prologue

I N N OVATI ON
By Photographs by
Franz Lidz Docubyte

The Strange
Beauty of
the Epic Fail
A new museum of inventions that
bombed boldly celebrates the
world’s most creative screw-ups
A battery-powered facial mask did not zap wrinkles.
W HAT’S NOT TO LOVE about My
Friend Cayla, a doll designed to be
a child’s best friend? Using speech
recognition software and Google
Translate technology, the talking
companion can understand and
respond to her young owners in
real-time about her pets, hobbies
and favorite foods. And by accessing the internet, Cayla—who
in 2015 won the British Toy and Hobby Association’s coveted
Innovative Toy of the Year award—can even answer questions
about the world at large. The cardboard housing of the “first
interactive doll” boasts: “I know so much about you!”
Maybe too much. Advocacy groups claim that Cayla’s
sweet look of innocence masks a sinister side. By talking

16 SMITHSONIAN.COM | December 2017