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1 #+title: Big List O' Ideas
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2 #+author: Robert McIntyre
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3 #+email: rlm@mit.edu
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rlm@43
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4 #+description: list of ideas from the last ~ 7 years
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rlm@47
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5 #+keywords: aurellem ideas half-baked random
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6 #+SETUPFILE: ../../aurellem/org/setup.org
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7 #+INCLUDE: ../../aurellem/org/level-0.org
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8 #+babel: :mkdirp yes :noweb yes :exports both
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9
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rlm@42
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10 * Ideas
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11
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rlm@43
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12 This is a list of all the ideas I've had that I felt like writing down
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rlm@43
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13 for the past ~ 7 years. Some of them could be practical inventions and
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rlm@47
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14 are "just" waiting the that 95% perspiration to bring them to
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15 fruition, some are ideas for science fiction, and some are simple
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16 observations. Some are really only for my own personal notes and are
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17 not meant to be comprehensible. They are arranged roughly in reverse
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18 chronological order, with the most recent ideas at the top of the
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rlm@48
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19 list. The ones at the bottom of the list are heavily influenced by my
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20 time at MIT.
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rlm@43
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21
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22 If you find some of these interesting and would like to collaborate on
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23 them with me or discuss them in more detail, I'd love to hear from
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24 you. You can email me at ideas@aurellem.org.
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25
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rlm@52
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26 If you want to use one of these ideas as your own and run with it,
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rlm@52
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27 please feel free. I'd love to hear about it if you do.
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rlm@52
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28
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rlm@62
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29 #+begin_quote
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30 There's no end to what a man can accomplish if he doesn't care about
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31 getting credit.
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32 #+end_quote
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33
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rlm@81
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34 - reverse eye-tracking :: A painting that is actually a digital screen
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rlm@81
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35 with a camera. It records people's eye tracks permamently. It's
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rlm@81
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36 "artistic" because paintings are normally these things that you
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rlm@81
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37 look at without changing, but this one is changed the second you
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rlm@81
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38 look at it, recording where /you/ looked forever for others to
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rlm@81
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39 see. Make it be a painting of a woman and see the trolling as the
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rlm@81
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40 breasts and groin area light up with interest from all the males
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rlm@81
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41 passing by.
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rlm@81
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42
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rlm@80
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43 - smart toilets :: Instead of using indirect measures like infrared
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rlm@80
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44 detectors of the presence of a person, use computer
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rlm@80
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45 vision to directly measure whether the toilet needs
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rlm@80
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46 to be flushed. I think a lot of things will end up
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rlm@80
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47 going this way as we get better computer vision.
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rlm@80
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48
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rlm@77
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49 - validate chemopreservation :: chemopreservation is difficult to
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rlm@77
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50 validate because it destroys the functionality of a brain, and
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rlm@77
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51 brain simulation will take a long time to mature as a
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rlm@77
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52 technology. However, one very powerful way to validate
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rlm@77
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53 chemopreservation would be to have a person/animal learn
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rlm@77
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54 something with high complexity such as a number or the solution
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rlm@80
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55 to a maze, or a flashbulb memory. Then you preserve their brain
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rlm@80
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56 chemically, slice it up, and read /that specific memory/ from the
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rlm@77
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57 detailed brain scan. Much more difficult, but much more doable.
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rlm@77
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58
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rlm@75
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59 - candy screw :: edible candy screw with candy nuts that you can screw
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rlm@75
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60 as well.
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rlm@76
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61
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rlm@74
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62 - better bibliography :: when writing a thesis or paper, have the
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rlm@80
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63 bibliography not just be an opaque list of resources, but have it
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rlm@74
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64 be a list of /summaries/ and /qualities/ that each paper has in
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rlm@80
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65 the context of the paper being written. When examining a
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rlm@80
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66 bibliography, I want to know if reading the papers in the
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rlm@74
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67 bibliography are worth my time, and I also am probably also
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rlm@74
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68 interested in exactly the things that are being discussed in the
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rlm@74
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69 paper I'm reading. The bibliography is the perfect place to
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rlm@74
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70 provide information about the referenced papers from the
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rlm@80
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71 author's perspective. I will use this biographic form in my own
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rlm@74
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72 thesis.
