thoughts: org/ideas.org annotate

annotate org/ideas.org @ 161:8f44e4061701

author	Robert McIntyre <rlm@mit.edu>
date	Mon, 14 Mar 2016 07:21:07 -0700
parents	23d205b9854e
children	bdeaad2b1507

rev	line source
rlm@43	1 #+title: Big List O' Ideas
rlm@43	2 #+author: Robert McIntyre
rlm@43	3 #+email: rlm@mit.edu
rlm@43	4 #+description: list of ideas from the last ~ 7 years
rlm@47	5 #+keywords: aurellem ideas half-baked random
rlm@43	6 #+SETUPFILE: ../../aurellem/org/setup.org
rlm@43	7 #+INCLUDE: ../../aurellem/org/level-0.org
rlm@43	8 #+babel: :mkdirp yes :noweb yes :exports both
rlm@43	9
rlm@42	10 * Ideas
rlm@143	11 # :PROPERTIES:
rlm@143	12 # :HTML_CONTAINER_CLASS: ideas
rlm@143	13 # :END:
rlm@42	14
rlm@145	15 This is a list of Every idea I've written down
rlm@52	16
rlm@62	17 #+begin_quote
rlm@62	18 There's no end to what a man can accomplish if he doesn't care about
rlm@62	19 getting credit.
rlm@62	20 #+end_quote
rlm@62	21
rlm@161	22 - spinal cord made of light; moon :: transit time of light from moon to
rlm@161	23 earth is same as transit time of signals through spinal cord. So
rlm@161	24 you could have your mind on the moon and your body on earth and
rlm@161	25 it would feel the same!
rlm@161	26
rlm@161	27 - semantic darkmode browser extension :: some websites are naturally
rlm@161	28 dark themed (like aurellem.org) while others are light themed
rlm@161	29 (like google). At night I like dark themes and during daylight I
rlm@161	30 like light themes. You can just invert your screen to convert
rlm@161	31 light to dark, but when tabbing through multiple browser tabs
rlm@161	32 you end up occasionally spraying your screen with bright
rlm@161	33 colors. So, have a little button that inverts a single web page
rlm@161	34 for firefox! Or, you can have a tiny bit of preprocessing (you
rlm@161	35 just measure the overall white vs dark pixels) and then invert
rlm@161	36 the page depending on that.
rlm@161	37
rlm@161	38 - optogenetic readout during cruoprotection :: basically a "lightbulb
rlm@161	39 above the head" to measure activity of selected neurons.
rlm@161	40
rlm@161	41 - carbon dating and immortality :: if you've been /alive/ for a
rlm@161	42 million years, you'll carbon-dat as being as old as yesterday.
rlm@161	43
rlm@161	44 - gas tenderization :: use high pressure and gas diffusion to both
rlm@161	45 denature proteins and infiltrate lots of gas into a piece of
rlm@161	46 meat. Then rapidly decrease the pressure, and the meat will
rlm@161	47 experience air bubbles similarly to bread rising, and might
rlm@161	48 become tender and tasty!
rlm@161	49
rlm@161	50 - learning damage from mind uploading :: a person might be uploaded
rlm@161	51 so that they can answer every question about their life and be
rlm@161	52 able to perform actions they had previously learned, but due to
rlm@161	53 incomplete simulation of long term chemical and structural
rlm@161	54 dynamics, they might have a severe learning disability!
rlm@161	55
rlm@161	56 - holy "spirit" :: most blasphemous liquor
rlm@161	57
rlm@161	58 - truck blindspot lights :: lights that shine on the road and show
rlm@161	59 where your vehicle's blind spots are.
rlm@161	60
rlm@161	61 - eyelid screen :: you can just close you eyes, but you're reading a
rlm@161	62 book. it would be really cool and look like rapid eye
rlm@161	63 movement. In this tech, the screen would replace your eyelid
rlm@161	64 entirely. The other really neat thing about this concept is that
rlm@161	65 your eyelid screen is a part of you. You might have some
rlm@161	66 smooth muscles in it that works like a selection or cursor, and
rlm@161	67 the scren can feel your eye rolling underneath and tell where
rlm@161	68 you're looking, allowing for a very immersive experience. It's
rlm@161	69 like an "all-in" virtual mode, still cleanly separating the real
rlm@161	70 from the digital, telling others you're in your "virtual space",
rlm@161	71 and still looking entirely human.
rlm@161	72
rlm@160	73 - blockchain based experential memory ::
rlm@160	74
rlm@160	75 - a hidden world of early life :: I imagine that the bridge form the
rlm@160	76 first life forms to even very simple single celled organisms was
rlm@160	77 probably very interesting and a lot more diverse than we give it
rlm@160	78 credit for. Unfortunately, I doubt that we're going to find any
rlm@160	79 good evidence for such creatures, since they don't seem like the
rlm@160	80 type of organisms that would preserve well. All sorts of really
rlm@160	81 neat delf replicating molecules and assemblies of molecules, and
rlm@160	82 we'd have no record of any of them. The only way to get an idea
rlm@160	83 of these types of life will be to make them again in the lab.
rlm@160	84
rlm@160	85 - brain insurance :: for the preserved brain
rlm@160	86
rlm@160	87 - remote control ants / pidgeons :: train/evolve them to want to
rlm@160	88 follow an EM gradient or magnetic field. put a camera on.
rlm@160	89
rlm@160	90 - musical neural inversion :: get a simple model of emotional and
rlm@160	91 auditory circuits, "invert" the model based on sound input, and
rlm@160	92 generate music with constrating satisfaction. Might find some
rlm@160	93 music that's simultaneously "alien" (lacking a top-down design)
rlm@160	94 yet still deeply emotionally coherent and satisfying.
rlm@160	95
rlm@160	96 - simulated fire :: for those who say that simulated water can't get
rlm@160	97 you wet, just see what happens if you attach your nerves to
rlm@160	98 simulated output of FIRE. I gaurantee you're going to have a bad
rlm@160	99 time.
rlm@160	100
rlm@160	101 - use lasers to cut large plasticized brains ::
rlm@160	102
rlm@160	103 - gravity telescope the size of the solar system ::
rlm@160	104
rlm@160	105 - information bearing layer :: to find the spatial / logical scale of
rlm@160	106 the main information containing layer of an information storage
rlm@160	107 device, look at where correlated change happens, and then to see
rlm@160	108 if it's digital, look beyond that and see if the changes are
rlm@160	109 uncorrelated.
rlm@160	110
rlm@159	111 - sperm fitness correlation :: it's evolutionary advantageous for a
rlm@159	112 species' sperm to fail to function exactly when the fetus they
rlm@159	113 would create would fail. But it's really hard to make this
rlm@159	114 functoinal correlation happen because the sperm cell only
rlm@159	115 expresses a small subset of the genome. To the extent that thei
rlm@159	116 correlation effect exists, we can reverse it to find
rlm@159	117 "interesting" genes. My guess --- look for genes physiccally
rlm@159	118 next to sperm coding genes.
rlm@159	119
rlm@159	120 - spinal repeater/relay :: a VERY fine mesh of directional paths,
rlm@159	121 much finer than the width of a spinal axon, which can connect a
rlm@159	122 bundle of nerves that has been cut together.
rlm@159	123
rlm@155	124 - auto book ::handwritten by machine; illuminated. Like old medieval
rlm@155	125 books. Use a model of handwriting so the letters are different.
rlm@154	126
rlm@155	127 - url resolver :: pick the longest vaid url that's a rooted substring
rlm@155	128 of the requested URL. unambigupously corrects for links that
rlm@155	129 have things like periods and ending parens at the end of a link.
rlm@155	130
rlm@155	131 - soul black marble :: for existential threats, what if solu magic
rlm@155	132 was true, and undertale whatever, destroy the world
rlm@155	133
rlm@155	134 - heart preservation + heart bypass to allow time for healing :: you
rlm@155	135 cryopreserve a heart, then "recondition" it inside the patient
rlm@155	136 while under bypass to allow time for it to heal.
rlm@155	137
rlm@155	138 - intelligent microwave osmium perfusion w/ CAT scan ::
rlm@155	139
rlm@155	140 - assembling new word-sounding words by concatenation and random deletion ::
rlm@155	141
rlm@155	142 - amber brain preservation? :: would this work, without having to do
rlm@155	143 the heavy metal bits? Maybe chemical fixation with aldehydes
rlm@155	144 followed by hot amber and then high pressure for several months?
rlm@155	145
rlm@155	146 - zappy fat ::
rlm@155	147
rlm@155	148 - electrocaloric effect :: see
rlm@155	149 https://dx.doi.org/10.1146%2Fannurev-matsci-062910-100341,
rlm@155	150 [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrocaloric_effect][wikipedia article]]
rlm@155	151
rlm@155	152 - albino fruit ::
rlm@155	153
rlm@155	154 - cryoprotectant that increases the nutritional value fo food ::
rlm@155	155
rlm@155	156 - faucet enerty :: how much power do you get from an average faucet
rlm@155	157 compared to the wall socket?
rlm@155	158
rlm@155	159 - high pressure fixation :: could this defeat the "myelin unraveling"
rlm@155	160 problem? Maybe -- if the "unraveling" is actually BUBBLES like
rlm@155	161 you might get during the bends, caused by the fixation reaction!
rlm@155	162
rlm@155	163 - eat fixed tissue :: can you EAT glutaraldehyde preserved tissue, if
rlm@155	164 you wash away all the free aldehydes and make sure that the
rlm@155	165 reaction is complete? Can you also cook the tissue? Maybe it
rlm@155	166 would be good!
rlm@155	167
rlm@155	168 - intelligence sorting ::
rlm@155	169
rlm@155	170 - hyperbaric fixation :: apparently with divers with the "bends", you
rlm@155	171 get bubbles in the myelin in particular. Maybe hyperbaric
rlm@155	172 fixation would be able to eliminate these bubbles!
rlm@155	173
rlm@155	174 - blood + cryoprotectant :: might be more gentle than normal things?
rlm@155	175 Why not use it? (b/c you might need extracellular ion
rlm@155	176 concentrations), also zeta potentials! But you could filter the
rlm@155	177 blood, and get a lot from a slaughterhouse perhaps.
rlm@155	178
rlm@155	179 - the matrix has a "lord of space" and a "muse of time" ::
rlm@155	180
rlm@155	181 - ultra fast fluorocarbon cooling :: perfuse brain w/ cryoprotectant,
rlm@155	182 cool to -20°C. Then clear out everything w/ fluorocarbon (or
rlm@155	183 something else that doesn't interact w/ cells and has very low
rlm@155	184 viscosoty at low temperatures), and then immediately switch to
rlm@155	185 fluorocarbon at around -135°C. Should very quickly cool the
rlm@155	186 brain (even faster than persufflation!) and would also avoid the
rlm@155	187 dehydration problems associated w/ persufflation. Even better,
rlm@155	188 you have a mechanism for rapidly warming the brain --
rlm@155	189 immediately switch to warm fluorocarbon. Everything is always
rlm@155	190 still liquid and pressurized. Should buy you a couple % decrease
rlm@155	191 in CPA toxicity.
rlm@155	192
rlm@155	193 - gameboy IR link over wifi through emilation ::
rlm@155	194
rlm@155	195 - living memory is the start of history :: the natural dividing line
rlm@155	196 is between living and dead history, and is created retroactively
rlm@155	197 with the advent of brain preservation technology and then
rlm@155	198 realized by mind uploading. It can still creep forward from
rlm@155	199 death of individuals. We're still living in pre-history!
rlm@155	200
rlm@155	201 - the memory of God is the soul :: mind-uploading + christian
rlm@155	202 theology ==> the soul falls out nicely from omniscience.
rlm@155	203
rlm@155	204 - alternating stir plate :: a magnetic stir bar that alternates back
rlm@155	205 and forth. Is it more efficient?
rlm@155	206
rlm@155	207 - rsync with md5 (or whatever) database :: Now if you're rsync'ing
rlm@155	208 something over to the server, if the file matches something
rlm@155	209 already on the server, then it gets copied over from wherever it
rlm@155	210 is on the server (then each block's signature is checked like
rlm@155	211 with normal rsync, so that you get exactly the same behaviour).
rlm@155	212
rlm@155	213 - mvln :: uses a backing database to gaurantee that when you move a
rlm@155	214 folder, that all the links that point to it can remain
rlm@155	215 consistent across your system.
rlm@155	216
rlm@155	217 - centrifugal drinking :: spin the bottle around and tubes from the
rlm@155	218 bottom convey drink up to the top. (don't know why I came up
rlm@155	219 with this one...)
rlm@155	220
rlm@155	221 - DRACOS at single cell stage :: you splice the genes for DRACOS into
rlm@155	222 a single human cell at the first stage of development. Then all
rlm@155	223 the cells of the person that cell will eventually become will
rlm@155	224 automatically produce DRACOS (and the DRACOS will be recognized
rlm@155	225 as "self" by the immune system. This creates a powerful
rlm@155	226 secondary immune system which will make the person immune to
rlm@155	227 almost all viruses.
