In Case of Emergency, Please Remove Your Bra 123
An anonymous reader writes "Caught in a disaster with harmful airborne particles? You'd better hope you're wearing the Emergency Bra. Simply unsnap the bright red bra, separate the cups, and slip it over your head — one cup for you, and one for your friend. Dr. Elena Bodnar won an Ig Nobel Award for the invention last year, an annual tribute to scientific research that on the surface seems goofy but is often surprisingly practical. And now Bodnar has brought the eBra to the public; purchase one online for just $29.95."
During the SARS period (Score:5, Interesting)
During the highly-infectious SARS period in 2003, several countries in East Asia were in a state of emergency. N95-rated respirator masks were in extreme short supply.
One bra-manufacturing factory in Taiwan quickly modified its process and churned out masks instead - using the cup and straps as its basic design.
It was a godsend among the Taiwanese who were greatly desperate for protection against the deadly virus, which spreads via tiny droplets of saliva sneezed/coughed into the air.