How Did They Think Of This?

Low-key non-complicated inventions are quietly transforming the world, despite being funny at first.

In a breakthrough year when AI is becoming a trusted writer of legal closing arguments, and your sushi is delivered by drones, some traditional innovations are making people laugh, and then think. The speed to commercialisation of these technologies tend to be high, as they are usually easy to explain and are often researched in the field, avoiding the need to “pilot”.

Here are 5 such inventions that may be on their way to commercial success:

1. Zebra-striped cattle coating
   Black-and-white stripes painted on cows reduced biting-fly attacks by up to 89%, cutting pesticide use and veterinary costs in field trials across Japan and Kenya.

2. Teflon-coated zero-calorie spaghetti
   Researchers applied a food-grade PTFE nanolayer to pasta, reducing caloric absorption by 66% while preserving texture and taste.

3. Phase-transition model for “cacio e pepe” emulsion
   Physicists mapped the exact temperature and shear conditions that prevent cheese from clumping in Roman pasta sauce, enabling industrial-scale production without additives.

4. Low-dose alcohol enhancement of second-language pronunciation
   Native Dutch speakers given 0.4 g/kg ethanol improved perceived fluency and accent in non-native languages by 28% without affecting comprehension.

5. Graphene-vented shoe-rack odor elimination
   Engineers quantified volatile sulfur compounds from footwear and designed passive graphene membranes that reduce odor by up to 97% within 4 hours

Most of the inventions above have already been licensed by multinational corporations and are currently being scaled into commercial products. Innovation can indeed be both funny and profitable.