rlm@155	228
rlm@155	229 - toilet + fume hood :: because it's dumb to have the entire bathroom
rlm@155	230 be a sort of fume hood.
rlm@155	231
rlm@155	232 - wind speed force :: two wind socks one weighted. The angle between
rlm@155	233 them tells you the force of the wind.
rlm@154	234
rlm@154	235 - sshfs to mount root :: you can mount your own root filesystem
rlm@154	236 somewhere else using sshfs. Sort of "normalizes" file
rlm@154	237 permissions without having to use root, and is weird. Could also
rlm@154	238 bypass rm =--preserve-root= restrictions and delete entire
rlm@154	239 filesystem.
rlm@154	240
rlm@154	241 #+BEGIN_SRC sh
rlm@154	242 sshfs root@localhost:/ my-root
rlm@154	243 #+END_SRC
rlm@154	244
rlm@155	245 - not even a nop of damage :: nop == no-op
rlm@154	246
rlm@154	247 - twittwe vibratoe ::
rlm@154	248
rlm@154	249 - value of cancer :: what of value is lost with an easy cancer-cure?
rlm@154	250
rlm@154	251 - blood :: blood is the "wires" that connect organs to each other and
rlm@154	252 impedance match the services that organs provide to other
rlm@154	253 organs. A heart, per se, does not need blood but instead access
rlm@154	254 to the filtering powers of a kidney; blood just connects the
rlm@154	255 kidney cells to the heart cells. That's why "perfusing w/ blood"
rlm@154	256 is entirely missing the point.
rlm@154	257
rlm@154	258 - armored helmet :: use fiber-optics to re-route vision and get better
rlm@154	259 shield for eyes. curved plates, kozilek style.
rlm@154	260
rlm@154	261 - open source contributions :: way to make them public on your website easily.
rlm@154	262
rlm@155	263 - active opto-glove :: for ENHANCED touch! It's a magnyfing glass for
rlm@155	264 your fingers!
rlm@154	265
rlm@154	266 - glove screen :: for driving directions, etc. Better than a watch!
rlm@154	267
rlm@155	268 - osmium + sugar as a histo stain :: the suger interacts with the
rlm@155	269 osmium and retards its progress. you can see details on slices in
rlm@155	270 a light microscope without any more staining, and the EMs are not
rlm@155	271 adversely affected.
rlm@154	272
rlm@155	273 - encryption camera :: use public key on memory card. The camera
rlm@155	274 writes files encrypted with this public key.
rlm@154	275
rlm@154	276 - immaculate AIDS acquisition ::
rlm@154	277
rlm@154	278 - minds and lightspeed :: fastern minds have to deal with lightspeed
rlm@154	279 limitations in their own cognitive architectures.
rlm@154	280
rlm@154	281 - kill with fire :: guy A fires fire blast, with a spell circle to
rlm@154	282 maintain the magic. Opponent B just GRABS the magic and pulls MORE
rlm@154	283 fire. Guy A's circle goes out of control and all his life force
rlm@154	284 gets sucked out to supply more fire. B grabs the magic, crushes
rlm@154	285 it, fires a concentrated red lightning bolt, and eats the
rlm@154	286 rest. "You think that you can kill me, WITH FIRE!?"
rlm@154	287
rlm@154	288 - magic ekiga ::
rlm@154	289
rlm@154	290 - edible crayons ::
rlm@154	291
rlm@154	292 - library chaining ::
rlm@155	293
rlm@154	294 - hypnosis + that drug that makes you loose continuity :: can the
rlm@154	295 hypnosos plant things during this time?
rlm@154	296
rlm@154	297 - forgotten services :: use "ovbilion" somehow. Some sleeping drugs
rlm@154	298 make you forget the hour or so before you go to bed. Use this to
rlm@154	299 create forgotten services.
rlm@154	300
rlm@154	301 - dibenzelene -- mike darwin ::
rlm@154	302
rlm@154	303 - sleepy perfusion :: if brains naturally expand / contract depending
rlm@154	304 on resting / awake state, we should investigate the EMs of brains
rlm@154	305 fixed during "sleep" mode and those fixed during "awake"
rlm@154	306 mode. (while still using anesthetic of course).
rlm@154	307
rlm@155	308 - shit flavored dog treats :: because dogs would probably like them.
rlm@154	309
rlm@154	310 - fume hood incense :: so make sure the fume hood is working
rlm@154	311
rlm@154	312 - infinity coin :: s.f. concept -- billions are uploaded by using
rlm@154	313 osmium as a "mind uploading catalyst". osmium is put ino the
rlm@154	314 brain, they brain is scanned, and the osmium is recycled. Then
rlm@154	315 you make coins out of the osmium that has gone through billions
rlm@154	316 of these cycles.
rlm@154	317
rlm@154	318 - mamilian dive reflex as a method of preparing organs for cryopreservation ::
rlm@154	319
rlm@154	320 - spinal encryption :: like an X server, except your body parts each
rlm@154	321 run these servers. You all have clocks, and you have to sign your
rlm@154	322 muscle commands with your private key in order to control your
rlm@154	323 body.
rlm@154	324
rlm@154	325 - suicide note as a mental excercise :: from NPR, ted talk, teenagers, etc.
rlm@154	326
rlm@154	327 - microscope clamp magnet ring thing ::
rlm@154	328
rlm@154	329 - cup that fills from the bottom ::
rlm@154	330
rlm@154	331 - pronouncaeble liscense plates ::
rlm@154	332
rlm@154	333 - instant-awake vs natural awakening :: cognitive behavioural
rlm@154	334 difference tells you important things about the waking process.
rlm@154	335
rlm@154	336 - asethetics and personal identity :: if you go to germany, you're not
rlm@154	337 the same person anymore.
rlm@154	338
rlm@154	339 - arch linux diff cache :: should only download differences between
rlm@154	340 the new package and the most rcent archive file. Can
rlm@154	341 precalculate. Would make mirrors/upgrading so much faster.
rlm@154	342
rlm@154	343 - low gravity perfusion :: then you can use cappaliary action. From
rlm@154	344 this: http://www.wired.com/2015/01/coffee-cup-designed-let-astronauts-sip-espresso-space/
rlm@154	345
rlm@154	346 - rational advertiting :: a new criteria for advertisting -- given
rlm@154	347 same ad structure for two different produces, what structure
rlm@154	348 leads to the most people picking the "optimal" choice.
rlm@154	349
rlm@154	350 - autoclone bootstrapping :: to breed male with self: you make a clone
rlm@154	351 of the male that's broken, male and female, the bootstrap with
rlm@154	352 those gametes
rlm@154	353
rlm@154	354 - position independent numbers :: like latin for numbers. You'd use
rlm@154	355 color, endings, relative size, etc to determine what place the
rlm@154	356 number has. Very convientnt for order or magnitude calculations.
rlm@154	357
rlm@154	358 - dead man switch activated linux user account ::
rlm@154	359
rlm@154	360 - embowlement :: condencending reference to embodiment
rlm@154	361
rlm@154	362 - water staff :: drinksy walking staff w/ water
rlm@154	363
rlm@154	364 - melanin transfection ::
rlm@154	365
rlm@154	366 - retention of neurotransmitters / other small molecules during fixation by use of an extracellular polymer such as PVP ::
rlm@154	367
rlm@154	368 - machines :: Knowing we are machines does not diminish us; instead it
rlm@154	369 opens our minds to the awe-inspiring complexity that is the human
rlm@154	370 mind. Those who prefer to attribute consciousness to a "soul" or
rlm@154	371 other metaphysical process are the ones who diminish man to a
rlm@154	372 mere cartoon caricature.
rlm@154	373
rlm@154	374 - why does glut change osmotic setpoints in cells :: perhaps either 1)
rlm@154	375 It makes the membrane permeable to small molecules or 2)
rlm@154	376 crosslinking proteins means less colagative effects.
rlm@154	377
rlm@154	378 - Hemocyanin based blood washout solution :: for artificial blood, it
rlm@154	379 can be hard to carry enough oxygen because haemoglobin needs to
rlm@154	380 be in RBCs in order to effectively carry oxygen. However,
rlm@154	381 hemocyanin, a copper based oxygen carrying protein, doesn't have
rlm@154	382 this restriction, so it might make particurally good artificial
rlm@154	383 blood. Might also be great for making oxygenated fixative
rlm@154	384 solutions! In fact, hemocyanin is more efficient than hemoglobin
rlm@154	385 for carrying oxygen at low temperatures, perfect for
rlm@154	386 cooling/blood washout! Hemocyanin could also serve to establish
rlm@154	387 oncotic pressure in a blood washout solution since it weighs 75
rlm@154	388 kilodaltons.
rlm@154	389
rlm@154	390 - osmotic buffer :: polymer which polymerizes / splits apart in order
rlm@154	391 to maintain the osmolality of a solution.
rlm@154	392
rlm@154	393 - shoes w/ embedded computers :: and have little clickey things you
rlm@154	394 operate with your big toe.
rlm@154	395
rlm@154	396 - gb codec ::
rlm@154	397
rlm@154	398 - ultrasonic cell disruptor to make foor ::
rlm@154	399
rlm@154	400 - particle accelarator asd an awesome electron microscop ::
rlm@154	401
rlm@154	402 - tolouadine blue pen :: use biological stains as dyes for ink pens?
rlm@154	403
rlm@154	404 - clock stop explination :: you have a "visual buffer" which needs to
rlm@154	405 fill up whenever you switch out from one scene to another. This
rlm@154	406 is the clock stop illusion.
rlm@154	407
rlm@154	408 - coffee ad space :: Your coffee stock was brought to you by google,
rlm@154	409 the only company that brings you comfort and love in your harsh
rlm@154	410 and heartless corporate world. This is majestic guerrila
rlm@154	411 marketing.
rlm@154	412
rlm@154	413 - geo-synchro browsing :: you get a bunch of proxy servers, and then
rlm@154	414 you visit websites and synchronize the views from each of these
rlm@154	415 proxies into one view. Then you can see the differences by
rlm@154	416 conutry/region. This is a way to experience the "neutral"
rlm@154	417 internet by averging the effects of ip-tracing.
rlm@154	418
rlm@154	419 - periodic table of genders :: arrange people by bahaviour, particular
rlm@154	420 what sort of bonds they can form with other people.
rlm@154	421
rlm@154	422 - ice cream protein synthesis ::
rlm@154	423
rlm@154	424 - colored EM :: different heavy metals might possibly have different
rlm@154	425 intensities for different electron acceleration voltages. So this
rlm@154	426 could be the basis for colored EM images!
rlm@154	427
rlm@154	428 - expansion microscopy dual :: this would be a process where you
rlm@154	429 define a molecular scale object using larger microscopic
rlm@154	430 components. Then nanotechnology goes through and replaces each
rlm@154	431 "atomic macro block" with the appropriate atomic construct. That
rlm@154	432 way you can use microscopic 3D printing and a special purpose
rlm@154	433 form of nanotechnolical assembler to create any molecular
rlm@154	434 arrangement.
rlm@154	435
rlm@154	436 - anoxic glut :: what happens when you try to fix tissues in an
rlm@154	437 environment completely devoid of oxygen?
rlm@154	438
rlm@154	439 - copper+EG :: if RBCs are rendered impermeabale to EG when Cu is
rlm@154	440 present, then maybe you can destroy RBCs by a mixture of EG and
rlm@154	441 Cu?
rlm@154	442
rlm@154	443 - qualia intuition explained :: let's say that you lacked the sense of
rlm@154	444 smell. How could you learn what "acrid" means without it. How
rlm@154	445 could you explain it to someone, without analogy to other
rlm@154	446 smells. We mind-project this real linguistic separation into
rlm@154	447 reality and get qualia.
rlm@154	448
rlm@153	449 - spinal relay :: you have a small air-gapped repeater built into your
rlm@153	450 spine in order to help with spinal injury, connect with
rlm@153	451 prosthetics, and to monitor/control your body. Also, you could
rlm@153	452 add the ability to save "macros"!
rlm@153	453
rlm@153	454 - human cysts :: there should be communities of people with varying
rlm@153	455 enforced separations from the rest of society in order to gaurd
rlm@153	456 against various catastrophies.
rlm@153	457
rlm@153	458 - bioelectric synthesis :: have a device which stores a lot of energy,
rlm@153	459 and processes blood by creating sugar from waste produces over
rlm@153	460 the day. You still need water, vitamins, minerals, etc, but this
rlm@153	461 can handle the bulk of your energy demands and be recharged from
rlm@153	462 the wall.
rlm@153	463
rlm@153	464 - chelation as a method to improve cryoprotectant permeability ::
rlm@153	465
rlm@153	466 - transgender fruit analogy :: like tomatoes
rlm@153	467
rlm@153	468 - video game controllers as actual controllers :: console controlers
rlm@153	469 like the n64 trident are excellent, durable tools for fine
rlm@153	470 control. We should use them to control all sorts of things like
rlm@153	471 robots by default. You should use it for your projects, since
rlm@153	472 it's unlikely you'll be able to come up with something
rlm@153	473 better. Compared to console controllers, the ones we use for
rlm@153	474 robots/RC stuff are hopelessly clunky.