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rlm@74
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73
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rlm@73
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74 - digital inter-library loan :: libraries at universities already do
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rlm@80
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75 inter-library loans for books, so why not do the same for access
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rlm@73
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76 to stupid paywalled digital papers? All the universities could
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rlm@73
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77 allow access to articles for registered students to all the files
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rlm@73
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78 available through any participating university. This could be
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rlm@73
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79 achieved by sending requests through proxies at participating
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rlm@73
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80 universities. Each university would decide who at the university
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rlm@73
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81 can access the proxy network. Access to the proxy network could
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rlm@73
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82 be made easy using something like http://libx.org/.
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rlm@73
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83
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rlm@72
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84 - chess visual :: to show the vast size of the game trees considered
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rlm@72
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85 by computers, show two people playing chess in a
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rlm@72
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86 void. They are floating in space, and there is a
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rlm@72
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87 simple chess board between them. Then, as they play,
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rlm@72
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88 the game tree's they are considering are drawn
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rlm@72
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89 behind him. The root of the tree starts centered in
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rlm@72
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90 their heads or whatever they use to think, and the
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rlm@72
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91 tree grows out from behind, never crossing the
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rlm@72
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92 dividing plane between the two players. Each
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rlm@72
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93 player's tree is a different color. As they grow,
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rlm@72
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94 there are animations for pruning, etc. Eventually,
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rlm@72
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95 they look like the hemispheres of a brain, wings,
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rlm@72
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96 etc. A human's tree might occasionally have a long
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rlm@72
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97 chain, while the computer tree would be more
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rlm@72
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98 uniform. You could compare deep blue and a modern
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rlm@72
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99 laptop. Use actual data when fighting two computers!
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rlm@72
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100
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rlm@71
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101 - time verification :: some standard way to verify that some piece of
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rlm@71
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102 data was recorded at a specific time. Might involve a time
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rlm@73
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103 server, a key for each time period, something like that.
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rlm@71
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104
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rlm@70
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105 - tamper proof gold bars :: [[http://www.tungsten-alloy.com/gold-plated-tungsten-alloy-bar.html][this site]] offers gold plated tungsten bars
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rlm@70
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106 as "novelty" items. One reason to prefer coins is because they
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rlm@70
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107 are much harder to counterfeit because there is less surface area
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rlm@70
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108 to mass ratio. However, gold bars are still a great design
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rlm@70
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109 because they can hold a lot of value in a small space. A gold bar
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rlm@70
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110 could be given the same protections (and more) that gold coins
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111 have to offer by changing it into a "gold book", which would have
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rlm@70
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112 hundreds of "pages" of gold bound together. This could be
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rlm@70
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113 implemented with multiple steel rods going through the book which
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rlm@70
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114 can be removed, or some more classier mechanism for holding the
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rlm@70
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115 pages. The point is that the bar can be EASILY subdivided (and
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rlm@70
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116 people would perform this test before buying), thus guaranteeing
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117 it's authenticity.
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118
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rlm@68
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119 - aurellem shirt :: I should make an aurellem star symbol tee-shirt.
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rlm@68
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120
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rlm@67
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121 - high school science :: this is a lesson in scientific ethics. The
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rlm@67
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122 goal is to calculate /g/, the local gravitational
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rlm@67
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123 acceleration. The students are told that the textbook says it's
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rlm@67
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124 /exactly/ 9.81 before they start the experiment. See how they
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rlm@67
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125 doctor their results to get closer to the textbook value. It's
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rlm@67
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126 neat because for any given school, /g/ is probably *not* exactly
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127 equal to 9.81, because that is just an average!
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128
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129 - opencourseware subtitles :: there are ladies who type up lectures
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130 while they are being given. These recordings should be kept and
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rlm@67
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131 given to OCW for subtitles. If the timestamps of keys are
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132 recorded, then it is easy to make subtitles.
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133
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rlm@66
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134 - screen locking timing :: you use your computer camera to see if you
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rlm@66
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135 are sitting in front of the computer. If you are, then the screen
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rlm@66
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136 will never lock. If you are, then the screen will lock with a
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rlm@67
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137 30-40 second timeout. It's an extension of using inactivity to
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rlm@66
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138 initiate the countdown, just with more information.
