20 Innovations That Only Exist Because People Are Stupid

Have you ever looked at the warning label that a package of peanuts “may contain peanuts” or fought with a complicated safety feature and wondered exactly what series of events took place to necessitate such a precaution? Surely no one actually needs to be told that peanuts contain peanuts or prevented from opening their car windows unless they know morse code?

Not only are such features more necessary than you think, you’ve probably interacted with a dozen objects or systems today that you had no idea were designed with your stupidity in mind. From fake sound effects to ATMs that hold our hands, just about everything is made to account for the human brain’s desire for feedback, impulse to stick its fingers in stuff and general blockheadedness.

That’s why user Papamje asked r/AskReddit, “Engineers of Reddit, what’s something that’s designed into a machine, solely because of the stupidity of human beings?”