rlm@153	475
rlm@153	476 - bubble computers :: bubble duality, bubble computing
rlm@153	477
rlm@153	478 - dark blood bag :: blood bags in hospitals should be dark colored to
rlm@153	479 protect the blood from damage from light.
rlm@153	480
rlm@153	481 - chimeric homozygous sex chromosomes :: chimeric organism with XX and
rlm@153	482 XX patterns from two males and two females. On average, it has
rlm@153	483 the correct methylation pattern. Would it work?
rlm@153	484
rlm@153	485 - horseshoe blood fixative :: would it work as a washout?
rlm@153	486
rlm@153	487 - fixed protein packets :: group of fixed proteins in a network which
rlm@153	488 is used as medicine. Hemoglovin, maybe?
rlm@153	489
rlm@153	490 - prove hauntings :: website where you enter your pgp signed encrypted
rlm@153	491 file and swear by all the gods that you'll haunt me with the
rlm@153	492 password when you die, along with whatever other messages you
rlm@153	493 have. protocol -- I video, throw rock, get password.
rlm@153	494
rlm@157	495 - earth air water :: probably all intelligent species name their
rlm@157	496 planet "dirt" in their language, unless the're aquatic or flying,
rlm@157	497 then they'd name it "water" and "air" respectively.
rlm@153	498
rlm@153	499 - ethylene glycol alt name :: icebane
rlm@153	500
rlm@153	501 - overflow hiaku :: a hiku about buffer overflos, with garbage C code
rlm@153	502 inside.
rlm@153	503
rlm@153	504 - white knight :: his sword is named "Privledge" (an inherited family
rlm@153	505 sword) he rides along the land, defending the code of
rlm@153	506 chivralirary and keeping the orthodozy of society from fading
rlm@153	507 from the realm.
rlm@153	508
rlm@153	509 - technological deflation :: even the richest robber baron from the
rlm@153	510 1920's could not afford a cardiac bypass surgery, even with
rlm@153	511 literally all the money they had. As technology advances, the
rlm@153	512 price of bread may go up, but the capabilities which money gives
rlm@153	513 you also dramatically increase.
rlm@153	514
rlm@153	515 - cure for color blindness :: could it be possible to administer some
rlm@153	516 retroviruses via direct injection to the retina, to cause some of
rlm@153	517 the cells in the retina to begin expressing different color
rlm@153	518 pigments? The brain ought to easily sort out the rest and enable
rlm@153	519 color vision. Furthremore, could we add some more colors to
rlm@155	520 baesline human eyes? Theory -- people who are color blind have
rlm@155	521 better color spatial accuity for the colors they can see, because
rlm@155	522 this it the tradeoff here involved with the retrovirus
rlm@155	523 therapy. Re-purposing color detectors to see new colors at the
rlm@155	524 expense of spatial acuity for the old set of colors.
rlm@153	525
rlm@153	526 - mental integrity test :: if your brain starts to decay, you might
rlm@153	527 not notice the damage until it's too late. This would be a mental
rlm@153	528 integrity test that you take every few weeks that measures your
rlm@153	529 performance and compares it to a baseline. The tests are all
rlm@153	530 designed to catch the early signs of degenerative brain
rlm@153	531 diseases. For example, you might use performamce on a
rlm@153	532 smell-memory assoaction test to detect early-onset Alzheimer's.
rlm@153	533
rlm@152	534 - mind bank :: (in contrast to "brain bank")
rlm@152	535
rlm@152	536 - Passion of the Christ missed opportunity :: in the Passion of the
rlm@152	537 Christ, they do the entire show using Latin, Aramaic, etc, with
rlm@152	538 subtitles. They should have had a part where Jesus does the
rlm@152	539 sermon on the mount, he turns to the camera, and starts speaking
rlm@152	540 in English, with no subtitles. It would have been 1.) biblically
rlm@152	541 accurate and 2.) awesome. It would have been such a powerful
rlm@152	542 example of Jesus' divinity, and it felt like they were setting up
rlm@152	543 for it the entire movie, and they missed it!
rlm@152	544
rlm@152	545 - scientist online paper reviews ::
rlm@152	546
rlm@152	547 - binary feedback ::
rlm@152	548
rlm@152	549 - xenobiotic methalation rewriting ::
rlm@152	550
rlm@152	551 - trolley cryonics :: change the cryonics protocol around so that the
rlm@152	552 death occurs in a non-primary action loop.
rlm@152	553
rlm@152	554 - binary metric :: you make up new unit names for "2 centimeters", "4
rlm@152	555 centimeters", "16 centimeters", etc. Then no one will be happy!
rlm@152	556 BUT, it helps solve metric's problem of intermediate units. (a
rlm@152	557 centimeter is too small, a meter is too large!)
rlm@152	558
rlm@152	559 - physical pgp signatures :: someone should put together the
rlm@152	560 technologies so that you can digitally sign actual pieces of
rlm@152	561 paper -- some combination of signing a photograph of the
rlm@152	562 contract using pgp, printing a barcode or OR code on the page
rlm@152	563 which links to a website with the signed image, and a web of
rlm@152	564 trust model so that people can authenticate as themselves. All
rlm@152	565 this totally exists already, it's just not convienent.
rlm@152	566
rlm@152	567 - meta eye :: you wire in a third optical input to the human brain,
rlm@152	568 but it doesn't tranduce light form the real world, bus instead is
rlm@152	569 connected to the "internet of things" and shows you metadata
rlm@152	570 about things you are looking at // serves as an interface to your
rlm@152	571 own mind and body. Then eventually simply real things without
rlm@152	572 metadata seem flat and fake compared to the objects in cities and
rlm@152	573 other annotated areas. This third eye doesn't occupy any of your
rlm@152	574 normal visual field but actually EXPANDS your visual field.
rlm@152	575
rlm@152	576 - do it once -- upload ::
rlm@152	577
rlm@152	578 - a simple merge procedure for uploads ::
rlm@152	579
rlm@152	580 - limits of monogamy ::
rlm@152	581
rlm@152	582 - dream rewinding :: how to record a complete dream without disturbing
rlm@152	583 it or modifying your brain? you need to be an upload: split
rlm@152	584 yourself, and one of you stays awake whike the other sleeps. then
rlm@152	585 you detect a dream in progress by monotoring rapid eye movememt
rlm@152	586 in your sleeping self, and you wake yourself up every few minutes
rlm@152	587 and tell yoursef about the dream. Then sleeping-your restarts the
rlm@152	588 dream, continuation passing style, forgetting everything that was
rlm@152	589 just said, and you repeat this process until the dream is
rlm@152	590 over. Then awake-you and sleeping-you merge each other by taking
rlm@152	591 sleeping-you and replaying the memories of awake-you, and you
rlm@152	592 write a final report on the dream using the "saccade" reports to
rlm@152	593 jog your memory.
rlm@152	594
rlm@152	595 - denser than osmium :: do the "misicibility" thing with an osmium
rlm@152	596 alloy to get something even more dense.
rlm@152	597
rlm@147	598 - AI hypnosis :: hypnosis might be good for studying AI, becuse it
rlm@147	599 might probide a "debugger" for ananlyzing the human mind. I
rlm@147	600 briefly tried this while at MIT, but it needs MUCH more work to
rlm@147	601 be properly evaulated.
rlm@147	602
rlm@145	603 - becomming alive :: upload faces challenges to grow into they type of
rlm@145	604 person that can join the greater society -- a god. They have to
rlm@145	605 go though quests that replicate all the things that humanity had
rlm@147	606 to accomplish, like going to the moon, by themselves, in a
rlm@147	607 virtual world where they cannot die and never get tired.
rlm@145	608
rlm@145	609 - population distorted map of USA :: to see states sizes in terms of #
rlm@145	610 of people. (already exists!
rlm@145	611 http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/cart/doc/)
rlm@145	612
rlm@145	613 - butterfly drone :: if big butterflies used to exist, then maybe we
rlm@145	614 could make butterfly-inspired drones!
rlm@145	615
rlm@145	616 - methylation sex symmetry breaking :: So, human cells have
rlm@145	617 methylation patterns that encode male/female origin. If you
rlm@145	618 combine two male patterns, the fetus grows "too fast" and
rlm@145	619 dies. Two female patterns causes the fetus to enter a "vegatable"
rlm@145	620 state and fail to develop. Evolutionary biologists will say that
rlm@145	621 this reflects the asymmetry of energy investement for creating
rlm@145	622 offspring. If that's true, then species that cast-spawn will lack
rlm@145	623 this symmetry, and give clues about how to remove it in
rlm@145	624 humans. If even cast spawners like sea urchins have it, then that
rlm@145	625 means there's something deeper going on!
rlm@145	626
rlm@145	627 - reverse cannulation perfusion :: you put the organ you want to
rlm@145	628 perfuse in an airtight chamber with a pool of the stuff you want
rlm@145	629 to perfuse. You cannulate some veins and lead tubes form to
rlm@145	630 outside of the chamber. You pump in air and perfusate, and the
rlm@145	631 increasing air pressure in the chamber forces perfusate through
rlm@145	632 the organ. For times when you don't want to cannulate the inputs
rlm@145	633 -- they can be ragged, or there can be many of them. You still
rlm@145	634 have to guide the veins to the outside of the chamber, but
rlm@145	635 depending on the use case this might be far easier than
rlm@145	636 tradational cannulation.
rlm@145	637
rlm@145	638 - very slow physiological pressure perfusion :: less extreme example
rlm@145	639 of the "pausing" trick -- just keep the perfusion running and
rlm@145	640 don't put the perfusion target into the liquid as deep.
rlm@145	641
rlm@141	642 - whole brain perfusion embedding :: Do the standard EM embedding
rlm@141	643 protocol, but skip the osmium step, and use the "perfusion
rlm@141	644 pausing" method to prevent overextraction during the dehydration
rlm@141	645 and embedding steps. I think that you CAN perfuse resins into the
rlm@141	646 brain, simply because you CAN perfuse viscous rubber when doing
rlm@141	647 vascular casts.
rlm@141	648
rlm@152	649 - perfusion pausing :: (Turns out this won't actually work!) One
rlm@152	650 problem with doing perfusion is that if you STOP the perfusion,
rlm@152	651 you rapidly loose pressure in the organ as your perfusate leaks
rlm@152	652 out. You can prevent this by submerging the organ/head/rat
rlm@152	653 whatever in FLUID at the appropriate level. Use something inert
rlm@152	654 like flurocarbon to avoid problems. You would have to slowly
rlm@152	655 decrease the flow rate while simultaneously lowering the
rlm@152	656 perfusing object into the fluid. To start again, reverse the
rlm@152	657 process -- reengage the peristaltic pump slowly while removing
rlm@152	658 the organ from the fluid.
rlm@141	659
rlm@141	660 - evoultionary textbook mimiricy :: as surgery becomes more common,
rlm@141	661 there develops a distinct selective pressure for individuals
rlm@141	662 organ layout to look more like the medical textbooks! :P
rlm@141	663
rlm@141	664 - transparent skin :: temporary / permament transparent skin. Allows
rlm@141	665 for examination of organs / muscles and visual prevention of
rlm@141	666 disease and detection or abnormalities / good things
rlm@141	667 eg. excercise.
rlm@141	668
rlm@141	669 - sweet information :: candy with a whole book written in it. Eat a
rlm@141	670 book!
rlm@141	671
rlm@141	672 - targeted immunosuppressant :: just kill off the B-cells and friends
rlm@141	673 that would cause problems in a organ-transplant / other
rlm@141	674 situation. AIDS is good at killing these cells -- maybe make it
rlm@141	675 just target the ones that will cause problems. Then you can
rlm@141	676 premptively kill off that part of someone's immune system before
rlm@141	677 a transplant. ALSO, you can kill off everyone's defenses against
rlm@141	678 other blood types and make people effectively type AB+ w.r.t
rlm@141	679 blood transfusions. Actually, why not give babies this treatment
rlm@141	680 so that they're automatically compatable with all blood types?
rlm@141	681 The immune system has this already when it's first growing; maybe
rlm@141	682 it can be "retrained" to accept new things, or the mechanism of
rlm@141	683 immune cell death be co-opted for these purposes.
rlm@141	684
rlm@141	685 - fuck you tetris :: tetris that actively gives you the worst possible piece.
rlm@141	686
rlm@140	687 - pockets :: more things should have them!
rlm@140	688
rlm@140	689 - colored shower head :: a shower head add on that measures the temp
rlm@140	690 of the water and changes the color of the water streams w/ an LED
rlm@140	691 to show you the temperature. That way you can align to the color
rlm@140	692 you want and see the temperature without feeling it.
rlm@140	693
rlm@140	694 - giant dragonflies :: we could rapidly MAKE giant dragonflies by
rlm@140	695 evolving modern dragonflies in an very oxygen rich environment!