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rlm@66
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139
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rlm@66
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140 - mirror toilet :: a toilet with a square basin made or mirror instead
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rlm@67
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141 or porcelain. That way, you can see how good of a
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rlm@66
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142 wipe job you have done / watch how your excretion
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rlm@66
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143 system works.
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rlm@66
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144
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rlm@80
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145 - test dummies :: why don't we clone anencephalic humans and use then to
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rlm@62
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146 test /in vivo/ human organ systems and drugs? It
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rlm@62
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147 would be ethical as long as there are women who are
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rlm@62
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148 willing to host the clones, and it would be a
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rlm@67
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149 tremendous resource for studying the human body. I
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rlm@62
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150 see nothing wrong with it morally, since no one is
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rlm@67
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151 suffering, and it stands to save many lives throughout
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rlm@62
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152 more advanced technology.
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rlm@62
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153
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rlm@62
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154 - X-ray telepresence :: given that a doctor is operating on a patient
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rlm@62
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155 via telepresence, one cool things you can do is shine X-rays into
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rlm@62
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156 the patient to view the insides during real time. If the system
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rlm@80
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157 was coupled with a Bayesian model of the layout of the structure,
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rlm@67
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158 and the x-rays were only fired whenever the uncertainty of the
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rlm@62
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159 model reached a certain threshold, then the radiation damage
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rlm@62
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160 and surgery risk could be minimized.
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rlm@62
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161
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rlm@62
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162 - superfluid vascular system :: I wonder what would happen if you
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rlm@62
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163 replaced the blood in a human with a superfluid. What would the
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rlm@62
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164 physical dynamics be? Would the superfluid flow through the
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rlm@62
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165 vasculature, or would it ignore it and travel through the cells,
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rlm@62
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166 or something else entirely. Since superfluids need to be cold to
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rlm@62
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167 retain their superfluidity, how would the dynamics change during
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rlm@62
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168 perfusion of a superfluid, where the fluid gains and looses
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rlm@62
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169 superfluidity as it goes deeper into the body and is cooled by
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rlm@67
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170 superfluid from upstream. In summary there are two things to
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rlm@62
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171 simulate 1.) replace all blood in human with superfluid
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rlm@62
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172 instantly. 2.) perfuse superfluid into human.
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rlm@51
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173
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rlm@59
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174 - projective guessing :: I think that we read and see things by
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rlm@67
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175 making a really good guess about what we're expecting to see,
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rlm@59
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176 and then searching for our guess in what we see. If it really
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rlm@59
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177 doesn't match, then we start to make more guesses / analyze the
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rlm@59
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178 image from first principles, but most stuff is projective
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rlm@59
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179 guessing.
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rlm@59
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180
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rlm@67
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181 - Intestinal flora maintenance :: why not inoculate babies at birth
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rlm@59
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182 with "ideal" gut flora instead of whatever bullshit they
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rlm@59
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183 naturally get, thus giving them optimal digestive/nutrient
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rlm@67
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184 extraction capabilities. Might also be able to make their farts
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rlm@59
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185 not stink for life, too.
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rlm@59
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186
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rlm@56
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187 - server culture : mirrors :: make a distributed system where people
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rlm@56
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188 can mirror the websites of people they like -- essentially cover
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rlm@56
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189 the server costs of favored websites. This could make popular
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rlm@56
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190 websites run at no cost. The system would require that the
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rlm@56
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191 mirrored content be the same as the official source. Sort of like
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rlm@67
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192 bit-torrent for websites.
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rlm@56
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193
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rlm@56
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194 - map programming :: one problem with functional programming is that
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rlm@56
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195 in order to remain functional, you have to pass up arguments up
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rlm@67
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196 into each calling function to get the full range of behavior
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rlm@56
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197 from the lower level functions. Normally people come to a
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rlm@67
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198 compromise involving abstraction and sparing use of dynamic
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rlm@67
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199 variables to configure runtime behavior. What would be the
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rlm@56
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200 advantages of making a programming language where every function
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rlm@67
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201 receives one argument, a map, which contains all the symbol
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rlm@56
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202 bindings it would ever need? This map is passed on to all
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rlm@56
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203 subordinate functions. This way, you could replace functions on
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rlm@56
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204 the fly, and arrange for there to be sensible defaults,
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rlm@56
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205 etc. Might cause more harm than good but is an interesting idea.
