20 Incredible Inventions You Didn't Know Were Scottish
4. Flushing Toilets
Anyone who's been abroad on holiday is probably familiar with the undignified process of having to squat down over a hole in the ground before taking a relieving dump. It's hardly a moment in your life you're likely to cherish, and landing back home and getting to sit down properly (preferably with a good book or magazine) before flushing the toilet paper along with your fecal matter is an almost orgasmic experience by comparison. In 1775 Alexander Cummings patented the S-trap, laying the foundations for our favourite method of laying a well, you get the picture.
3. Kaleidoscopes
The kaleidoscope might not sound like the most functional and significant invention in the history of the human race, but you can't deny that they're kind of pretty. Invented by Scottish inventor Sir David Brewster, it's most popular application is as a children's toy. It also gave us a wonderful joke from fellow Scot, comedian Frankie Boyle, who once said, I couldn't afford tickets to see the synchronized swimming team perform so I watched a woman drowning through a kaleidoscope.