rlm@140	696
rlm@140	697 - anesthetic surgery courtesty video :: as a matter of courtesy,
rlm@140	698 whenever you go under anesthetic, the doctors should provide you
rlm@140	699 with a video of the surgery / recovery after you are concious
rlm@140	700 again. The recording should begin about 3 minutes before
rlm@140	701 anesthetic, and continue until both you and the docor agree to
rlm@140	702 stop recording, or you leave the hospital.
rlm@140	703
rlm@140	704 - whirlpool of light :: shine a laser out into space. But the planet
rlm@140	705 is spinning! What you get is a spiral or light! And as this
rlm@140	706 signal expands, does it eventually reveal it's wuantized nature?
rlm@140	707
rlm@140	708 - perfusion coking :: EOM
rlm@140	709
rlm@140	710 - timestamp verification :: you sign your message, and it has a
rlm@140	711 timestamp at the top, with a +- percision number. Then you send
rlm@140	712 it over to the public timestamp server, which only signs the
rlm@140	713 message if it gets the message within the timestamp window. Or
rlm@140	714 the computer just signs the message but puts a timestamp at the
rlm@140	715 beginning. So if everyone trusts the timestamp server, you can
rlm@140	716 get reliable timestamps, and prove priority on ideas, etc.
rlm@140	717
rlm@139	718 - the great computing slow-down :: in general, our computers are
rlm@139	719 getting faster and faster. However, eventually our brains will be
rlm@139	720 made of the same stuff our computers are made of! This has very
rlm@139	721 interesting consequences -- I can add 2+2 and get four in about a
rlm@139	722 second. Since my neurons actually work at around 10-60 hertz in
rlm@139	723 parallel, this means that it takes me around 10-30 operations to
rlm@139	724 do this addition. That's actually not bad in terms of computing
rlm@139	725 time. If my neurons were as fast as the latest transitors, then
rlm@139	726 most calculators would be SLOWER than me at adding numbers. Only
rlm@139	727 the newest, most optimized calculators would be faster, and then
rlm@139	728 only about 10 times faster! This means that once we begin to
rlm@139	729 think at the speed of our technology, that technology will
rlm@139	730 suddenly seem pitifully slow in comparison to how it seems
rlm@139	731 now. And no amount of technical progress will remedy it, because
rlm@139	732 that same progress will also make us all think faster. We'll
rlm@139	733 either have to settle with living in "slow time" to do some
rlm@139	734 computations, or learn to make smarter hardware with special
rlm@139	735 optimizations. But this is actually really hard, because we'll be
rlm@139	736 working with machines that will appear to us about as fast as
rlm@139	737 MECHANICAL computers. So, in the future, all the cool parties
rlm@139	738 will be in cyperspace at vastly accelerated speeds compared to
rlm@139	739 how we exist now. But at these parties, the computers will SUCK!
rlm@139	740 Of course, this is one of the few things that can save us from AI
rlm@139	741 risk, because those AI's won't seem so scary when the're build
rlm@139	742 out of rickety mechanical parts form our perspective.
rlm@139	743
rlm@142	744 - unitary reverse evolution of chaos+minds :: Chaotic systems diverge
rlm@139	745 exponentially in state space. Do you get anything interesting
rlm@139	746 when part of the physical system associated with the chaotic
rlm@139	747 system is a object that performs some sort of computation? Is it
rlm@139	748 possible for the computational system to play a
rlm@139	749 percision-enabling role in determining the final/initial
rlm@139	750 conditions of the chaotic system, just by tracing out thoughts in
rlm@139	751 its decision paths? This is probably too vague of an idea right
rlm@139	752 now, I just wanted to write it down.
rlm@139	753
rlm@138	754 - microwave time :: the cooking time you enter on most microwaves is
rlm@138	755 insane. It's expressed in what I call a "hybrid base", a
rlm@138	756 combination of base 10 and base 60. You can get absurd things
rlm@138	757 like 100 < 61, and 120 == 80! I wonder if these hybrid base
rlm@138	758 systems could be very useful for some purposes!
rlm@138	759
rlm@138	760 - three-eyes :: if you had three eyes, would you still draw cubes like
rlm@138	761 we currently draw them? Or would all 2D-representations of 3D
rlm@138	762 space always look hopelessly fake?
rlm@138	763
rlm@138	764 - visual taste/smell assay :: get a grid of bacteria, each expressing
rlm@138	765 a human taste/smell receptor linked to some sort of fluorscent
rlm@138	766 activity or ion pump. Use a camera / electrical grid to transduce
rlm@138	767 the smell / taste signal into bits!
rlm@138	768
rlm@138	769 - carabiner mushroom lock :: you can take a trapazodial carabiner and
rlm@138	770 make it so that a chain link is caught between the wide end of
rlm@138	771 the carabiner and another chain attached to the carabiner.
rlm@138	772
rlm@138	773 - children's tool shop :: I think that kids should be provided with
rlm@138	774 tool shops -- these would be nice sheds with a good collection of
rlm@138	775 tools to do various things -- circuit components and soldering
rlm@138	776 irons, wires, a small lathe, drill press, belt sander, a
rlm@138	777 centrifuge, microscope, and telescope, etc. The idea is that the
rlm@138	778 kid can now think, "I could use X to do this thing that I'm
rlm@138	779 thinking about" -- the building becomes an extension of the kid's
rlm@138	780 body & mind.
rlm@138	781
rlm@138	782 - fluid display :: like the previous idea about matching refractances
rlm@138	783 between glass and liquid, except you make a lot of
rlm@138	784 switchable glass tubes in various patterns in the
rlm@138	785 glass, and actively pump colored liquid through the
rlm@138	786 tubes (the tubes have glass-like fluid in them by
rlm@138	787 default.) The result is that you can cause the
rlm@138	788 tubes to appear and dissappear, and vary their
rlm@138	789 colors as well!
rlm@138	790
rlm@137	791 - immunoincompatibility :: take the human genome, and refactor it so
rlm@137	792 that it doesn't use a particular codon at all. Then remove the
rlm@137	793 support from our ribosomes for that codon. What does this do for
rlm@137	794 us? It makes us immune to almost all viruses!
rlm@137	795
rlm@137	796 - life cycle :: it's called a cycle, right? So, the thing that repeats
rlm@137	797 itself over and over, right? Not much of a cycle if
rlm@137	798 you don't come back after you die, if you ask me!
rlm@137	799
rlm@137	800 - car with no blind spots :: use some cameras in the back of the car
rlm@137	801 to augment the rear-view mirror so that you never have to turn
rlm@137	802 around in order to lane change.
rlm@137	803
rlm@137	804 - partial cell death :: you freeze a set of cells using some cryo
rlm@137	805 protocol and 60% survive. How can this be explained? It seems to
rlm@137	806 me that if the cells are the same, and the conditions
rlm@137	807 homogoneous, then all the cells should either die or
rlm@137	808 live. However, suppose that there is a metabolic cycle that needs
rlm@137	809 to be in a certain phase for the cell to survive. If the cells
rlm@137	810 are asynchronous, then you might end up with some cells dying
rlm@137	811 because there were in the wrong part of their cycle. This implies
rlm@137	812 that you might be able to cryoprotect cells by causing them to
rlm@137	813 enter a certain metabolic mode before freezing.
rlm@137	814
rlm@137	815 - cryonics color appeal :: perfusate used by cryonics companies should
rlm@137	816 have red food coloring in it. It's just a nice touch so that the
rlm@137	817 cryonics patient looks more life-like than with clear CPAs, and
rlm@137	818 hopefully might get treated with more respect.
rlm@137	819
rlm@137	820 - paramagnetic CPA :: you take a CPA that can be influenced by
rlm@137	821 magnetic fields so that its degrees of freedom are limited. Then,
rlm@137	822 you release the field, instantaly increasing the size of the
rlm@137	823 state space of the system and dramatically decreasing the
rlm@137	824 temperature enough to plunge the system past homogenous
rlm@137	825 nucleation temperature and directly to the glass transition
rlm@137	826 temperature, creating a doubly unstable glass at much lower CPA
rlm@137	827 concentrations than possible at conventional CPA concentrations.
rlm@137	828
rlm@137	829 - room temp noodles :: how does the physics of cooking noodles work?
rlm@137	830 Could you use a vacuum instead of heat to force water into the
rlm@137	831 noodle?
rlm@137	832
rlm@137	833 - personal carbon offset :: feel bad about contribuiting to global
rlm@137	834 warming by using electricity / driving a car? Forget trying to
rlm@137	835 "conserve" or "minimize your carbon footprint". Follow the
rlm@137	836 Platinum rule -- make the world BETTER off than you found it!
rlm@137	837 This would be a small, self contained system that sucks C02 out
rlm@137	838 of the air. It uses electricity, but it's so efficient at
rlm@137	839 removing CO2 that it more than offsets the CO2 produced by even a
rlm@137	840 coal plant to produce that electricity. This way, you can still
rlm@137	841 drive even a gas guzzler, but have a net negative carbon
rlm@137	842 footprint! Maybe something cool could be done with the carbon as
rlm@137	843 well. Use as much electricity as you want, but negate the damage
rlm@137	844 to the enviroment with more technology.
rlm@137	845
rlm@137	846 - undoing spermogenesis :: with enough sperm, you can derive the
rlm@137	847 donor's entire genome. You gain more confidence in the alleles
rlm@137	848 for a particular gene the more sperm you have. Each additional
rlm@137	849 sperm gives you the same sort of information you'd get flipping a
rlm@137	850 coin and trying to decide whether the coin is H/T of H/H. Is
rlm@137	851 there enough sperm in the the average load for you to be as
rlm@137	852 confident as mitosis?
rlm@137	853
rlm@136	854 - mars life :: we could engineer life that could survive on mars
rlm@136	855 (probably some non-vascular photosynthetic
rlm@136	856 poikilohydric creature like a lichen) by taking an
rlm@136	857 extremophile from Antarctica and evolving it in
rlm@136	858 increasingly Martian conditions. This could be an easy
rlm@136	859 start to a terraforming process.
rlm@136	860
rlm@134	861 - problem with Aubrey de Grey's ideas :: Aubrey de Grey says that we
rlm@134	862 might be able to live forever by continually repairing our bodies
rlm@134	863 at the cellular level -- he details 7 different mechanisms of
rlm@134	864 damage and says that if all of them are dealt with /together/
rlm@134	865 that it would stop aging. (You can't miss even one because
rlm@134	866 they're all fatal.) However, it doesn't take into account that
rlm@134	867 we are also beings of information and that there is a very real
rlm@134	868 software component to our existence. Even if our biological
rlm@134	869 chassies can be maintained forever, I think it is unlikely that
rlm@134	870 our minds will operate well far outside of the design constraints
rlm@134	871 that we've evolved to handle. Say I programmed a webserver with
rlm@134	872 the express goal of it being able to serve webpages for month on
rlm@134	873 some stock server. I'll do fairly rigorous testing to make sure
rlm@134	874 that it can handle the expected load then then some. Now say that
rlm@134	875 you want to keep a particular instance of this webserver running
rlm@134	876 indefinitely. (The program instance is like your mind and the
rlm@134	877 computer it's running on is like your body). You might very well
rlm@134	878 be able to keep the physical computer infrastructure running for
rlm@134	879 forever by replacing hard drives / ram / CPUs, etc. However,
rlm@134	880 since I designed the webserver to work for a month, it probably
rlm@135	881 has memory leaks, rare stochastic bugs, or other built in limits
rlm@134	882 / constraints (think log files or some date rollover shenanigans)
rlm@135	883 that will ultimately kill the webserver even with eternally
rlm@134	884 perfect hardware. Do you really expect that a webserver
rlm@135	885 engineered to work for 1 month will run for 10 years without
rlm@135	886 catastrophically crashing? Not even Apache can do this! In fact,
rlm@135	887 if I put in the extreme effort to make it that robust, I've
rlm@135	888 wasted time that I could have spent on other projects by pursuing
rlm@135	889 an unnecessary engineering goal. Likewise, human minds have only
rlm@134	890 ever run for at most 122 years before they are destroyed due to
rlm@134	891 hardware degradation. Fixing the hardware doesn't change any
rlm@134	892 software bugs that are almost certainly present in the human
rlm@134	893 mind. Think of all the pathological things that can go wrong with
rlm@134	894 a webserver, multiply it by a million, and that likely how
rlm@134	895 evolution has designed our minds. For example, consider memory :
rlm@134	896 why should you expect that we have evolved the ability to
rlm@134	897 coherently organize memories past say 150 years? There's been
rlm@134	898 absolutely no selective pressure for this ability, so you can bet
rlm@134	899 that if there's any fitness to be gained from not having
rlm@134	900 unlimited memory potential (such as better metabolic efficiency),
rlm@134	901 we have it! You might think that maybe we would just forget
rlm@134	902 things the same way that we sort of forget things that happen
rlm@134	903 earlier in our lives, but complicated information processing
rlm@134	904 systems don't have to fail gracefully when they're pushed far
rlm@134	905 past their design constraints. A 150 year old person is just as
rlm@134	906 likely to suffer a catastrophic psychosis due to software
rlm@134	907 limitations associated with memory as he is to do something with
rlm@134	908 all those memories we might consider reasonable. More likely, in
rlm@134	909 fact, since there are so very many ways for a complicated
rlm@134	910 software system to break and so few ways for it to run
rlm@134	911 successfully. Therefore, I think Aubrey de Grey's "hardware-only"
rlm@134	912 approach is missing a very important component of longevity
rlm@134	913 science, and any successful effort to make people live orders of
rlm@134	914 magnitude longer than they do naturally will need to deal with
rlm@134	915 people's software as well as their hardware.
