Smoke Detector Considered The Pinnacle Of Innovation

from the say-what? dept

The details of how this study was conducted are not entirely clear, but apparently, when asked, folks in the UK consider the smoke detector to be the top innovative gadget, beating out mobile phones, microwave ovens and digital cameras. I keep looking for the punchline about how this study was sponsored by a smoke detector company, but can't find it. It's not that the good old smoke detector isn't a useful gadget - it's just that it seems strange that so many people would pick it as the most innovative. The article quotes people saying that this shows how much the Brits value practicality, but it makes me wonder if the Brits are having trouble filling out surveys properly - or if they just tend to set themselves on fire too often.
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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 4 Jun 2004 @ 5:34am

    This explains it

    I no longer have to wonder why they lost an empire.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 4 Jun 2004 @ 9:13am

      Depends on the wording


      It really depends on how the question was phrased to them in the first place ?

      If the question was: " Do you think the smoke invention is a more important invention than x ? " , then chances are the average joe is going to answer : Yes

      Studies are manipulated constantly and this one could have been as well.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 4 Jun 2004 @ 10:51am

        Dry sense of humor

        If you ask me, the Brits have a great, if not very very dry sense of humor.

        I can well imagine my British friends deadpanning that the smoke detector is definitely more innovative than a cell phone.

        link to this | view in chronology ]


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