2929: Good and Bad Ideas - Revision history

47.141.37.161 at 06:17, 28 March 2026

2026-03-28T06:17:34Z

47.141.37.161 at 06:13, 28 March 2026

2026-03-28T06:13:36Z

47.141.37.161 at 06:12, 28 March 2026

2026-03-28T06:12:23Z

134.102.219.31: /* Table of the entries */ references to other comics

2026-02-12T15:17:43Z

‎Table of the entries: references to other comics

PaintspotInfez: Clarified Laser eye surgery.

2025-10-24T02:52:52Z

Clarified Laser eye surgery.

Cheesesentience: /* Table of the entries */

2025-06-16T13:57:10Z

‎Table of the entries

VulpineIndustries at 12:36, 8 April 2025

2025-04-08T12:36:02Z

162.158.154.206: /* Explanation */

2025-02-18T15:42:52Z

‎Explanation

172.70.214.157: Why's that plus there

2025-02-08T07:36:01Z

Why's that plus there

162.158.90.24: /* Table of the entries */ semantics of “fake prank” being something that isn’t a real prank

2024-12-15T01:17:38Z

‎Table of the entries: semantics of “fake prank” being something that isn’t a real prank

@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 See also [[2423: Project Orion]].
 |-
-|{{w|Soup}}||Soup||data-sort-value="0%"|~0%||data-sort-value="0%"|~0%||Soup is probably one of the oldest foods created by prehistoric cooks. The quality of soup varies on the recipe used and the chef's skill, and can go either way.
+|{{w|Soup}}||Soup||data-sort-value="0%"|~0%||data-sort-value="0%"|~0%||The quality of soup varies on the recipe used and the chef's skill, and can go either way.
 |-
 |{{w|Washer-dryer|Combo washer dryers}}||A device that combines a washing machine and laundry dryer||data-sort-value="+80%"|80%||data-sort-value="+20%"|20%||Better at space efficiency, but worse at each task than separate devices and unable to do both tasks in parallel (useful when you have more than one batch of laundry).

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 |{{w|Asbestos}}||Mineral which does not burn, tolerates extremely high temperatures and forms small fibers. These qualities make it excellent for insulation and fire protection||data-sort-value="+90%"|90%||data-sort-value="-80%"|-80%||Asbestos was used extensively in ships and buildings throughout most of the 20th century. Unfortunately, the microscopic fibers that make up asbestos greatly increase the risk of {{w|Asbestosis|lung disease}} and cancer when inhaled, causing its use to be banned in most countries.
 |-
-|Extension cords with prongs on both ends||allows easy connection between 2 female connectors||data-sort-value="+5%"|~0%||data-sort-value="-80%"|-80%||Prongs on both ends would make it easier to plug the extension cord in on either side. But once plugged into an outlet, the other end becomes a serious shock hazard, as seen in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L08LjkN1k70 this Backyard Scientist video].  Short circuits (both ends connected to outlets supplying power) would be much more likely, resulting in more sparks, fires and damage to wiring. Double-ended cords are also sometimes used as an especially dangerous way to feed power from a generator into an outlet, introducing a shock hazard to any utility workers attempting to restore power.
+|Extension cords with prongs on both ends||Should allow easy connection between 2 female connectors||data-sort-value="+5%"|~0%||data-sort-value="-80%"|-80%||Prongs on both ends would make it easier to plug the extension cord in on either side. But once plugged into an outlet, the other end becomes a serious shock hazard, as seen in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L08LjkN1k70 this Backyard Scientist video].  Short circuits (both ends connected to outlets supplying power) would be much more likely, resulting in more sparks, fires and damage to wiring. Double-ended cords are also sometimes used as an especially dangerous way to feed power from a generator into an outlet, introducing a shock hazard to any utility workers attempting to restore power.
 See also: [[3198: Double-Pronged Extension Cord]]

@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 See also [[2423: Project Orion]].
 |-
-|{{w|Soup}}||Soup||data-sort-value="0%"|~0%||data-sort-value="0%"|~0%||Soup is probably one of the oldest foods created by prehistoric cooks. Many people enjoy it, though some consider many soups somewhat lacking as a meal on their own, or boring.
+|{{w|Soup}}||Soup||data-sort-value="0%"|~0%||data-sort-value="0%"|~0%||Soup is probably one of the oldest foods created by prehistoric cooks. The quality of soup varies on the recipe used and the chef's skill, and can go either way.
 |-
 |{{w|Washer-dryer|Combo washer dryers}}||A device that combines a washing machine and laundry dryer||data-sort-value="+80%"|80%||data-sort-value="+20%"|20%||Better at space efficiency, but worse at each task than separate devices and unable to do both tasks in parallel (useful when you have more than one batch of laundry).