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rlm@56
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206
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rlm@55
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207 - rest nest :: a small EEG device you would attach to your head when
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rlm@55
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208 you go to sleep at night. ML algorithms would determine
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rlm@55
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209 your particular sleep cycles. This would mostly be an
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rlm@55
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210 alarm clock that you could give a time range, say
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rlm@55
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211 7:00AM - 7:15AM, and it would wake you up during an
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rlm@55
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212 ideal time corresponding to then end of one of your 90
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rlm@55
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213 min sleep cycles. You would feel much more rested upon
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rlm@55
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214 waking up, and would wake up faster. There might be
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rlm@55
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215 some other uses for the EEG data as well.
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rlm@55
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216
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rlm@50
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217 - image compression :: use a library like gimp or opencv to process an
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rlm@50
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218 image to make it have less entropy, then store the reverse of
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rlm@50
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219 those operations along with the compressed simpler image as a
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rlm@80
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220 super-compressed image file (possibly accepting some
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rlm@80
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221 losses). Trades file size for decompression time, and allows one
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rlm@50
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222 to cheat by using information in gimp/opencv to compress the
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rlm@50
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223 image.
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rlm@50
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224
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rlm@47
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225 - fixed cryopreservation :: why not use a fixative to buy enough time
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rlm@42
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226 to ramp up cryoprotectants to an acceptable level at room
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rlm@42
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227 temperature? Then, the whole system can be rapidly cooled and
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rlm@42
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228 vitrified. This method "severs the biological link" in that the
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rlm@47
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229 fixatives are highly toxic, but current vitrification procedures
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rlm@42
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230 do this anyway since there can be a lot of freezing damage.
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rlm@38
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231
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rlm@67
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232 - dilated security camera :: a security camera that would capture
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rlm@58
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233 full video footage of everything at 60fps but then decide to keep
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rlm@58
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234 only every 1 frame every 5 seconds unless there's something
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rlm@58
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235 "interesting" happening.
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rlm@58
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236
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rlm@40
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237 - bitcoin wallet :: Part of "server culture", this would be something
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rlm@40
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238 like "coin.your-domain.com" which would serve as
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rlm@40
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239 your personal trusted access to your own bitcoins
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rlm@40
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240 from anywhere.
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rlm@40
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241
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rlm@40
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242 - libpay :: this would be a free library which would enable
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rlm@40
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243 micro-donations to software projects and other projects,
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rlm@47
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244 so that you could donate a penny to "emacs" and it would
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rlm@47
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245 be automatically split up to every person who has ever
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rlm@40
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246 contributed to emacs in proportion to the amount of
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rlm@40
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247 community esteem, code quantity, bugs fixed, whatever the
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rlm@47
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248 community decides. This might make it possible for
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rlm@40
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249 programmers to live entirely off of free programming.
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rlm@40
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250
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rlm@45
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251 - distributed graphics :: Browser based graphics-card accelerated
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rlm@45
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252 distributed computing API.
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rlm@41
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253
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rlm@40
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254 - pronouns :: use capital letters A-Z instead of pronouns. They solve
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rlm@40
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255 pronoun referents and gender neutrality, are short to
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rlm@40
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256 say, and you can encode useful information into the
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rlm@40
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257 choice of letter. For example, instead of "Meetings
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rlm@40
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258 shall be presided over by the president, unless she is
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rlm@42
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259 absent." USE "Meetings shall be presided over by the
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rlm@40
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260 president, unless P is absent." We already use this a
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rlm@40
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261 little, since I and U are reserved for the subject and
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rlm@40
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262 object respectively.
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rlm@40
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263
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rlm@40
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264 - phone DSP :: software app that inserts an audio DSP between the
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rlm@40
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265 input to a phone and the output. The DSP is delicious
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rlm@40
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266 and configurable, and can allow men to make their
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rlm@40
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267 voices deeper, etc. The app would allow you to hear
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rlm@40
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268 your own voice as others hear it. Most people hate how
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rlm@40
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269 their own voice sounds. The app would also allow one to
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rlm@47
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270 immediately change the parameters of the DSP using good
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rlm@40
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271 presets.
