They had ways of making you talk

December 3, 2004 4:50 PM

Infernal Device 49 Examples of Human Perversity
posted by Cryptical Envelopment (27 comments total)

Well, nobody can accuse our species of lacking imagination.
posted by Marit at 5:00 PM on December 3, 2004

"No punishment of the unrighteous has ever been too severe in the eyes of the righteous."

--Author Unknown
posted by rooftop secrets at 5:02 PM on December 3, 2004

Man, they got some design going on there. It's remarkable the thought and craftsmanship that went into engineering devices with no purpose other than to cause injury or pain.

The more things change...
posted by cedar at 5:10 PM on December 3, 2004

I confess...to a perverse fascination with these things. I must know: what does this one do?
posted by butternut at 5:36 PM on December 3, 2004

Never mind. [*mega-shudder*]
posted by butternut at 5:38 PM on December 3, 2004

Mecha-mega-meta shudder.
Paging Foucault . . .
posted by tr33hggr at 5:40 PM on December 3, 2004

(butternut's last link is NSFW. Just sayin'.)
posted by neckro23 at 5:48 PM on December 3, 2004

/morbidfilter

I like. ;)
posted by clubfoote at 6:12 PM on December 3, 2004

They forgot the "anal pear."
posted by Adam Greenfield at 6:18 PM on December 3, 2004

Never mind: I see they haven't.
posted by Adam Greenfield at 6:21 PM on December 3, 2004

Someone likes Maya just a little too much.
posted by AlexReynolds at 8:31 PM on December 3, 2004

Got it, got it, got it, need it, got it, need it, got it...
posted by sharpener at 8:36 PM on December 3, 2004

Someone likes Maya just a little too much.

Two times too much, wouldn't you say? :-) Still, they could have been Flash animations...
posted by Cryptical Envelopment at 9:13 PM on December 3, 2004

...with sound
posted by Cryptical Envelopment at 9:14 PM on December 3, 2004

Dang. I kept meaning to post this link. My laziness will be the death of me yet

I guess I should confess, though... I have actually used, for its intended purpose (more or less) one of the devices listed on this website.
posted by Clay201 at 11:52 PM on December 3, 2004

They forgot about Cop Rock.
posted by jimmythefish at 2:25 AM on December 4, 2004

Isn't it a bit disturbing in itself that someone was obsessed enough to make 3D models of all of these things?
posted by zardoz at 2:48 AM on December 4, 2004

Isn't it a bit disturbing in itself that someone was obsessed enough to make 3D models of all of these things?

At least they're only models. I'd worry if he was busy in his garage making the real things.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 3:05 AM on December 4, 2004

Do they accept PayPal I wonder?
posted by ElvisJesus at 4:30 AM on December 4, 2004

Hmm. I bet somebody close to Rumsfeld is eagerly taking notes...
posted by kaemaril at 6:06 AM on December 4, 2004

/ makes mental note not to accept any invitations to "come see my etchings" proffered by sharpener or Clay201.
posted by madamjujujive at 7:46 AM on December 4, 2004

Also know as "the mr. blonde."
posted by sexymofo at 8:28 AM on December 4, 2004

It's good to be King
posted by fluffycreature at 9:05 AM on December 4, 2004

I guess I should confess, though... I have actually used, for its intended purpose (more or less) one of the devices listed on this website.
posted by Clay201 at 11:52 PM PST on December 3


That's not confessing.. that's bragging. ;P
posted by By The Grace of God at 9:18 AM on December 4, 2004

Arguably lees than 49 examples as they list a couple of the same items several times.

If you ever go to Amsterdam, stop by the torture museum. When I went there I was truly shocked by the things there, including the simplistic Devil's Pyramid and something similar to this and the prisioner would be kept in a 4'x4'x4' cell.

The Amsterdam museum is also the home to an Iron Maiden, although not as famous as the Maiden of Nuremburg
posted by daHIFI at 9:43 AM on December 4, 2004

The site in the last link also has various photographs of the items in CE's orginal link
posted by daHIFI at 9:46 AM on December 4, 2004

The Medieval Crime Museum in Rothenburg ob der Tauber is similar, and quite extensive (though its website is not.)
posted by Vidiot at 2:06 PM on December 4, 2004