34 Times Inventors Unknowingly Built Their Own Doom

Some of the things we use every day are theinventionsof the greatest minds in human history. If not for these brilliant inventors, we’d still be lighting up our rooms with oil lamps, reading hand-written manuscripts, and walking everywhere on foot.

What we don’t think about is how these inventors achieved the impossible. While some of them patented their creations, became rich, and lived fulfilling lives, others had to pay the ultimate price in the name of science.

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Inventor seated in an early automobile, showcasing innovation and its historical impact.

A possibly legendary 16th-century Chinese official is said to have tried to launch himself into outer space in a chair equipped with 47 rockets. The rockets exploded, and it is claimed that neither he nor the chair were ever found again.

Ancient inventor depicted with invention, illustrating the theme of brilliance and demise.

Inventors in a dramatic scene with an explosion in a vintage illustration.

Most inventors expect fame and fortune to befall them for their scientific efforts. But, as we see from this list, their Frankensteinian inventions sometimes become the reason for their demise. Many of the entries in this list feature unsuccessful attempts at parachutes, makeshift planes or cars, and you might see them as failed inventors.But failing is an unavoidable part of innovation. Many scientists say that failing is critical to any kind of scientific research. In her 2019 TED Talk, University of Arizona astrophysicist Emily Hamdensaid: “The reality of my job is that I fail almost all the time and still keep going.”

But failing is an unavoidable part of innovation. Many scientists say that failing is critical to any kind of scientific research. In her 2019 TED Talk, University of Arizona astrophysicist Emily Hamdensaid: “The reality of my job is that I fail almost all the time and still keep going.”

He was a pilot, engineer, and businessman who managed the design and construction of the OceanGate submersible Titan, used to take tourists to see the Titanic wreck. On 18 June 2023, the submersible imploded during a dive to the Titanic, resulting in the loss of Rush and four other passengers. Rush had long defended his unregulated design, stating that “at some point, safety is just pure waste. I mean, if you just want to be safe, don’t get out of bed, don’t get in your car, don’t do anything.”

A submerged submarine, representing inventors and their brilliant creations.

A tailor fell from the first deck of the Eiffel Tower during a test of a coat parachute he had invented. Although Reichelt had assured authorities he would use a dummy, he chose to wear the parachute himself at the last moment and jumped in front of a camera crew.

Inventor in flying suit prototype standing against a wall, showcasing early aviation creativity and design.

(1933–1973) passed away during a test flight of the AVE Mizar, a flying car built on the Ford Pinto, which was the only product from the company he founded.

Inventor’s creation: a small car attached to an aircraft on a runway, illustrating inventive yet risky innovation.

But scientists and innovators don’t like talking aboutfailure. Or, rather, people don’t really like hearing and reading about it. If there’s no sensational death or tragic story behind a failed invention or project, it doesn’t get as much attention. As molecular biologist Maryam Zaringhalamwrotein Scientific American, much of science goes unreported.“Nearly everything that happens in the lab will never make it to print,” she explained. “The Journal for the Banal Failures and Self Doubt that Face Day-to-Day Life in the Labdoes not exist.” But she emphasizes how important it is to report on scientists' failures. “Without failure, we lack a complete picture of science. And, a bigger shame, we lack a complete picture of the scientist beyond the brainy stereotype.”

“Nearly everything that happens in the lab will never make it to print,” she explained. “The Journal for the Banal Failures and Self Doubt that Face Day-to-Day Life in the Labdoes not exist.” But she emphasizes how important it is to report on scientists' failures. “Without failure, we lack a complete picture of science. And, a bigger shame, we lack a complete picture of the scientist beyond the brainy stereotype.”

Blue sculpture of a rearing horse with glowing red eyes at night, related to inventors' creations.

(1644–1703) designed and built the first offshore lighthouse on the Eddystone Rocks in Devon, England, between 1696 and 1698. Confident in its safety, he once expressed a wish to take shelter inside it “during the greatest storm there ever was.” However, during the Great Storm of 1703, the lighthouse was destroyed with Winstanley and five others inside, and no trace of them was ever found.