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rlm@40
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272
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rlm@47
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273 - predestined body learning :: a good example of predestined learning
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rlm@40
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274 might be the mirror neurons.
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rlm@40
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275
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rlm@47
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276 - restaurant receipt :: use a carbon copy receipt instead of two stupid
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rlm@40
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277 copies.
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rlm@40
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278
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rlm@41
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279 - anti google glass :: glasses with mounted lasers and computer vision
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rlm@41
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280 that targets the cameras in google glass and destroy them.
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rlm@41
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281
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rlm@40
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282 - wearable towel :: towel with clasp, velcro, whatever, that allows
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rlm@40
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283 one to wear the towel more securely than just
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rlm@40
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284 wrapping it tightly and hoping for the best.
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rlm@40
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285
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rlm@47
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286 - crossdressing :: Easiest way to disguise oneself as a woman is to
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rlm@44
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287 wear a burka.
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rlm@41
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288
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rlm@40
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289 - book-mode :: intelligent color highlighting for books and
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rlm@40
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290 articles. It would disambiguate pronouns and involved
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rlm@40
|
291 references. For example, if "Rachael" as red, and "the
|
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rlm@40
|
292 blonde haired girl" refers to "Rachael", then "the
|
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rlm@40
|
293 blonde haired girl" would he colored red. Also, you
|
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rlm@47
|
294 could disambiguate multi part run-on sentences by
|
|
rlm@40
|
295 highlighting each subcomponent. Maybe would also have
|
|
rlm@47
|
296 applications to scientific reading.
|
|
rlm@40
|
297
|
|
rlm@40
|
298 - Handheld light Rain measurement :: this would be a clear, teflon
|
|
rlm@47
|
299 coated plastic disk with a camera underneath the disk. You would
|
|
rlm@40
|
300 be able to hold the device out and it would measure the rate of
|
|
rlm@40
|
301 accumulation of water droplets from fine mists and light rain by
|
|
rlm@40
|
302 using computer vision to measure the diameters of the drops.
|
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rlm@40
|
303
|
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rlm@40
|
304 - Big Brother Farming :: This would be a vision system that would
|
|
rlm@40
|
305 individually monitor each plant and turn on water, etc to ensure
|
|
rlm@40
|
306 maximum/uniform growth for each plant.
|
|
rlm@40
|
307
|
|
rlm@40
|
308 - Discrete Faucet :: A faucet with discrete ticks instead of
|
|
rlm@47
|
309 continuous.
|
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rlm@40
|
310
|
|
rlm@40
|
311 - Laser Circle :: take a glass microfiliment and shine a laser at one
|
|
rlm@40
|
312 end at an oblique angle. It will make a perfect,
|
|
rlm@40
|
313 large circle on the wall, converting a laser beam
|
|
rlm@47
|
314 into a laser cone, preserving most of the energy of
|
|
rlm@40
|
315 the laser.
|
|
rlm@40
|
316
|
|
rlm@40
|
317 - Invisible Glass :: Take a container of liquid and embed a
|
|
rlm@40
|
318 glass sculpture made out of glass that has exactly the same index
|
|
rlm@40
|
319 of refraction and color of the liquid. Then the sculpture will be
|
|
rlm@40
|
320 totally invisible in the container, and will only be revealed
|
|
rlm@40
|
321 when the liquid is drained. The container might be a fancy
|
|
rlm@40
|
322 wine/spirit bottle or an hourglass.