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 |{{w|Asbestos}}||Mineral which does not burn, tolerates extremely high temperatures and forms small fibers. These qualities make it excellent for insulation and fire protection||data-sort-value="+90%"|90%||data-sort-value="-80%"|-80%||Asbestos was used extensively in ships and buildings throughout most of the 20th century. Unfortunately, the microscopic fibers that make up asbestos greatly increase the risk of {{w|Asbestosis|lung disease}} and cancer when inhaled, causing its use to be banned in most countries.
 |-
 |Extension cords with prongs on both ends||allows easy connection between 2 female connectors||data-sort-value="+5%"|~0%||data-sort-value="-80%"|-80%||Prongs on both ends would make it easier to plug the extension cord in on either side. But once plugged into an outlet, the other end becomes a serious shock hazard, as seen in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L08LjkN1k70 this Backyard Scientist video].  Short circuits (both ends connected to outlets supplying power) would be much more likely, resulting in more sparks, fires and damage to wiring. Double-ended cords are also sometimes used as an especially dangerous way to feed power from a generator into an outlet, introducing a shock hazard to any utility workers attempting to restore power.
 |-
 |Stair kayaking||Riding down a flight of stairs in a {{w|kayak}}||data-sort-value="-60%"|-60%||data-sort-value="-75%"|-75%|| Stair kayaking is a stunt where a person positions a kayak at the top of a flight of stairs and then, using their paddle to push off, [https://youtu.be/46BjHAxgddU?t=154 rides the kayak down the stairs]. This poses significant easily foreseeable risks of injury or death, as well as being very bad for the kayak, which is designed to ride on {{w|Kayak|water}}, not stairs.{{Citation needed}}
@@ Line 80: / Line 82: @@
 <blockquote>Heat pumps today can reach 300% to 400% efficiency or even higher, meaning they’re putting out three to four times as much energy in the form of heat as they’re using in electricity. For a space heater, the theoretical maximum would be 100% efficiency, and the best models today reach around 95% efficiency.</blockquote>
-See also [[2790: Heat Pump]].
+See also [[2790: Heat Pump]] and [[3099: Neighbor-Source Heat Pump]].
 |-
 |{{w|Laser eye surgery}}||Surgical techniques using lasers for precision cutting in the eyeball.||data-sort-value="-60%"|-60%||data-sort-value="+90%"|90%||In the popular imagination, lasers are often thought of as something used for destroying their target. In fact, laser pointers commonly include warnings about how and when they should be used. Firing them into people's eyes, then, does not sound like a great idea.{{Citation needed}} However, this technology has substantially improved the eyesight of millions of people worldwide by allowing the treatment of eye problems otherwise only corrected by lenses or entirely untreatable. Randall hasn't placed "Laser eye surgery" ''exactly'' at the edge of the good-idea axis, however, perhaps because of the genuine chance that a laser-eye-surgery recipient's vision could become significantly damaged permanently during surgery. Randall has previously commented on laser eye surgery, amongst other ideas both good and bad, in [[1681: Laser Products]].

