12 Completely Insane Inventions That Actually Got Made

Kids screaming? Radio blasting? Has that annoying coworker just dropped by your desk for another "quick chat"? What you need is the Isolator Helmet.

This marvellous invention from 1925 aims to provide the wearer with total concentration by rendering them completely deaf, restricting their field of vision and pumping them chock full of lovely oxygen.

Whilst the first two elements of this genius design help to block out external distractions, the elevated oxygen levels will drastically increase alertness, allowing the user's brain to whirr away at high speed. 

Of course, there is also the slight chance of oxygen poisoning which can cause seizures, collapsed lungs, and detached retinas, but that's a small price to pay for a bit of well-deserved peace and quiet.

The helmet is also cleverly designed to minimise interruptions by rendering its wearer so visually horrifying that any overly chatty coworker will immediately retreat back to the safety of the water cooler once they catch a glimpse of it. 

This has a similar impact on small, noisy children, but the effect is generally more wide-eyed abject terror and the potential development of a stutter.