Annals of Invention–Altipower: Want to climb Everest, but don’t have the time for high altitude acclimatization? Or blow away the competition in the three-legged race at your company’s annual picnic? Well, a company called Go2Altitude has just the thing for you. What the hell is an “Altipower”? Well, it’s a personal hypoxicator? Umm, what the hell is that? Okay, okay. It’s a portable breathing system which simulates the oxygen-depleted conditions of high altitude. Strap it on and over time your body will start to manufacture extra blood cells to compensate for the thin oxygen your lungs are getting. In highly trained athletes it can produce a performance improvement of, err, 2 percent. Okay, that’s not mind-blowing. But you’ll impress the crap out of your office mates, or fellow climbers at base camp, if you are walking around with one of these babies strapped on…



Oxygen Depletion At Home: “Hmm. It seems to work okay. But wouldn’t a plastic baggie be a lot cheaper…?”

(Photo: via Gizmo.com)