A beer that takes some of the guilt out of drinking, a system to stop would-be car bombers and, yes, even a better mousetrap, are on display as inventors from around the globe gather to revel in thinking outside the box.
Many of the inventors from 27 countries are as enthusiastic about their creations as kids at their first birthday party.

 “Every time you give inventors an opportunity to have their ideas seen, that’s what starts their blood flowing,” said Deb Hess, executive director of the Minnesota Inventors Congress. More than 150 of their brainchildren are being unveiled at a conference of the International Federation of Inventors’ Association, a Hungary-based group celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. While many of the inventions are highly technical efforts - possibly breakthroughs- in the fields of medicine, agriculture and environment, crowds on Saturday in Bangkok were rather drawn to displays such as  Vitamin Beer.

“If you are looking for an excuse to take a swig, this is it,” said Billy L Lalang, who concocted a beer mixed with Vitamin B, to replace this essential vitamin lost when excessive amounts of alcohol are consumed.

Although yet to be marketed, this “prophylactic for drinkers” as the Philippine inventor calls it, has won a gold medal at the European Union-sponsored Genius-Europe competition.

From Niger came a pest trap with “automatic rearmament,” while the Iranian booth displayed a garbage bag infused with unnamed vegetal and chemical ingredients that are not harmful to humans or the environment but ward off cats, thus reducing urban litter.

Husein Hujic, secretary-general of the Inventors’ Association of Bosnia-Herzegovina, extolled the virtues of a hammock  adaptable to the body’s shape.  Among the American inventions was an invisible gym - an armchair that converts in 30 seconds into an exercise machine for the arms, upper body, legs and thighs and comes in his and hers configurations.