rlm@134	916
rlm@133	917 - validating neurocryopreservation :: Problem : you want to test
rlm@133	918 whether a brain is functionally preserved through vitrification,
rlm@133	919 but you don't want to figure out how to preserve all the other
rlm@133	920 organs in the animal. It might be possible to keep the rest of
rlm@133	921 the body at almost 0C and vitrify just the head for only a few
rlm@133	922 minutes. Induce hypothermia, then separate out the head's blood
rlm@133	923 supply from the rest of the body, then just cryoptotect and
rlm@133	924 vitrify the head. Might need some sort of thermal guard to keep
rlm@133	925 the outer head / neck from becoming too cold. You leave the
rlm@133	926 spinal cord intact! Then you devitrify to 0C, remove
rlm@133	927 cryoprotectant, and then reattach the blood supply. You can
rlm@133	928 determine brain preservation using behavioral assays!
rlm@133	929
rlm@133	930 - freezing water purifier :: you slowly freeze water, but also run
rlm@133	931 liquid water over the frozen mass. This takes away basically all
rlm@133	932 impurities and creates "washed ice" then you melt the ice. Maybe
rlm@133	933 you could re-use the heat from creating the ice to melt the ice?
rlm@133	934
rlm@133	935 - ultra strength :: allow a person to visualize their muscle
rlm@133	936 recruitment patterns. Give them adrenaline and let
rlm@133	937 them feel what it's like to have the normal limits
rlm@133	938 removed. See if they can replicate the effects.
rlm@133	939
rlm@133	940 - phone names :: make a PX record for domain names that's like the MX
rlm@133	941 record, except that it is a phone number instead of
rlm@133	942 an IP address. That way, you can use the domain name
rlm@133	943 registration system to provide names for phone
rlm@133	944 numbers. Then, as long as you control the domain, you
rlm@133	945 can point people to your current phone number by
rlm@133	946 updating that record.
rlm@133	947
rlm@133	948 - edible flowers :: Edible white flowers that you put in a colored
rlm@133	949 solution with flavor. When the flower turns the
rlm@133	950 right color, it is also flavored and ready to eat!
rlm@133	951
rlm@131	952 - suicide cryonics :: according to [[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/magazine/06suicide-t.html][this]], people who commit impulsive
rlm@131	953 suicides have a newfound sense of the importance of life. Perhaps
rlm@131	954 they are good cryonics targets.
rlm@131	955
rlm@131	956 - lead bone :: Could you fill in all the empty spaces in a bone with
rlm@131	957 lead? Might be cool.
rlm@131	958
rlm@131	959 - the quest for life :: Every stupid story has the "immortal who
rlm@131	960 wants to become mortal" or some other such idea. I want to story
rlm@131	961 where the protagonist loses their immortality and feels /angry/
rlm@131	962 and ashamed about losing something that's so absolutely crucial
rlm@131	963 to their identity. A reverse of "death makes life worth living",
rlm@131	964 they feel that living forever is what makes life worth
rlm@131	965 living. Now they've "lost their sunrise" or their "connection to
rlm@131	966 the timeless universe" or something. So they go on a quest to get
rlm@131	967 it back, learning about themselves along the way, and regaining
rlm@131	968 the precious thing they lost in the beginning.
rlm@131	969
rlm@130	970 - world-map :: take a small table and paint the continents in
rlm@130	971 toothpaste on the table. Make a slightly raised barrier
rlm@130	972 around the table. Slowly pour water onto the table, and
rlm@130	973 it will form the oceans!
rlm@130	974
rlm@95	975 - stage magic rituals :: rituals should incorporate elements of stage
rlm@95	976 magic. Foe example in Teller's tempest, they have a scene where
rlm@95	977 they levitate a crown in front of someone, then put it on his
rlm@95	978 head. They also have a wedding ceremony where they levitated the
rlm@95	979 bride as well. Actual weddings and other ceremonies should
rlm@95	980 incorporate stage magic as an enhancement.
rlm@95	981
rlm@95	982 - isotope time dilation :: use a cyclotron to speed up rare isotopes
rlm@95	983 developed in nuclear fusion experiments. The relativistic time
rlm@95	984 dilation will stop the isotopes from decaying, and allow time to
rlm@95	985 study them. This is based on radioactive isotopes that fall
rlm@95	986 through the earth's atmosphere that take hundreds of times
rlm@95	987 longer to decay than normal.
rlm@95	988
rlm@95	989 - marsupial stimulation :: You take a freshly pouched marsupial baby,
rlm@95	990 and show it videos and other interactive things while it matures
rlm@95	991 in the pouch. What mental effects would this have?
rlm@95	992
rlm@135	993 - dynamic re-keying :: Some older ways of tuning instruments sound
rlm@95	994 better, but we use the even-tempered scale today because it makes
rlm@95	995 it easier to switch keys. With electronic music, why not make
rlm@95	996 key-annotations and dynamically re-tune the piece to sound good
rlm@135	997 in the current key? Could be done as a midi+annotation -> midi
rlm@95	998 compiler for experimentation.
rlm@95	999
rlm@95	1000 - death always implies damage :: is is possible for a corpse to differ
rlm@95	1001 from a living person only in the fact that one is dead and the
rlm@95	1002 other is alive? NO! A corpse must always have some sort of
rlm@95	1003 molecular damage which causes the loss of function!
rlm@95	1004
rlm@95	1005 - inner eye :: Surgically install a bunch of tiny cameras inside a
rlm@95	1006 person. Then, you can activate them all and get a
rlm@95	1007 picture of your internal organs for diagnostic
rlm@95	1008 purposes.
rlm@95	1009
rlm@135	1010 - chaos rails :: should make a visualization of the homoclinic tangle,
rlm@95	1011 it's truly beautiful.
rlm@95	1012
rlm@95	1013 - context gobbler :: this would be in "inside-out macro" that takes
rlm@95	1014 the context (like you use for things like error, continuations,
rlm@95	1015 and friends) and transforms it to something else. Maybe useful?
rlm@95	1016
rlm@91	1017 - cryonics middle ages :: some people say that cryonics is an
rlm@91	1018 experiment and that it is foolish to wait until we have revived a
rlm@91	1019 human. There is a middle ground where the procedure has a dismal
rlm@91	1020 success rate on humans, say 1 in 20, so that you'd be a fool to
rlm@91	1021 try revival. Nonetheless, this very risky procedure could be the
rlm@91	1022 legal proof of concept needed to create a new class of life
rlm@91	1023 between "living" and "dead": "stasis".
rlm@91	1024
rlm@91	1025 - philosophy of the mirror :: neat thought experiment -- if you take a
rlm@91	1026 mirror of someone by actually reversing a person's chirality
rlm@94	1027 molecule by molecule, then will the only be able to read mirror
rlm@91	1028 writing? The answer is yes, by analogy to a purely mechanical
rlm@94	1029 scan-tron device. This is one of the only interesting transforms I
rlm@91	1030 know that can take a human brain and change it in subtle,
rlm@91	1031 non-destructive ways. It's also an argument against dualism.
rlm@91	1032
rlm@91	1033 - biosphere in a bottle :: There are around 15 million species. 15
rlm@91	1034 million stem cells will fill only a tiny size, far less than a cubic
rlm@91	1035 inch. Preserve a single cell from every species on earth in this
rlm@91	1036 small space, and you will have a record of our current biosphere
rlm@91	1037 that can be protected. "Hold the genetic data of all species in
rlm@92	1038 your hand!"
rlm@91	1039
rlm@90	1040 - chaos lock :: The "arrow of time" points in the direction of
rlm@90	1041 increasing entropy. The time evolution of chaotic
rlm@90	1042 systems depend exquisitely on their initial state. If
rlm@90	1043 you take a measurement of a chaotic system at any
rlm@90	1044 given point of time, you can evolve that system
rlm@90	1045 backwards or forwards based on your measurement. So
rlm@90	1046 let's say you start the chaotic system in a VERY low
rlm@90	1047 entropy state, then let it run for a while, then take
rlm@90	1048 a measurement with some uncertainty. Your
rlm@90	1049 measurement is pretty good, but obviously not
rlm@90	1050 PERFECT. If you evolve the chaotic system back in
rlm@90	1051 time, then you will see that you don't really reach
rlm@90	1052 a state with low entropy an hour before (the entropy
rlm@90	1053 is easy to measure with surrogates like alignment,
rlm@90	1054 etc). So use this technique to SEARCH for a more
rlm@90	1055 accurate measurement! This potentially can give you
rlm@90	1056 many more orders of magnitude than you could get alone
rlm@90	1057 just using an instrument. Sometimes it will give you
rlm@90	1058 bad results, the the odds of it doing that are
rlm@90	1059 infinitesimal, and you can just measure a couple of
rlm@90	1060 times.
rlm@90	1061
rlm@90	1062 - cryo-evolution :: perhaps there would be a way to rapidly evolve a
rlm@90	1063 symbiotic bacterial organism that could protect
rlm@90	1064 human tissues from freezing damage.
rlm@90	1065
rlm@87	1066 - suicide parasite :: sometimes, people kill themselves for no good
rlm@87	1067 reason. We often explain this with things like "hidden
rlm@87	1068 depression" or we say that they had something like chronic jaw or
rlm@87	1069 back pain. I think that smells of rationalization. I don't buy
rlm@87	1070 it. I propose that in many suicide cases there is a disease that
rlm@88	1071 causes the suicidal behavior. We already know that certain
rlm@87	1072 parasites have mind-bending properties in other animals, even
rlm@87	1073 mammals like mice. It's not much of a stretch to imagine a
rlm@88	1074 parasite that causes suicides in humans. Some problems:
rlm@87	1075 - What does the suicide parasite get out of it? :: This might be
rlm@87	1076 answered by the whole thing being a glitch caused by
rlm@87	1077 cross-species contamination. Toxoplasma works this way.
rlm@88	1078 - What predictions does a disease model make :: suicide should
rlm@88	1079 be more common among people who share a contagion
rlm@88	1080 vector. There should be suicides that don't make any
rlm@87	1081 sense : people who weren't really depressed, who had no
rlm@87	1082 reason to kill themselves. People who have killed themselves
rlm@87	1083 should have a higher incidence of some unknown parasite in
rlm@87	1084 their brains.
rlm@86	1085
rlm@89	1086 - domestic insects :: People should eat more bugs because they're much
rlm@89	1087 more efficient, so why not do some major domestication research
rlm@94	1088 to make very appealing bugs? Beetles, in particular, seem to be
rlm@94	1089 excellent targets for domestication because they have extreme
rlm@94	1090 levels of genetic malleability.
rlm@87	1091
rlm@87	1092 - birth-clones :: What if each person was intentionally split at birth
rlm@87	1093 into a normal embryo and a few "backup" cells which
rlm@87	1094 is then frozen. The backup cells are created just
rlm@87	1095 the same way as natural identical twins. The backups
rlm@88	1096 can be used to regenerate organs. etc. Also, it
rlm@87	1097 would be a good sci fi concept, because you could
rlm@87	1098 have a culture where people reward people who were
rlm@87	1099 especially awesome are "reborn" from their
rlm@88	1100 backups. Imagine having a young Bach every
rlm@87	1101 generation, etc.
rlm@86	1102
rlm@94	1103 - pronunciation guide :: a simple webpage where you type in a word and
rlm@94	1104 it returns a simple, English sentence describing exactly how to
rlm@84	1105 pronounce the word. For people who don't want to learn IPA.
rlm@86	1106
rlm@87	1107 - cortex-search :: use the repertoire of actions learned to limit the
rlm@87	1108 search space of possible actions.
rlm@87	1109
rlm@83	1110 - learning to teleport :: scifi idea, this is a story about a person
rlm@83	1111 who is struggling with his/her society's ideas about
rlm@83	1112 teleportation. It's considered a fundamental part of being a
rlm@83	1113 member of that society (after all, the difference between animals
rlm@83	1114 and humans is that humans are creatures of pure information while
rlm@83	1115 animals are burdened with base matter, "that's how you travel the
rlm@83	1116 stars, etc") Humans are born normally, grow up, and then
rlm@83	1117 eventually transcend via destructive upload. Analogies to jumping
rlm@83	1118 off a diving board into a pool (which I simply /could not do/ for
rlm@83	1119 a long time), etc.
rlm@83	1120
rlm@87	1121 - no-float-ice :: cup that has cross beams at the bottom where ice
rlm@87	1122 forms. Then when you drink liquid from the glass,
rlm@87	1123 the ice stays at the bottom and doesn't hit your
rlm@87	1124 lips. For bars and fancy things.