Engraving of an inventor’s lighthouse creation on a rocky outcrop with several ships in the background.

Inventor in formal attire seated at a table with scientific instruments, embodying the theme of inventors and their creations.

Vintage rail vehicle with propeller, highlighting an inventor’s creation at a historic train station.

She was a French aeronaut and the wife of ballooning pioneer Jean-Pierre Blanchard. Ballooning was perilous for pioneers. Blanchard faced freezing temperatures, near-drownings, and lost consciousness multiple times. In 1819, she became the first woman to perish in an aviation accident when fireworks ignited the gas in her balloon during a Paris exhibition, causing a crash and her fall from the roof of a house.

A sketch of an inventor in period attire with decorative hat, reflecting historical creative figures.

In the fall of 1785, Scheele began experiencing symptoms of kidney disease and a skin condition, which weakened him significantly. Foreseeing his early demise, he married his predecessor’s widow in early 1786 to ensure his pharmacy and possessions were passed on to her. Known for his hazardous experiments with toxic substances like arsenic, mercury, and lead, his exposure to these chemicals, along with his practices of tasting and smelling compounds, likely led to his death at 43 on May 21, 1786, from mercury poisoning.

Illustration of an inventor from history, whose invention impacted their fate.

Robert Cocking (1776–1837) passed away when his homemade parachute malfunctioned. He had neglected to factor in the parachute’s weight during his calculations.

Illustration of an inventor with hot air balloon and parachute, highlighting the brilliant creation that led to his undoing.

Louis Slotin (1910–1946), a Canadian physicist, was involved in the Manhattan Project. While conducting a dangerous experiment with radioactive materials, he was exposed to lethal radiation. Despite medical efforts and his parents’ presence, he suffered severe radiation injuries, including organ failure, and passed away five days later.

“Inventor with glasses facing camera, invention led to undoing."

The naval architect of the Titanic designed the renowned ship while working as the managing director and head of the drafting department at Harland and Wolff in Belfast, Ireland. He was aboard the Titanic during its maiden voyage and was lost along with about 1,500 others when the ship struck an iceberg and sank on 14 April 1912. His body was never found.

Illustration of Titanic sinking with lifeboats, depicting the tragic end of an inventor’s creation.

Ultimately, scientists need resilience, and Emily Hamden emphasized that in her TED Talk. “Discovery is mostly a process of finding things that don’t work, and failure is inevitable when you’re pushing the limits of knowledge, and that’s what I want to do, and so I’m choosing to keep going,” she said, referring to her project FIREBall.

He established the first Institute of Blood Transfusion in 1926. He passed away from an acute hemolytic transfusion reaction after performing an experimental mutual blood transfusion between himself and a 21-year-old student with a dormant case of tuberculosis. Bogdanov believed that the younger man’s blood would rejuvenate his aging body, and that his own blood, which he thought was immune to tuberculosis, would cure the student’s condition.

A sepia-toned portrait of an inventor, wearing a heavy coat, with a somber expression.

Inventor analyzing early device in vintage portrait, highlighting the paradox of invention and personal downfall.

An American engineer and chemist, he contracted polio at 51, which left him with significant disabilities. To assist with getting out of bed, he created a complex system of ropes and pulleys. Unfortunately, he became tangled in the ropes and passed away from strangulation at 55. Despite this, he is more widely recognized for two other inventions: the tetraethyl lead (TEL) additive for gasoline and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Inventor with glasses in a formal portrait, illustrating the concept of inventions leading to undoing.

Sylvester Howard Roper (1823–1896) was an American inventor known for his early work on automobiles and motorcycles. On June 1, 1896, he rode one of his steam-powered bicycles at the Charles River track in Cambridge, Massachusetts, reaching speeds of 40 mph. After completing several laps, he fell and suffered a head injury. He was later found dead, with an autopsy revealing heart failure, though it’s unclear whether the crash caused the heart failure or if it occurred beforehand.

A historical inventor in a formal suit with a bow tie, portrayed in a meticulous black-and-white illustration.