10 Great Hoaxes - The Food Machine

Throughout history, there have been some hilarious, controversial, and confusing hoaxes that have been created. Hoaxes are different from urban legends, rumors, pseudoscience, or even jokes since a hoax is a deliberate and intentional attempt to create something that is false but present it as the truth. We will look at ten of the most interesting hoaxes that fooled a lot of people.

2. The Food Machine

In 1877, Thomas Edison was being praised as a genius. He successfully created the phonograph that year, and he was riding high in the minds of Americans. His inventions (or more accurately, the inventions created at his lab, not always by Edison himself) were important for America, and each success brought more attention to the lab in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

In 1878, it seemed there was no limit to what Edison could accomplish. So, to prove that point, an article was printed in the "New York Graphic" stating that Edison had created a new machine that would revolutionaize the world and end world hunger. This new machine supposedly could turn water into wine and soil into cereal. Other newspapers caught wind of the story and published their own commentaries, each one praising Edison for being a genius and masterful, as well as being able to create anything he wanted. It was at this time that Edison was first called the Wizard of Menlo Park. Edison enjoyed the name and promoted himself as such.

One of the most glowing reviews came from the "Commercial Advertiser" from Buffalo, New York. The next day, the "Graphic" republished the article (in its entirety) from the "Commercial Advertiser" as well as other comments from other newspapers. Above the reprints was the headline: "They bite!" In case you don't understand the meaning, it was their way of saying that the other newspapers had taken the idea that Edison had created this wonderful machine and run with it without checking it our for themselves.

Cardiff Giant being exhumed in 1869

Obviously, the "Food Machine", as it's become known, never really existed. However, the episode did prove that people are quite gullible when provided the opportunity to show their ignorance. And all Edison received was more publicity and a nickname.

Bet you didn't know that!