These Are 3 Terrible Inventions By The Greatest Minds

We know many inventors for their most successful inventions, but not all of the ideas can be the telephone or bifocals.

Let's take a look at some of the worst inventions by the best inventors.

3. Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell and telephone are nearly synonymous. But Alexander Graham Bell and Dog Vocabulary? Yep--He decided to teach dogs to speak, and then use his method worldwide. Nope, it never came to pass that his number 1 pupil, an adopted stray could ever utter the phrase, "How are you, Grandma?"

2. Leonardo DaVinci

Leonardo DaVinci is one of the greatest minds of all time. And you know that somewhere in all of his work about flight, military equipment, painting and sculpting, there had to be a dud, right? Water Shoes. Yep--these shoes would allow armies to walk out to, and onto enemy boats that were docked in harbors. Picture wearing an inflated trash bag on each of your feet and walking out onto the water...

1. Ben Franklin

Ben Franklin discovered electricity. Invented bifocals. But did you know he ALSO created the first crotch-less bee-keeping suit? Not seeing that on Wal-Mart shelves lately are you? He had a problem holding his pee, so he had to leave the crotch out so he didn't wet his pants. That bee suit got shelved after a bad experience with the bees, and he ended up developing the modern catheter.

On the upside, Franklin did invent the wind tunnel, but it was purely for his own pleasure. He reportedly loved to hang out in the nude while the wind blew across his danglies (repeating theme here, right?), but the weather was so unpredictable, he would get frustrated.

It wasn't until one night when he was throwing up in an alley behind a pub that he noticed the wind was amplified by the narrowness between the buildings. So, he stripped down to nothing right there in the alley and enjoyed the breeze.

After getting home, he created a tunnel with a big fan at one end, and a chair at the other. His friends and historians report he'd spend up to six hours a day hanging out in the nude in his wind tunnel. And now he's on our biggest bill.

Read more about all these inventors and the stuff that never got off the ground here.