11. The Isolator Helmet
In 1925, inventor Hugo Gernsback decided the best way to boost focus was to completely cut people off from reality. He created the “Isolator” — a massive helmet that blocked out all light, sound, and oxygen (except for a tiny air tube). It looked like a cross between a diving suit and a medieval torture device.
Writers wore it to “enhance concentration,” but most just passed out from low airflow or panicked mid-paragraph. Gernsback even admitted users could only handle it for 15 minutes at a time. The helmet might’ve silenced distractions—but it also silenced brain cells.
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