Patent on device proving God (no kidding, real patent)

[Anymouse]

A friend sent me an article written in the early 1950s about L. Ron Hubbard when he was just getting Scientology off the ground. That article may be found at Central Michigan University: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf...index.html
The article was a pan of Scientology just as it was getting underway, by its earliest supporters.

But what got me about that article was a side note: that a fellow in Providence, Rhode Island obtained a patent from the US Patent Office on a device that looks amazingly like a DNA double helix, in 1909, as a demonstration of the existance of God in then mandatory Natural Theology classes (since rebranded Creation Science, then Intelligent Design). The patent application and approval is viewable at the US Patent Office Website: http://patimg2.uspto.gov/.piw?docid=0108...PN/1087186 (wow what a URL).

To actually read the application, which is saved by the Patent Office as a TIFF file, requires a TIFF plug-in for IE, Opera, or Safari. (Sorry Firefox users.) The Patent Office has two download sites for the plug in.

The summary of the Patent Application is a mastery of doublespeak and snake-oil salesmanship to patent a device to show the existence of God. This often gets a hoot at meetings of biologists, since his device looks amazingly like a DNA strand. The only unusual thing is he came up with this double-helix explanation of God in 1908. DNA was discovered by Dr. Friedrich Miescher in 1869.

The design of his model, meant as a teaching aid for theology, is essentially a DNA strand model, and schematics and drawings of it are viewable at the Patent Office site as well.

More after citation:

Socrates Scholfield, of Providence, Rhode Island
Illustrative Educational Device
Patent number 1,087,186 Specification of Letters Patent.
Application filed March 22, 1909
Patented Feb 17, 1914

Be it known that I, Socrates Scholfield, a citizen of the United states, residing at Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Illustrative Educational Device, of which the following is a specification.

When teaching natural theology in schools, which is that part of theological science, that treats of those eveidences of the existence and attributes of the Supreme Being, that are found in natural science, it is desirable to illustrate certain of these evidences by means of schematic mechanical devices.

And with this specific object in view, the schematic device herein shown and described, provides an educational emblem of the idea of a supreme, everlasting consious sensibility, and is adapted to illustrate certain of its fundamental conditions; but, in order to properly explain the scope of hte invention, it will be necessary to first set forth in mechanical terms certain biological and theological doctrines.

He then goes about defining all of this stuff, so he can patent his mechanical proof for God. It is an amazing amount of doublespeak and hogwash, yet the Patent Office, which will not issue a patent for a perpetual motion machiine, issued one for The Proof of the Existence and Attributes of the Supreme Being.

James - always keeping you informed on the non-science of Christianity, though they never stop trying.

[The Grand Nudger]

there is also a patent for a "device in the shape of a stick used in recreational activities whereby it is to be thrown and recovered by a canine" I'll try to dredge up the link.

[Doubting Thomas]

I remember seeing patents for sex toys as well. Don't remember how/where I came across those, though.

[The Grand Nudger]

Hey now, sex toy schematics are a legitimate use of the patent office. A market advantage absolutely should be conferred on those generous souls who endeavor to create or invest in technologies to enhance our quality of life