeded in raising levels of the accumulative poison (lead) to toxic levels worldwide! Instead of beheading Midgley publically for crimes against humanity, society saw it fit to award him some medals for his outstanding contribution to science! AAARGH!

One of my favs was the Hindenburg. German scientists at the top of their game designed and buit this zeppelin for use with safe inert Helium gas. Pressure from sponsors and lack of availability of relatively expensive Helium however, resulted in a last minute change of mind which ended in the thermite (explosively reactive compound!!!) lined balloon being filled with cheap Hydrogen gas. Hydrogen is also more boyant and the resulting Hindenburg could now carry more wealthy cigar smoking, mink coat wearing passengers. The picture below illustrates the consequenses of using Hydrogen instead of Helium quite well I think...

It took around 30 seconds for the 250m long Hindenburg to vapourise. I tip my hat to the cameraman for snapping off this shot before peeing himself and running quickly in the opposite direction.

I'd love to say that humans learn from their mistakes and that nowadays we think things through thouroughly before going ahead with potentially fatal 'great ideas'. Unfortunately all I see today are fat people having endless meetings followed by even longer meetings and then finally dates being set... for the next meeting. We don't do things anymore! We have moved from one end of the scale to the other.
Previously all you needed was some impulsive individual with fizzeled eyebrows to say 'this will work' to get approval. Now you need a worldwide thumbs up and the the popes blessing before proceeding with a plan of action that is logical and scientifically proven to be the right one. The bottom line is we have reached something of a stale mate as long as countries like China, North Korea and America (or at least pre-Obama America) fail to recognise that they will need to play ball if we are to succeed in transforming the Earth for the better (or at least prevent transforming the Earth into a giant rectum).

Theres a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook
Theres a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

Theres a feeling I get
When I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who standing looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And its whispered that soon
If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.

If theres a bustle in your hedgerow
Dont be alarmed now,
Its just a spring clean for the may queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
Theres still time to change the road youre on.
And it makes me wonder.

Exerpt from 'Stairway to heaven' Led Zeppelin