@@ Line 82: / Line 82: @@
 See also [[2790: Heat Pump]].
 |-
-|{{w|Laser eye surgery}}||Surgical techniques using lasers for precision cutting in the eyeball.||data-sort-value="-60%"|-60%||data-sort-value="+90%"|90%||In the popular imagination, lasers are often thought of as something used for destroying their target. In fact, laser pointers commonly include warnings about how and when they should be used. Firing them into people's eyes, then, does not sound like a great idea.{{Citation needed}} However. this technology has substantially improved the eyesight of millions of people worldwide by allowing the treatment of eye problems otherwise only corrected by lenses or entirely untreatable. Randall has previously commented on laser eye surgery, amongst other ideas both good and bad, in [[1681: Laser Products]].
+|{{w|Laser eye surgery}}||Surgical techniques using lasers for precision cutting in the eyeball.||data-sort-value="-60%"|-60%||data-sort-value="+90%"|90%||In the popular imagination, lasers are often thought of as something used for destroying their target. In fact, laser pointers commonly include warnings about how and when they should be used. Firing them into people's eyes, then, does not sound like a great idea.{{Citation needed}} However, this technology has substantially improved the eyesight of millions of people worldwide by allowing the treatment of eye problems otherwise only corrected by lenses or entirely untreatable. Randall hasn't placed "Laser eye surgery" ''exactly'' at the edge of the good-idea axis, however, perhaps because of the genuine chance that a laser-eye-surgery recipient's vision could become significantly damaged permanently during surgery. Randall has previously commented on laser eye surgery, amongst other ideas both good and bad, in [[1681: Laser Products]].
 |-
 |{{w|Fecal transplant}}s||Transfer of portions of the {{w|Gut microbiota|gut microbiome}} of a healthy person to the sterilized gut of an ill person.||data-sort-value="-110%"|-100%||data-sort-value="+95%"|95%||The gut microbiome is a collection of organisms that lives in our guts. It can influence our health. It is responsible for the last stages of digesting our food. It can also produce neurotransmitters that are carried by blood to our brain influencing our behavior, and play a role in disease immunity, among other systemic effects that are still not well understood. A healthy microbiome can be destroyed by bad eating habits, unhealthy lifestyles, infections or the use of antibiotics. Sometimes it may be beneficial to completely sterilize the gut and then take a sample of a healthy biome from another person. A sample is enough, as the organisms will multiply. As long as the patient eats correctly, the microbiome after transplant should develop correctly.

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 |{{w|Solar car}}s||Having {{w|Solar panel|solar panels}} on the car's surface (mostly hood and roof) for power generation||data-sort-value="+95%"|95%||data-sort-value="-35%"|-35%||Powering electric vehicles with solar panels seems like an excellent idea: it would provide power with no increased land use, and theoretically could allow a vehicle to operate indefinitely without being fueled or charged. However, such vehicles would require power storage (due to power requirements, weather conditions, shade from roadside features and nighttime driving), adding significant weight. Adding solar panels to a plug-in or hybrid vehicle would add cost, weight, manufacturing complexity and maintenance requirements. Solar panels on moving cars are less efficient than in stationary installations, where they can be aimed at the Sun, and subject to damage from both collisions and road debris; even without these problems, the size of automobiles relative to their power requirements would sharply limit the car's range (unless it was a normal electric vehicle with supplemental solar panels). Solar cars do exist (the {{w|World Solar Challenge}} is a competition for such cars), but as a practical form of transportation, the negatives likely outweigh the positives. See also [[1924: Solar Panels]].
 |-
-|{{w|Heelys|Heelies}}||Heelys are shoes with an inline skate wheel built in the sole, at the heel. ||data-sort-value="+25%"|25%||data-sort-value="-40%"|-40%||Heelys allow the wearer (usually children) to shift between normal walking and rolling like being on skates. This sounds like fun but  [https://abcnews.go.com/Health/Exercise/story?id=3242181&page=1 has been suggested] to be a potentially significant injury risk.
+|{{w|Heelys|Heelies}}[sic]||Heelys are shoes with an inline skate wheel built in the sole, at the heel. ||data-sort-value="+25%"|25%||data-sort-value="-40%"|-40%||Heelys allow the wearer (usually children) to shift between normal walking and rolling like being on skates. This sounds like fun but  [https://abcnews.go.com/Health/Exercise/story?id=3242181&page=1 has been suggested] to be a potentially significant injury risk.
 |-
 |{{w|Prequel|Prequels}}||A work of fiction (often a movie) telling the "story before the story" of another work.||data-sort-value="+75%"|75%||data-sort-value="-15%"|-15%||More of a good story sounds great on the surface, and audiences who are invested in a set of characters and/or a setting often love the idea of finding out what led up to certain events. But there are several pitfalls. Spin-offs of a popular property are often low-quality cash grabs. Prequels, specifically, are constrained by the fact that they have to lead to the story that's already been released, which can lead to contrived storytelling. There's less room for suspense, since the future of the storyline has already been established. There's a tendency to invent or fill in detailed backstories, which can undermine character arcs and/or destroy the mystery and nuance of certain characters. And, since they tend only to be made where the original is already well-received, regression to the mean tends to mean they are more likely than not to fail to live up to expectations. Prequels can be good, but there are a lot of ways they can go wrong.

