Have you heard about the bra that turns into a facial mask to protect you and a loved one (or complete stranger) in case of emergency?
I'm not kidding. This really exists. And it was invented by a woman in Chicago. And she even won an award for it - an Ig Nobel Prize given by the Annals of Improbable Research.
Now for all you 13 year old boys (yes, that's YOU) who are snickering about this, let's take a look at just how brilliant this bra actually is. The picture below is from the actual patent for the "Garment Device Convertible to One or More Facemasks" and depicts how the bra works.
You might think the inventor was a man with a breast fetish, but it was actually Elena Bodnar, a scientist who got her start in the Ukraine while she was treating victims of the Chernobyl disaster. She saw women covering their faces with their lacey bras and decided she could do better.According to Ms. Bodnar, the bra can be used during fires, terrorist attacks, dust storms, or even the swine flu to keep wearers safe. So forget the swine flu vaccine, I'm gonna start wearing my bra over my face.
I gotta say, while I do see some potential benefits in this bra, I'm not really sure I buy into its life-saving capabilities. I mean, what makes this padded bra any better than any other padded bra?
And while I appreciate the generosity of the friend who sent me the article this morning along with a note saying he was getting it for me for Christmas, I still think I'd prefer this bra.
This is a great invention, I agree with you. I think what you missed is that what makes it different from just putting any old bra on your face is that a sort of filter can be put in it. That's what makes the difference. Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anon!
ReplyDeleteDo you know if this bra can be found in the stores yet? And how much it's retailing for? Can I just put one of those ugly surgical face mask filters inside my bra and achieve the same thing?