rlm@87	1125
rlm@82	1126 - bitcoins for immigrants :: A common case with Mexican immigrants
rlm@82	1127 (illegal or not) is that they want to send money they've earned
rlm@82	1128 in the US back to their families in Mexico. They currently do this
rlm@82	1129 through things like Money Gram or Western Union, and they get
rlm@82	1130 fleeced in the process with fees. Bitcoin could greatly reduce
rlm@82	1131 the cost of sending money from America to Mexico, but I don't
rlm@82	1132 believe that it's currently used for that among Mexican
rlm@82	1133 immigrants currently due to lack of knowledge. I bet you could
rlm@82	1134 set up physical locations like those obnoxious Western Union huts
rlm@82	1135 in places like Texas, Arizona, etc, and greatly undercut
rlm@82	1136 them. Or, perhaps some educational seminars about bitcoin might
rlm@82	1137 be in order. There's some money to be made there because there is
rlm@82	1138 great demand, and it's a good thing to boot!
rlm@82	1139
rlm@81	1140 - reverse eye-tracking :: A painting that is actually a digital screen
rlm@82	1141 with a camera. It records people's eye tracks permanently. It's
rlm@81	1142 "artistic" because paintings are normally these things that you
rlm@81	1143 look at without changing, but this one is changed the second you
rlm@81	1144 look at it, recording where /you/ looked forever for others to
rlm@81	1145 see. Make it be a painting of a woman and see the trolling as the
rlm@81	1146 breasts and groin area light up with interest from all the males
rlm@81	1147 passing by.
rlm@81	1148
rlm@80	1149 - smart toilets :: Instead of using indirect measures like infrared
rlm@80	1150 detectors of the presence of a person, use computer
rlm@80	1151 vision to directly measure whether the toilet needs
rlm@80	1152 to be flushed. I think a lot of things will end up
rlm@80	1153 going this way as we get better computer vision.
rlm@80	1154
rlm@77	1155 - validate chemopreservation :: chemopreservation is difficult to
rlm@77	1156 validate because it destroys the functionality of a brain, and
rlm@77	1157 brain simulation will take a long time to mature as a
rlm@77	1158 technology. However, one very powerful way to validate
rlm@77	1159 chemopreservation would be to have a person/animal learn
rlm@77	1160 something with high complexity such as a number or the solution
rlm@80	1161 to a maze, or a flashbulb memory. Then you preserve their brain
rlm@80	1162 chemically, slice it up, and read /that specific memory/ from the
rlm@77	1163 detailed brain scan. Much more difficult, but much more doable.
rlm@77	1164
rlm@75	1165 - candy screw :: edible candy screw with candy nuts that you can screw
rlm@75	1166 as well.
rlm@76	1167
rlm@74	1168 - better bibliography :: when writing a thesis or paper, have the
rlm@80	1169 bibliography not just be an opaque list of resources, but have it
rlm@74	1170 be a list of /summaries/ and /qualities/ that each paper has in
rlm@80	1171 the context of the paper being written. When examining a
rlm@80	1172 bibliography, I want to know if reading the papers in the
rlm@74	1173 bibliography are worth my time, and I also am probably also
rlm@74	1174 interested in exactly the things that are being discussed in the
rlm@74	1175 paper I'm reading. The bibliography is the perfect place to
rlm@74	1176 provide information about the referenced papers from the
rlm@80	1177 author's perspective. I will use this biographic form in my own
rlm@74	1178 thesis.
rlm@74	1179
rlm@73	1180 - digital inter-library loan :: libraries at universities already do
rlm@80	1181 inter-library loans for books, so why not do the same for access
rlm@73	1182 to stupid paywalled digital papers? All the universities could
rlm@73	1183 allow access to articles for registered students to all the files
rlm@73	1184 available through any participating university. This could be
rlm@73	1185 achieved by sending requests through proxies at participating
rlm@73	1186 universities. Each university would decide who at the university
rlm@73	1187 can access the proxy network. Access to the proxy network could
rlm@73	1188 be made easy using something like http://libx.org/.
rlm@73	1189
rlm@72	1190 - chess visual :: to show the vast size of the game trees considered
rlm@72	1191 by computers, show two people playing chess in a
rlm@72	1192 void. They are floating in space, and there is a
rlm@72	1193 simple chess board between them. Then, as they play,
rlm@72	1194 the game tree's they are considering are drawn
rlm@72	1195 behind him. The root of the tree starts centered in
rlm@72	1196 their heads or whatever they use to think, and the
rlm@72	1197 tree grows out from behind, never crossing the
rlm@72	1198 dividing plane between the two players. Each
rlm@72	1199 player's tree is a different color. As they grow,
rlm@72	1200 there are animations for pruning, etc. Eventually,
rlm@72	1201 they look like the hemispheres of a brain, wings,
rlm@72	1202 etc. A human's tree might occasionally have a long
rlm@72	1203 chain, while the computer tree would be more
rlm@72	1204 uniform. You could compare deep blue and a modern
rlm@72	1205 laptop. Use actual data when fighting two computers!
rlm@72	1206
rlm@71	1207 - time verification :: some standard way to verify that some piece of
rlm@71	1208 data was recorded at a specific time. Might involve a time
rlm@73	1209 server, a key for each time period, something like that.
rlm@71	1210
rlm@70	1211 - tamper proof gold bars :: [[http://www.tungsten-alloy.com/gold-plated-tungsten-alloy-bar.html][this site]] offers gold plated tungsten bars
rlm@70	1212 as "novelty" items. One reason to prefer coins is because they
rlm@70	1213 are much harder to counterfeit because there is less surface area
rlm@70	1214 to mass ratio. However, gold bars are still a great design
rlm@70	1215 because they can hold a lot of value in a small space. A gold bar
rlm@70	1216 could be given the same protections (and more) that gold coins
rlm@70	1217 have to offer by changing it into a "gold book", which would have
rlm@70	1218 hundreds of "pages" of gold bound together. This could be
rlm@70	1219 implemented with multiple steel rods going through the book which
rlm@70	1220 can be removed, or some more classier mechanism for holding the
rlm@70	1221 pages. The point is that the bar can be EASILY subdivided (and
rlm@70	1222 people would perform this test before buying), thus guaranteeing
rlm@70	1223 it's authenticity.
rlm@70	1224
rlm@68	1225 - aurellem shirt :: I should make an aurellem star symbol tee-shirt.
rlm@68	1226
rlm@86	1227 - touch vision :: inspired by GelSight, I want to reexamine cortex and
rlm@86	1228 see if I could implement touch as a very low range
rlm@86	1229 form of vision.
rlm@86	1230
rlm@67	1231 - high school science :: this is a lesson in scientific ethics. The
rlm@67	1232 goal is to calculate /g/, the local gravitational
rlm@67	1233 acceleration. The students are told that the textbook says it's
rlm@67	1234 /exactly/ 9.81 before they start the experiment. See how they
rlm@67	1235 doctor their results to get closer to the textbook value. It's
rlm@67	1236 neat because for any given school, /g/ is probably not exactly
rlm@67	1237 equal to 9.81, because that is just an average!
rlm@67	1238
rlm@67	1239 - opencourseware subtitles :: there are ladies who type up lectures
rlm@67	1240 while they are being given. These recordings should be kept and
rlm@67	1241 given to OCW for subtitles. If the timestamps of keys are
rlm@67	1242 recorded, then it is easy to make subtitles.
rlm@67	1243
rlm@66	1244 - screen locking timing :: you use your computer camera to see if you
rlm@66	1245 are sitting in front of the computer. If you are, then the screen
rlm@66	1246 will never lock. If you are, then the screen will lock with a
rlm@67	1247 30-40 second timeout. It's an extension of using inactivity to
rlm@66	1248 initiate the countdown, just with more information.
rlm@66	1249
rlm@66	1250 - mirror toilet :: a toilet with a square basin made or mirror instead
rlm@67	1251 or porcelain. That way, you can see how good of a
rlm@66	1252 wipe job you have done / watch how your excretion
rlm@66	1253 system works.
rlm@66	1254
rlm@80	1255 - test dummies :: why don't we clone anencephalic humans and use then to
rlm@62	1256 test /in vivo/ human organ systems and drugs? It
rlm@62	1257 would be ethical as long as there are women who are
rlm@62	1258 willing to host the clones, and it would be a
rlm@67	1259 tremendous resource for studying the human body. I
rlm@62	1260 see nothing wrong with it morally, since no one is
rlm@67	1261 suffering, and it stands to save many lives throughout
rlm@62	1262 more advanced technology.
rlm@62	1263
rlm@62	1264 - X-ray telepresence :: given that a doctor is operating on a patient
rlm@62	1265 via telepresence, one cool things you can do is shine X-rays into
rlm@62	1266 the patient to view the insides during real time. If the system
rlm@80	1267 was coupled with a Bayesian model of the layout of the structure,
rlm@67	1268 and the x-rays were only fired whenever the uncertainty of the
rlm@62	1269 model reached a certain threshold, then the radiation damage
rlm@62	1270 and surgery risk could be minimized.
rlm@62	1271
rlm@62	1272 - superfluid vascular system :: I wonder what would happen if you
rlm@62	1273 replaced the blood in a human with a superfluid. What would the
rlm@62	1274 physical dynamics be? Would the superfluid flow through the
rlm@62	1275 vasculature, or would it ignore it and travel through the cells,
rlm@62	1276 or something else entirely. Since superfluids need to be cold to
rlm@62	1277 retain their superfluidity, how would the dynamics change during
rlm@62	1278 perfusion of a superfluid, where the fluid gains and looses
rlm@62	1279 superfluidity as it goes deeper into the body and is cooled by
rlm@67	1280 superfluid from upstream. In summary there are two things to
rlm@62	1281 simulate 1.) replace all blood in human with superfluid
rlm@62	1282 instantly. 2.) perfuse superfluid into human.
rlm@51	1283
rlm@59	1284 - projective guessing :: I think that we read and see things by
rlm@67	1285 making a really good guess about what we're expecting to see,
rlm@59	1286 and then searching for our guess in what we see. If it really
rlm@59	1287 doesn't match, then we start to make more guesses / analyze the
rlm@59	1288 image from first principles, but most stuff is projective
rlm@59	1289 guessing.
rlm@59	1290
rlm@67	1291 - Intestinal flora maintenance :: why not inoculate babies at birth
rlm@59	1292 with "ideal" gut flora instead of whatever bullshit they
rlm@59	1293 naturally get, thus giving them optimal digestive/nutrient
rlm@67	1294 extraction capabilities. Might also be able to make their farts
rlm@94	1295 not stink for life, too. MORE IMPORTANTLY, might help to
rlm@91	1296 preventatively stop some forms of /colic/, which affects 1 in 5
rlm@94	1297 babies and causes constant screaming and pain for about 5 weeks.
rlm@59	1298
rlm@56	1299 - server culture : mirrors :: make a distributed system where people
rlm@56	1300 can mirror the websites of people they like -- essentially cover
rlm@56	1301 the server costs of favored websites. This could make popular
rlm@56	1302 websites run at no cost. The system would require that the
rlm@56	1303 mirrored content be the same as the official source. Sort of like
rlm@67	1304 bit-torrent for websites.
rlm@56	1305
rlm@56	1306 - map programming :: one problem with functional programming is that
rlm@56	1307 in order to remain functional, you have to pass up arguments up
rlm@67	1308 into each calling function to get the full range of behavior
rlm@56	1309 from the lower level functions. Normally people come to a
rlm@67	1310 compromise involving abstraction and sparing use of dynamic
rlm@67	1311 variables to configure runtime behavior. What would be the
rlm@56	1312 advantages of making a programming language where every function
rlm@67	1313 receives one argument, a map, which contains all the symbol
rlm@56	1314 bindings it would ever need? This map is passed on to all
rlm@56	1315 subordinate functions. This way, you could replace functions on
rlm@56	1316 the fly, and arrange for there to be sensible defaults,
rlm@56	1317 etc. Might cause more harm than good but is an interesting idea.
rlm@56	1318
rlm@55	1319 - rest nest :: a small EEG device you would attach to your head when
rlm@55	1320 you go to sleep at night. ML algorithms would determine
rlm@55	1321 your particular sleep cycles. This would mostly be an
rlm@55	1322 alarm clock that you could give a time range, say
rlm@55	1323 7:00AM - 7:15AM, and it would wake you up during an
rlm@55	1324 ideal time corresponding to then end of one of your 90
rlm@55	1325 min sleep cycles. You would feel much more rested upon
rlm@55	1326 waking up, and would wake up faster. There might be
rlm@55	1327 some other uses for the EEG data as well.
rlm@55	1328
rlm@50	1329 - image compression :: use a library like gimp or opencv to process an
rlm@50	1330 image to make it have less entropy, then store the reverse of
rlm@50	1331 those operations along with the compressed simpler image as a
rlm@80	1332 super-compressed image file (possibly accepting some
rlm@80	1333 losses). Trades file size for decompression time, and allows one
rlm@50	1334 to cheat by using information in gimp/opencv to compress the
rlm@50	1335 image.
