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Invention Mystery Cache

Hidden : 3/11/2011
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:


The cache is not at the above coordinates, you must solve the puzzle below to get to the right spot.

Log only, bring your own scribe. Magnetic.

I’d like to take this moment to inform you that the famous quote from Charles H. Duell, “Everything that can be invented has been invented,” is in fact an urban myth.

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North:

In March of 1891, Nikola Tesla was given credit for his invention of ALTERNATING ELECTRIC CURRENT GENERATOR. Tesla worked for Thomas Edison early in his career, but they parted ways and became major rivals. Thomas Edison was greedily pushing for all U.S. homes to be wired with Direct Current (DC) which was a really BAD idea while Tesla was championing Alternating Current (AC), a much safer alternative that ultimately won out. Thankfully, cities and neighborhoods around the world are powered with AC to this day, but not before Edison used his clout and destroyed Tesla. Nikola died broke, sad, and lonely.

On November 3, 1914, Mary P. Jacob of Mamoroneck, NY, was given credit for inventing the BRASSIERE. This uplifting innovation was immediately followed up by a counter invention, yet it is not known when or who the first man was that came up with the reach-around, one-handed unclip-the-bra snap of the fingers maneuver.

In March of 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was given credit for inventing an IMPROVEMENT IN TELEGRAPHY. Decades later the telephone was declared an absolute disaster as it caught on big with teenage daughters everywhere that dominated the device until the invention of “texting” in modern times.

Arthur F. Bartlett and William F. Straub of Fitchburg, MA, were credited for inventing the NUT LOCK in January of 1926 which severely improved and simplified the ratchet and pawl mechanism of a typical nut lock which uses a bolt with right hand threads and corresponding nuts with left hand threads.

To this sum, add another 9

West:

In 1996 a (younger) Christopher Larsen of Vista, California, while working for Watkins Manufacturing came up with a way to massage your neck using water while bathing a hot tub but prevents getting your hair wet. Finally awarded credit for the invention in ’98, it was called a NECK JET PILLOW.

In 2002 a Jeremy Irish of Bellevue, WA, and Elias Alvord of Seattle, WA, looked for credit in inventing what they called “System and method for executing user-definable events triggered through geolocational data describing zones of influence“, but it took two years for them to have it locked down and assigned to Groundspeak Inc.

After years of improving the electric guitar that made rock and roll possible, the pioneer Les Paul of Mahwah, NJ, in 1959 sought credit for dialing in the magnetic pickups that could now make tones without the harsh metallic sounds that were previously impossible to avoid, but he didn’t get recognition for his ELECTRICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT invention until January of 1962. Lester William Polsfuss (his real name) passed away August 13, 2009 but will always be remembered and deserves eternal thanks for his contribution to music that I still play too loud while rocking out in my car.

To this sum, subtract 4, and also subtract the following

In 1973, Donald Arendale was given credit for inventing the AUTOMATIC CARCASS PROCESSING DEVICE which was important for “removing blood clots from the jowl area and bone dust from the loin and rib area of the carcass of an animal intended for human consumption”. I’ll give thanks every time I eat an In-n-Out burger that comes without that bone dust flavor.

You can check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)