Scary things happen when non-engineers try to "invent" real-world hardware devices. Consider this gem which appeared as a letter to the editor in a local newspaper (enjoy!):
"In terms of long-haul plane safety, airline designers need to think outside the box. The flying public deserves retrofitted floatation systems that would deploy upon contact with water. Since NASA has time on its hands, this would be an apropos time and opportunity for it to test such a system. And if it works, think how many jobs this would generate for our returning veterans from Afghanistan. As an independent inventor, who is not tethered by research and development lab peripheries, I'm going to submit doable solutions to Boeing and others. I urge others to do the same.
Frank Leach
Cleveland Heights"