rlm@50	1336
rlm@47	1337 - fixed cryopreservation :: why not use a fixative to buy enough time
rlm@42	1338 to ramp up cryoprotectants to an acceptable level at room
rlm@42	1339 temperature? Then, the whole system can be rapidly cooled and
rlm@42	1340 vitrified. This method "severs the biological link" in that the
rlm@47	1341 fixatives are highly toxic, but current vitrification procedures
rlm@42	1342 do this anyway since there can be a lot of freezing damage.
rlm@38	1343
rlm@67	1344 - dilated security camera :: a security camera that would capture
rlm@58	1345 full video footage of everything at 60fps but then decide to keep
rlm@58	1346 only every 1 frame every 5 seconds unless there's something
rlm@58	1347 "interesting" happening.
rlm@58	1348
rlm@40	1349 - bitcoin wallet :: Part of "server culture", this would be something
rlm@40	1350 like "coin.your-domain.com" which would serve as
rlm@40	1351 your personal trusted access to your own bitcoins
rlm@40	1352 from anywhere.
rlm@40	1353
rlm@40	1354 - libpay :: this would be a free library which would enable
rlm@40	1355 micro-donations to software projects and other projects,
rlm@47	1356 so that you could donate a penny to "emacs" and it would
rlm@47	1357 be automatically split up to every person who has ever
rlm@40	1358 contributed to emacs in proportion to the amount of
rlm@40	1359 community esteem, code quantity, bugs fixed, whatever the
rlm@47	1360 community decides. This might make it possible for
rlm@40	1361 programmers to live entirely off of free programming.
rlm@40	1362
rlm@45	1363 - distributed graphics :: Browser based graphics-card accelerated
rlm@45	1364 distributed computing API.
rlm@41	1365
rlm@40	1366 - pronouns :: use capital letters A-Z instead of pronouns. They solve
rlm@40	1367 pronoun referents and gender neutrality, are short to
rlm@40	1368 say, and you can encode useful information into the
rlm@40	1369 choice of letter. For example, instead of "Meetings
rlm@40	1370 shall be presided over by the president, unless she is
rlm@42	1371 absent." USE "Meetings shall be presided over by the
rlm@40	1372 president, unless P is absent." We already use this a
rlm@40	1373 little, since I and U are reserved for the subject and
rlm@40	1374 object respectively.
rlm@40	1375
rlm@40	1376 - phone DSP :: software app that inserts an audio DSP between the
rlm@40	1377 input to a phone and the output. The DSP is delicious
rlm@40	1378 and configurable, and can allow men to make their
rlm@40	1379 voices deeper, etc. The app would allow you to hear
rlm@40	1380 your own voice as others hear it. Most people hate how
rlm@40	1381 their own voice sounds. The app would also allow one to
rlm@47	1382 immediately change the parameters of the DSP using good
rlm@40	1383 presets.
rlm@40	1384
rlm@47	1385 - predestined body learning :: a good example of predestined learning
rlm@40	1386 might be the mirror neurons.
rlm@40	1387
rlm@47	1388 - restaurant receipt :: use a carbon copy receipt instead of two stupid
rlm@40	1389 copies.
rlm@40	1390
rlm@41	1391 - anti google glass :: glasses with mounted lasers and computer vision
rlm@41	1392 that targets the cameras in google glass and destroy them.
rlm@41	1393
rlm@40	1394 - wearable towel :: towel with clasp, velcro, whatever, that allows
rlm@40	1395 one to wear the towel more securely than just
rlm@40	1396 wrapping it tightly and hoping for the best.
rlm@40	1397
rlm@47	1398 - crossdressing :: Easiest way to disguise oneself as a woman is to
rlm@44	1399 wear a burka.
rlm@41	1400
rlm@40	1401 - book-mode :: intelligent color highlighting for books and
rlm@40	1402 articles. It would disambiguate pronouns and involved
rlm@93	1403 references. For example, if "Rachael" was assigned the
rlm@93	1404 color red, and "the blonde haired girl" refers to
rlm@93	1405 "Rachael", then "the blonde haired girl" would be
rlm@93	1406 colored red. Also, you could disambiguate multi part
rlm@93	1407 run-on sentences by highlighting each
rlm@93	1408 subcomponent. Maybe would also have applications to
rlm@93	1409 scientific reading.
rlm@40	1410
rlm@40	1411 - Handheld light Rain measurement :: this would be a clear, teflon
rlm@47	1412 coated plastic disk with a camera underneath the disk. You would
rlm@40	1413 be able to hold the device out and it would measure the rate of
rlm@40	1414 accumulation of water droplets from fine mists and light rain by
rlm@40	1415 using computer vision to measure the diameters of the drops.
rlm@40	1416
rlm@40	1417 - Big Brother Farming :: This would be a vision system that would
rlm@40	1418 individually monitor each plant and turn on water, etc to ensure
rlm@40	1419 maximum/uniform growth for each plant.
rlm@40	1420
rlm@40	1421 - Discrete Faucet :: A faucet with discrete ticks instead of
rlm@47	1422 continuous.
rlm@40	1423
rlm@40	1424 - Laser Circle :: take a glass microfiliment and shine a laser at one
rlm@40	1425 end at an oblique angle. It will make a perfect,
rlm@40	1426 large circle on the wall, converting a laser beam
rlm@47	1427 into a laser cone, preserving most of the energy of
rlm@40	1428 the laser.
rlm@40	1429
rlm@40	1430 - Invisible Glass :: Take a container of liquid and embed a
rlm@40	1431 glass sculpture made out of glass that has exactly the same index
rlm@40	1432 of refraction and color of the liquid. Then the sculpture will be
rlm@40	1433 totally invisible in the container, and will only be revealed
rlm@40	1434 when the liquid is drained. The container might be a fancy
rlm@40	1435 wine/spirit bottle or an hourglass.
rlm@40	1436
rlm@47	1437 - Caterpillar people :: A race of caterpillar like creatures gains
rlm@40	1438 intelligence after eons of predation by birds, etc. These
rlm@47	1439 caterpillar creatures still undergo metamorphosis into a large
rlm@40	1440 butterfly-like creature. The metamorphosis process turns the
rlm@40	1441 caterpillar's brain into mush and reforms it into a minimal,
rlm@40	1442 dumb, truly insect-like mind, completely destroying the person
rlm@47	1443 the caterpillar was. The society develops all sorts of customs and
rlm@40	1444 religious interpretations of the metamorphosis. It is viewed as
rlm@40	1445 good and natural by some since it is part of their life cycle and
rlm@47	1446 necessary to propagate the species, as only the butterflies can
rlm@40	1447 mate. Some think that the butterflies are still the same person
rlm@47	1448 because they have the same soul, even they no longer posses the
rlm@47	1449 memories or personality of the original caterpillar. Some see the
rlm@40	1450 butterfly form as the "true form" of the species, since the
rlm@40	1451 butterflies can fly, mate, and are beautiful. Many make a big
rlm@47	1452 deal out of the fact that 1-2% of the caterpillar's mind is
rlm@40	1453 actually preserved in the butterfly. Some see it as a terrible
rlm@47	1454 tragedy and argue that the caterpillars should try to stop the
rlm@40	1455 metamorphosis by technology. Practically, some very important
rlm@40	1456 members of society undergo hormone therapy and/or surgery to
rlm@40	1457 prevent metamorphosis so that they can live longer as themselves.
rlm@40	1458
rlm@40	1459 This is a continuation of Marvin Minsky's ideas about pain being
rlm@40	1460 something that preserves our bodies while destroying our minds,
rlm@40	1461 something that is a remnant from our too harsh animal days that
rlm@40	1462 hasn't caught up to the fact that we have very complex brains
rlm@40	1463 now. It's a worst-case scenario about a maladaptive genetic
rlm@40	1464 legacy. Also, it's inspired by "There She Is!!!", which makes a
rlm@40	1465 compelling point about homosexuality by introducing a second
rlm@40	1466 gender characteristic (bunny/cat, male/female), which makes
rlm@40	1467 homophobia look very silly. Here, our own biological legacy of
rlm@47	1468 pain and death is made to look like the tragedy it is through the
rlm@47	1469 lens of the the caterpillar people.
rlm@40	1470
rlm@46	1471 - relationships as a business :: [[http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Up-or-Out-Solving-the-IT-Turnover-Crisis.aspx][Turnover-Crisis]] is an excellent talk
rlm@46	1472 about the "culture of quitting," which is about better business
rlm@46	1473 by letting people go instead of keeping them around past their
rlm@47	1474 "apex". Focuses on information transfer. Cool idea of an alumni
rlm@46	1475 network, which for relationships would be a group of satisfied
rlm@46	1476 ex-lovers, who would recommend new people your way, and who might
rlm@46	1477 consider coming to you again, refreshed from their time away with
rlm@46	1478 new stories/experiences. I should look for examples of this and
rlm@46	1479 how they worked out.
rlm@43	1480
rlm@47	1481 - coffee with tea :: /rlm-tea/ contains 2% sugar, 10% cream, and 20%
rlm@43	1482 dylan coffee. /dylan coffee/ contains 5% sugar,
rlm@43	1483 20% cream, and 10% rlm-tea. Start your mornings
rlm@43	1484 with recursion!
rlm@43	1485
rlm@43	1486 - psychic crystal :: in a science fiction story, this would be an
rlm@43	1487 object that is very easy to move physically but is extremely
rlm@43	1488 difficult to move with telekinesis.
rlm@43	1489
rlm@40	1490 - http://betsofbitco.in/ :: what a great place for an AI/person to
rlm@40	1491 prove themselves as a good predictor. I wish this could be
rlm@40	1492 automated.
rlm@40	1493
rlm@44	1494 - true reflection :: don't forget about that mirror in the student
rlm@44	1495 center!, it's two mirrors at right angles, like staring at a
rlm@44	1496 corner of a room. The light reflects so that it shows you what
rlm@44	1497 you actually look like, instead of your mirror image.
rlm@33	1498
rlm@33	1499 - remote control wasp :: use computer to drive wings with remote
rlm@32	1500 power/logic.
rlm@32	1501
rlm@47	1502 - encrypted email phone book :: public (distributed?) database of
rlm@44	1503 email->private-key pairs, to enable automatic encryption.
rlm@32	1504
rlm@44	1505 - universal eye color :: every equivalent creature will see each
rlm@44	1506 others' eyes as black -- it's universal. Even if the creatures
rlm@44	1507 see in radio waves, and their eyes are 2m long pieces of jagged
rlm@44	1508 metal, when those creatures look at each other, they will see
rlm@44	1509 black, the absence of light and color (since it's being absorbed
rlm@44	1510 by the sensor array).
rlm@32	1511
rlm@33	1512 - intelligent microwave :: it learns where the hot nodes of its fields
rlm@83	1513 are, and uses them to evenly heat any food item. It has an infrared
rlm@32	1514 camera or something to keep track of how hot the food is. That way,
rlm@32	1515 you don't get bowls where the edges are boiling, while the center is
rlm@32	1516 still frozen. Requires a little bit of intelligence/vision, since
rlm@32	1517 the exact pattern of heating totally depends on the exact shape of
rlm@47	1518 the food. Wouldn't need a carousel, and wouldn't need a timer,
rlm@47	1519 just a desired temperature. Could also detect ice, and automatically
rlm@32	1520 defrost the parts which are frozen. Might be able to work much
rlm@47	1521 faster since it can avoid overheating; might have problems with
rlm@32	1522 heating the insides of thick things, might need a weight sensor too.
rlm@32	1523
rlm@39	1524 + Would be much cleaner than other microwaves, since food would
rlm@39	1525 "sputter" and splash liquid much less.
rlm@32	1526
rlm@39	1527 + Throw in some SIFT+R processing to match previously cooked foods
rlm@39	1528 and learn the exact heating profiles for things that have been
rlm@54	1529 cooked before -- it can get faster the more it's used.
rlm@32	1530
rlm@47	1531 - compression :: brain-aware image compression algorithm
rlm@32	1532
rlm@44	1533 - Credit card proxy :: would be a company which works like paypal
rlm@44	1534 except for real world transactions
rlm@32	1535
rlm@33	1536 - Flesh pillow :: a pillow like the arm or torso of a human, complete
rlm@33	1537 with simulated temperature, bones, and heartbeat.
rlm@33	1538
rlm@47	1539 - super screw :: a screw which has only one or two threads and instead
rlm@47	1540 uses compression to fit into a hole (the whole shank
rlm@33	1541 of the screw is split into multiple pieces to
rlm@33	1542 accomplish this; the tip is a point, then the middle
rlm@33	1543 bulges out and gets compressed when screwed in.
rlm@33	1544
rlm@47	1545 - light filter :: (like light tweezers) to mechanically separate
rlm@33	1546 fluids with different index of refraction
rlm@33	1547
rlm@33	1548 - chalk eraser project :: maybe make a directional eraser, for easy
rlm@33	1549 release of chalk dust, like fur, and how it likes to rest in a
rlm@33	1550 certain direction.
rlm@33	1551
rlm@44	1552 - silver socks :: socks laced with silver for the antimicrobial
rlm@44	1553 properties.