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 Additionally, the following should be considered. UV-conscious people protect their face against UV light, so the skin doesn't form wrinkles and ages slower. Sunscreen is difficult to apply around eyes without getting the substance on eyeballs (cosmetic substances should not get there{{Citation needed}}). One of the reasons behind wearing sunglasses may be to protect skin around eyes from forming so called crow's feet. Under UV-filtering sunglasses, UV-activated transitions contact lenses will not darken defeating their purpose. At the same time transitions contacts are typically at least twice as expensive as the regular ones.
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-|Cutting pizza in squares||Cutting (a presumably round) pizza in squares||data-sort-value="-25%"|-25%||data-sort-value="-20%"|-20%||Most people cut pizza into wedges and hold it by the crust. Cutting it into squares could allow for more pieces to be shared, if the resulting wedges would be too thin to be practical. However, pieces near the center will have no crust to hold it by, getting cheese and sauce all over your fingers. Cuts around the edge will probably leave smaller leftover scraps which are mostly crust. While hardly a disaster like the other items in its quadrant, square pizza pieces are just not very useful and rather inefficient. Cutting a rectangular pizza into squares might not suffer from the problems above, but, unless the pizza itself is square and cut only into four squares, some people will end up with a higher crust-to-topping ratio than others. Cutting a round pizza into squares is popular in Chicago and is sometimes called tavern-style or party-cut and some<sup><nowiki>[</nowiki>''{{w|Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Words_to_watch#Unsupported_attributions|who?}}''<nowiki>]</nowiki></sup> [https://www.bonappetit.com/story/real-chicago-pizza-tavern-style consider it the real Chicago style pizza] [https://destinationeatdrink.com/the-real-chicago-style-pizza-isnt-deep-dish/ rather than deep dish pizza].{{Dubious}}
+|Cutting pizza in squares||Cutting (a presumably round) pizza in squares||data-sort-value="-25%"|-25%||data-sort-value="-20%"|-20%||Most people cut pizza into wedges and hold it by the crust. Cutting it into squares could allow for more pieces to be shared, if the resulting wedges would be too thin to be practical. However, pieces near the center will have no crust to hold it by, getting cheese and sauce all over your fingers. Cuts around the edge will probably leave smaller leftover scraps which are mostly crust. While hardly a disaster like the other items in its quadrant, square pizza pieces are just not very useful and rather inefficient. Cutting a rectangular pizza into squares might not suffer from the problems above, but, unless the pizza itself is square and cut only into four squares, some people will end up with a higher crust-to-topping ratio than others. Cutting a round pizza into squares is popular in Chicago and is sometimes called tavern-style or party-cut and some<sup><nowiki>[</nowiki>''{{w|Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Words_to_watch#Unsupported_attributions|who?}}''<nowiki>]</nowiki></sup> [https://www.bonappetit.com/story/real-chicago-pizza-tavern-style consider it the real Chicago style pizza] [https://destinationeatdrink.com/the-real-chicago-style-pizza-isnt-deep-dish/ rather than deep dish pizza].{{Dubious}} St. Louis Style Pizza is also cut into squares.
 |-
 |{{w|Project Orion (nuclear propulsion)|Project Orion}}||Study by the U.S. government looking into nuclear pulse propulsion for spacecraft.||data-sort-value="-95%"|-95%||data-sort-value="-25%"|-25%||Using repeated nuclear explosions to generate motion sounds bad for both the spacecraft and everything else, especially with a ground launch, but there are ways to address a lot of the concerns, so it isn't as bad as it sounds. Project Orion's theorized specific impulse and thrust would also be far higher than anything chemical rockets can accomplish. The efficiency of Project Orion is extremely low, however, and the {{w|ablation}} issues are extremely difficult to overcome.

