Inventions often promise progress but not all deliver. The Fact Site presents 14 inventions that backfired dramatically. Zyklon B, initially an insecticide, was repurposed as a genocidal gas tragically killing some of its inventor’s own relatives. Refrigerant CFCs, designed to be safer, ultimately destroyed the ozone layer. Leaded gasoline, touted for better engine performance, contaminated air and soil resulting in diseases and cognitive decline, even linking to higher crime rates. 

Plastic bags, since 1965, have burdened our environment millions litter oceans, harm wildlife, and persist for centuries. Opioid painkillers, originally breakthroughs for pain relief, fueled ongoing addiction crises. Asbestos, once a construction miracle, now kills through asbestosis and cancer, lurking in old buildings.

Hydrogen blimps like the Hindenburg proved catastrophically combustible and ended an era of dirigible travel. Glow-in-the-dark radium watches, painted by factory workers, caused fatal radiation poisoning. The ill-fated flying car Mizar crashed and killed its inventors when its wings detached mid-flight. Cigarettes, once deemed harmless, now cause around 7 million deaths annually. 

Lobotomy, a once-celebrated psychiatric cure, inflicted irreversible brain damage and even death. Nuclear weapons unleashed existential threats and environmental devastation. Synthetic “ghost” fishing nets trap marine life and smother coral reefs. Lastly, thalidomide, given to pregnant women, caused severe birth defects in thousands before its withdrawal.