Do you struggle to concentrate at work? Does every little thing distract you when you're trying to be productive? Then it sounds like you need "The Isolator," a bizarre (and rather creepy) helmet invented in 1925 by Hugo Gernsback, a Luxembourgish-American inventor, writer, editor, and magazine publisher.
Gernsback is sometimes referred to as "The Father Of Science Fiction," and it's easy to see why when you look at his anti-distraction contraption. The purpose of The Isolator was simple: the wooden helmet blocked out sound and vision in order to help the wearer focus on whatever task they had in hand. Gernsback claimed that the helmet reduced noise by up to 95 percent, and the tiny glass spy-hole ensured that no amount of nearby movement could rouse the wearer from their work. The only downside of course is that it made you look completely ridiculous, but at least the person inside it remained anonymous. As long as they didn't wear it to the office that is. We can't think of anything more distracting than working next to somebody wearing one of these! (h/t: vintage everyday)