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 |Eating citrus fruit while at sea||Having a supply of {{w|citrus fruit}} on long sea journeys, especially during the {{w|Age of Sail}} ||data-sort-value="0%"|~0%||data-sort-value="+75%"|75%||For a long time, {{w|Scurvy|scurvy}} was a danger to sailors, who generally subsisted on a monotonous diet of shelf-stable foods with low vitamin content while on long voyages. Most citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, which prevents scurvy. Eating orange or lemons doesn't seem like a significant activity one way or the other, but it's an easy way to prevent a disease that causes serious ill-health and possibly a painful death.
 |-
-|Putting mold on infections||Seemingly a reference to the ancient practice of pressing moldy bread against infected wounds||data-sort-value="-110%"|-100%||data-sort-value="+60%"|+60%||While this sounds like a good way to get a fungal infection, with the correct mold this is a primitive way to obtain an antibiotic. Certain fungi naturally produce antibiotic substances, and this is where humans discovered {{w|penicillin}}.
+|Putting mold on infections||Seemingly a reference to the ancient practice of pressing moldy bread against infected wounds||data-sort-value="-110%"|-100%||data-sort-value="+60%"|60%||While this sounds like a good way to get a fungal infection, with the correct mold this is a primitive way to obtain an antibiotic. Certain fungi naturally produce antibiotic substances, and this is where humans discovered {{w|penicillin}}.
 |-
 |Wheels on luggage||Some luggage bags have small wheels inset on their frame and a carrying handle.||data-sort-value="+100%"|100%||data-sort-value="+90%"|90%||A relatively simple fitting for rigid or semi-rigid luggage that substantially eases its transport over long distances on flat surfaces such as travel terminals.

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 |Stair kayaking||Riding down a flight of stairs in a {{w|kayak}}||data-sort-value="-60%"|-60%||data-sort-value="-75%"|-75%|| Stair kayaking is a stunt where a person positions a kayak at the top of a flight of stairs and then, using their paddle to push off, [https://youtu.be/46BjHAxgddU?t=154 rides the kayak down the stairs]. This poses significant easily foreseeable risks of injury or death, as well as being very bad for the kayak, which is designed to ride on {{w|Kayak|water}}, not stairs.{{Citation needed}}
 |-
-|Fake prank fire extinguishers||Intentionally placing empty or otherwise non-functional {{w|fire extinguisher|fire extinguishers}} as a {{w|practical joke}}.||data-sort-value="-105%"|-100%||data-sort-value="-85%"|-85%|| The idea of placing fake fire extinguishers as a prank, presumably so that a person who thinks they are grabbing a real fire extinguisher will instead find a decoy, sounds, and indeed would be, very dangerous and potentially life-threatening for many people. In the United States, (and presumably most countries), this would also be a felony in most, if not all, jurisdictions. This exact scenario was depicted in the 2001/Season 3 Christmas episode of Family Guy, where Brian failed to put out a fire because the fire extinguisher shot fake snakes instead, acting as further fuel to the fire. An example of a similar situation, although not intended as a prank, can be found [https://twitter.com/ThatSamWinkler/status/1657154071051239424 here].
+|Fake prank fire extinguishers||A “fake prank” fire extinguisher would be something that appears to be a prank fire extinguisher, but is actually a real fire extinguisher.  However, Randall appears to mean using a fake fire extinguisher as a prank.  Intentionally placing empty or otherwise non-functional {{w|fire extinguisher|fire extinguishers}} as a {{w|practical joke}}.||data-sort-value="-105%"|-100%||data-sort-value="-85%"|-85%|| The idea of placing fake fire extinguishers as a prank, presumably so that a person who thinks they are grabbing a real fire extinguisher will instead find a decoy, sounds, and indeed would be, very dangerous and potentially life-threatening for many people. In the United States, (and presumably most countries), this would also be a felony in most, if not all, jurisdictions. This exact scenario was depicted in the 2001/Season 3 Christmas episode of Family Guy, where Brian failed to put out a fire because the fire extinguisher shot fake snakes instead, acting as further fuel to the fire. An example of a similar situation, although not intended as a prank, can be found [https://twitter.com/ThatSamWinkler/status/1657154071051239424 here].
 The title text expands this idea by having the prank fire extinguishers filled with (leaded) gasoline. This is literally adding fuel to the fire.
 |-