Continuing on my list of dumb patents, we have US patent number 5,443,036. This patent, co-invented by two people (this required a ton of brain work) is summarized as follows:
"A method for inducing cats to exercise consists of directing a beam of invisible light produced by a hand-held laser apparatus onto the floor or wall or other opaque surface in the vicinity of the cat, then moving the laser so as to cause the bright pattern of light to move in an irregular way fascinating to cats, and to any other animal with a chase instinct."
So, the patent basically is using a laser that the cat chases. Nothing was actually invented. They took a laser (invented - perhaps - by Townes, Basov and Prokhorov) and a cat (invented by God) and showed the laser light to the cat. Impressive!
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