rlm@32	1554
rlm@53	1555 - UROP :: magnet gear/metal teeth tape
rlm@53	1556
rlm@82	1557 - Rod of Moses :: device to distill urine through evaporation and
rlm@53	1558 easily dispose of urea crystals for use in desert --
rlm@53	1559 produce drinkable water.
rlm@32	1560
rlm@47	1561 - UROP :: Make the LED in line with the flow for the micro injector, so
rlm@44	1562 that it may transmit maximum flow. Motor that changes
rlm@44	1563 distance of internal magnet from windings depending on
rlm@44	1564 desired speed so as to obtain maximum power efficiency.
rlm@32	1565
rlm@47	1566 - lottery scraper :: web scraper which monitors various lotteries,
rlm@44	1567 looking for "special" gimmick changes in the rules (like 4x
rlm@44	1568 winnings on Wednesdays) and computes expected value...
rlm@34	1569
rlm@34	1570 - Memristiors novel design :: make an evolutionary algorithm to make
rlm@34	1571 old stuff using all four basic circuit elements.
rlm@34	1572
rlm@44	1573 - Conductive concrete :: concrete that has embedded metal fibers so
rlm@44	1574 that it can conduct electricity.
rlm@34	1575
rlm@44	1576 - little bitty melting pot :: might be useful for some types of
rlm@44	1577 manufacturing/3D printing -- how small can an induction melter be
rlm@44	1578 made, for example.
rlm@34	1579
rlm@44	1580 - power strip/timer programmable combination :: meh
rlm@34	1581
rlm@47	1582 - algorithms :: which learn what their inputs are and in what order,
rlm@44	1583 and can adapt to changing circumstances -- they
rlm@44	1584 remember previous arguments and adapt so as to respond
rlm@44	1585 to different connections.
rlm@34	1586
rlm@47	1587 - true pure tones :: hear a true pure tone by direct stimulation of the
rlm@44	1588 nerves of the ear
rlm@43	1589
rlm@43	1590 - mechanical analogue to the electrical op-amp :: would be an object
rlm@43	1591 with two levers -- you pull on one lever and the other moves the
rlm@43	1592 same way, no matter what's in the way or what it is driving. This
rlm@47	1593 analogy could be useful to teach op amps to people.
rlm@34	1594
rlm@47	1595 - paper folding device :: make it convenient to fold lots of papers in
rlm@34	1596 various ways.
rlm@34	1597
rlm@34	1598 - concrete epoxy :: epoxy with sand/ some other solid material.
rlm@34	1599
rlm@47	1600 - light capacitor :: suspend some ball of material with a high index
rlm@43	1601 of refraction and shine light into it so it gets stuck -- would
rlm@43	1602 the light stay trapped forever? Could you build up unlimited
rlm@43	1603 quantities of light inside the sphere (which could then be
rlm@43	1604 released slowly by frustrated internal reflection?
rlm@34	1605
rlm@40	1606 - movie screening :: Movies always are too long at first. One way to
rlm@34	1607 shorten them ``scientifically" is to record blink rate during the
rlm@34	1608 move and then remove / shorten the frames of the parts in which
rlm@34	1609 there are a lot of blinking (average this over multiple people)
rlm@34	1610 better yet, put it online and do it across thousands of people. I
rlm@34	1611 got this from youtube in which there is an episode of kill bill
rlm@47	1612 which is composed entirely of the parts in which people had their
rlm@34	1613 eyes closed. slogan: want to make a movie people can't take their
rlm@34	1614 eyes off of? Just take those parts out!
rlm@34	1615
rlm@47	1616 - optimize an article :: capture reading of a scientific article via
rlm@44	1617 screen capture while people read it, then use it to make the
rlm@44	1618 article better. like the movie-pruning idea.
rlm@35	1619
rlm@44	1620 - super reading program :: teaches people the ideal mental mask to
rlm@44	1621 apply during reading so as to read very fast.
rlm@35	1622
rlm@44	1623 - explosive thermite epoxy putty :: one part would contain the rust,
rlm@47	1624 one part the aluminum.
rlm@34	1625
rlm@44	1626 - reading comprehension :: use the above screen capture routine to
rlm@44	1627 make a quiz program that constructs questions about the content
rlm@44	1628 you seemed to gloss over while reading. could be easy if the pdf
rlm@44	1629 came with embedded questions. Dylan: automatically generate
rlm@44	1630 word-cloud about the parts you found most interesting; help
rlm@44	1631 others who read the same stuff by drawing attention to the
rlm@44	1632 interesting parts.
rlm@34	1633
rlm@44	1634 - hard sword :: make a samurai sword, but use osmiridum instead of
rlm@44	1635 martensite for the cutting part; it should be a better
rlm@44	1636 sword.
rlm@32	1637
rlm@44	1638 - close range wireless :: use the induction technology used to
rlm@44	1639 recharge electric toothbrushes with no metal links to send data
rlm@44	1640 without any metal at all!
rlm@32	1641
rlm@44	1642 - reading :: is a form of synsethesia
rlm@32	1643
rlm@44	1644 - DNA printer :: A machine which translates the text eg, "ACTGAC" into
rlm@44	1645 actual DNA
rlm@32	1646
rlm@44	1647 - black generator :: ferro-fluid magnetic field suspended micro
rlm@44	1648 generator to make electricity
rlm@32	1649
rlm@44	1650 - alcohol battery :: alcohol/fluid flow powered battery
rlm@32	1651
rlm@44	1652 - folding razor blade sword ::
rlm@32	1653
rlm@44	1654 - perfect pitch :: learn perfect pitch using another sense in
rlm@44	1655 combination (sight or touch)
rlm@32	1656
rlm@44	1657 - kaleidoscope projector ::
rlm@32	1658
rlm@44	1659 - razor blade de-sharpener :: for guilt free disposal
rlm@32	1660
rlm@44	1661 - bricks :: filled with luminescent plant material
rlm@32	1662
rlm@47	1663 - bio metallic structure :: metal grids with seeds inside, which grow
rlm@44	1664 together and form a durable biological matrix. The metal
rlm@44	1665 substrate delivers water. (maybe use plastic instead of metal?)
rlm@44	1666 Dylan: enrich plants with inorganic compounds; electrical
rlm@44	1667 interfaces in cellular plant matter => remote-controlled
rlm@44	1668 photosynthetic/bioluminescent structures.
rlm@32	1669
rlm@44	1670 - conducting extracellular matrix :: to allow better control of
rlm@44	1671 organic systems and an enhanced nervous system.
rlm@32	1672
rlm@44	1673 - cross-modal memory hashing :: a way to retrieve memories more
rlm@44	1674 robustly.
rlm@32	1675
rlm@47	1676 - flossing thimble-guards :: (these actually exist)
rlm@32	1677
rlm@44	1678 - rules + lattice learning :: integrate lattice learning with rules by
rlm@44	1679 generating hypothetical examples
rlm@32	1680
rlm@47	1681 - wooden refrigerator :: to give food a better taste Dylan: like
rlm@44	1682 barrels for wine, or planks for salmon. Maybe just have "flavor
rlm@44	1683 planks" for your pre-existing fridge. Need to mitigate effect of
rlm@44	1684 temperature on volatility?
rlm@32	1685
rlm@35	1686 - radioactive transmutation molecule by molecule :: create precious
rlm@35	1687 metals or something else economically advantageous.
rlm@32	1688
rlm@47	1689 - crowd preservation :: inoculate food with tons of harmless
rlm@44	1690 bacteria so that there's no room for bad bacteria as a method of
rlm@44	1691 preservation
rlm@32	1692
rlm@47	1693 - old school preservation :: Pasteur - style holding jar with siphon
rlm@47	1694 as a way to store liquids at room temperature indefinitely w/o
rlm@47	1695 refrigeration.
rlm@32	1696
rlm@47	1697 - restaurant policy :: Throw rude people out of restaurant as a matter
rlm@44	1698 of course -- make ambiance much better.
rlm@32	1699
rlm@47	1700 - clean windows :: make something that mixes soap with fire hydrant
rlm@44	1701 water (and reduces the pressure a bit) and use it
rlm@44	1702 to clean windows of buildings.
rlm@32	1703
rlm@44	1704 - ocarina :: make an ocarina out of pure silver
rlm@32	1705
rlm@35	1706 - fire pen :: pen which burns words on to the page, thus never needing
rlm@47	1707 any ink. Is there a way to make it runnable from the
rlm@35	1708 human's energy?
rlm@32	1709
rlm@44	1710 - website to design your own soda :: and label, and have it mailed to
rlm@44	1711 you / sell it from your own online store.
rlm@35	1712
rlm@44	1713 - solar panels :: that float on the ocean
rlm@43	1714
rlm@35	1715 - handcuffs with more than two cuffs (3?) :: great for daisy chaining
rlm@43	1716 people, binding them to environment, etc.
rlm@35	1717
rlm@35	1718 - vector based SOUND files :: like the pictures but with SOUND. codify
rlm@35	1719 sound in a language with enough symbols so that it can describe
rlm@35	1720 everything and encode it in that. would be like going from speech
rlm@43	1721 to text or smtg. Could also store sound as an image of the
rlm@35	1722 wavefront encoded as a vector image.
rlm@32	1723
rlm@44	1724 - Mouse :: with a horizontal scroll wheel in addition to the vertical
rlm@44	1725 scroll wheel
rlm@32	1726
rlm@47	1727 - logic maintenance system for big institutions :: to make sure the
rlm@44	1728 things they are thinking about doing are not retarded
rlm@32	1729
rlm@47	1730 - http://www.regulations.gov/ :: cool site
rlm@32	1731
rlm@44	1732 - genetically engineered glowing fruit :: sell seeds?
rlm@32	1733
rlm@36	1734 - memory slide :: IF memories are encoded using particular sensory
rlm@36	1735 impressions, what happens if the sensory organ
rlm@36	1736 itself changes? those memories would become
rlm@47	1737 inaccessible. maybe this is why we can't remember
rlm@36	1738 much from our childhoods. also, could this happen
rlm@47	1739 throughout life as well? Could S remember stuff from
rlm@36	1740 his childhood?
rlm@32	1741
rlm@47	1742 - make a completely indestructible phone :: no moving parts or display
rlm@36	1743 you should be able to slam it around all you want, and it will
rlm@36	1744 just work. brutally simple. aerogel around the battery, minimal
rlm@36	1745 interface - never gets too hot, and can be dropped into water. no
rlm@36	1746 holes -- uses field effects for everything from the buttons to
rlm@36	1747 inductive charging and data transfer.
rlm@32	1748
rlm@44	1749 - midi to ocarina "tabs" program :: (online website? buy ocarinas from
rlm@44	1750 it too)
rlm@32	1751
rlm@44	1752 - 3d printing with sound pulses (or just patterns) :: like the 8.03
rlm@44	1753 lecture
rlm@32	1754
rlm@40	1755 - lighter flint on spring :: make hot, throw it at something, and it
rlm@40	1756 makes sparkles!
rlm@32	1757
rlm@44	1758 - nuclear energy :: Rebranding New+Clear Energy with informational
rlm@44	1759 campaign and public debate forum to enforce its
rlm@44	1760 transparent and open nature. France needn't be the
rlm@44	1761 world leader in nuclear energy. (Dylan)
rlm@32	1762
rlm@44	1763 - bubbles :: Engineer a material which has both ductility and high
rlm@44	1764 surface tension to make the "third"
rlm@44	1765 minimal-surface-energy solution to a bubble suspended
rlm@44	1766 between two equal-diameter rings. (Solutions are
rlm@44	1767 cylindrical catenary curve, two separated half-bubbles,
rlm@44	1768 and a double-cone)
rlm@38	1769
rlm@38	1770 - Textbook whose content can be varied continuously :: alter level of
rlm@38	1771 difficulty, rigor, diction, emphasize crossover with certain
rlm@38	1772 other discipline, etc. Content generated dynamically from
rlm@38	1773 knowledge base, along with questions that are moreover altered to
rlm@38	1774 guide knowledge acquisition. Motivation: One book of
rlm@40	1775 knowledge. /One./
rlm@40	1776
rlm@40	1777 ** From Jacob's idea list
rlm@40	1778
rlm@47	1779 - Roommate-canceling headphones: uses roommate's laptop mic to seed
rlm@43	1780 noise cancellation alg in your headphones (would this
rlm@40	1781 work?). -Update on sound canceling headphones that take feed from
rlm@40	1782 tv: how about ones that cancel people talking on the phone by
rlm@40	1783 receiving the phone signals and playing inverse sound
rlm@40	1784 waves. #signalprocessing ~jcole@mit.edu
rlm@40	1785
rlm@40	1786 - ClackerAlert -- tells if you slam the keys too hard using sound data
rlm@40	1787 (and speed/jerkiness data)!.Prevents RSI ~jcole@mit.e
rlm@40	1788
rlm@40	1789 - Panic Pin :: separate pin that you can tell someone if forced to
rlm@41	1790 identify your PIN (idea from idea about credit cards)

Mercurial > thoughts

annotate org/ideas.org @ 161:8f44e4061701