|
|
rlm@40
|
323
|
|
rlm@47
|
324 - Caterpillar people :: A race of caterpillar like creatures gains
|
|
rlm@40
|
325 intelligence after eons of predation by birds, etc. These
|
|
rlm@47
|
326 caterpillar creatures still undergo metamorphosis into a large
|
|
rlm@40
|
327 butterfly-like creature. The metamorphosis process turns the
|
|
rlm@40
|
328 caterpillar's brain into mush and reforms it into a minimal,
|
|
rlm@40
|
329 dumb, truly insect-like mind, completely destroying the person
|
|
rlm@47
|
330 the caterpillar was. The society develops all sorts of customs and
|
|
rlm@40
|
331 religious interpretations of the metamorphosis. It is viewed as
|
|
rlm@40
|
332 good and natural by some since it is part of their life cycle and
|
|
rlm@47
|
333 necessary to propagate the species, as only the butterflies can
|
|
rlm@40
|
334 mate. Some think that the butterflies are still the same person
|
|
rlm@47
|
335 because they have the same soul, even they no longer posses the
|
|
rlm@47
|
336 memories or personality of the original caterpillar. Some see the
|
|
rlm@40
|
337 butterfly form as the "true form" of the species, since the
|
|
rlm@40
|
338 butterflies can fly, mate, and are beautiful. Many make a big
|
|
rlm@47
|
339 deal out of the fact that 1-2% of the caterpillar's mind is
|
|
rlm@40
|
340 actually preserved in the butterfly. Some see it as a terrible
|
|
rlm@47
|
341 tragedy and argue that the caterpillars should try to stop the
|
|
rlm@40
|
342 metamorphosis by technology. Practically, some very important
|
|
rlm@40
|
343 members of society undergo hormone therapy and/or surgery to
|
|
rlm@40
|
344 prevent metamorphosis so that they can live longer as themselves.
|
|
rlm@40
|
345
|
|
rlm@40
|
346 This is a continuation of Marvin Minsky's ideas about pain being
|
|
rlm@40
|
347 something that preserves our bodies while destroying our minds,
|
|
rlm@40
|
348 something that is a remnant from our too harsh animal days that
|
|
rlm@40
|
349 hasn't caught up to the fact that we have very complex brains
|
|
rlm@40
|
350 now. It's a worst-case scenario about a maladaptive genetic
|
|
rlm@40
|
351 legacy. Also, it's inspired by "There She Is!!!", which makes a
|
|
rlm@40
|
352 compelling point about homosexuality by introducing a second
|
|
rlm@40
|
353 gender characteristic (bunny/cat, male/female), which makes
|
|
rlm@40
|
354 homophobia look very silly. Here, our own biological legacy of
|
|
rlm@47
|
355 pain and death is made to look like the tragedy it is through the
|
|
rlm@47
|
356 lens of the the caterpillar people.
|
|
rlm@40
|
357
|
|
rlm@46
|
358 - 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
|
359 about the "culture of quitting," which is about better business
|
|
rlm@46
|
360 by letting people go instead of keeping them around past their
|
|
rlm@47
|
361 "apex". Focuses on information transfer. Cool idea of an alumni
|
|
rlm@46
|
362 network, which for relationships would be a group of satisfied
|
|
rlm@46
|
363 ex-lovers, who would recommend new people your way, and who might
|
|
rlm@46
|
364 consider coming to you again, refreshed from their time away with
|
|
rlm@46
|
365 new stories/experiences. I should look for examples of this and
|
|
rlm@46
|
366 how they worked out.
|
|
rlm@43
|
367
|
|
rlm@47
|
368 - coffee with tea :: /rlm-tea/ contains 2% sugar, 10% cream, and 20%
|
|
rlm@43
|
369 dylan coffee. /dylan coffee/ contains 5% sugar,
|
|
rlm@43
|
370 20% cream, and 10% rlm-tea. Start your mornings
|
|
rlm@43
|
371 with recursion!
|
|
rlm@43
|
372
|
|
rlm@43
|
373 - psychic crystal :: in a science fiction story, this would be an
|
|
rlm@43
|
374 object that is very easy to move physically but is extremely
|
|
rlm@43
|
375 difficult to move with telekinesis.
|
|
rlm@43
|
376
|
|
rlm@40
|
377 - http://betsofbitco.in/ :: what a great place for an AI/person to
|
|
rlm@40
|
378 prove themselves as a good predictor. I wish this could be
|
|
rlm@40
|
379 automated.
|
|
rlm@40
|
380
|
|
rlm@44
|
381 - true reflection :: don't forget about that mirror in the student
|
|
rlm@44
|
382 center!, it's two mirrors at right angles, like staring at a
|
|
rlm@44
|
383 corner of a room. The light reflects so that it shows you what
|
|
rlm@44
|
384 you actually look like, instead of your mirror image.
|
|
rlm@33
|
385
|
|
rlm@33
|
386 - remote control wasp :: use computer to drive wings with remote
|
|
rlm@32
|
387 power/logic.
|
|
rlm@32
|
388
|
|
rlm@47
|
389 - encrypted email phone book :: public (distributed?) database of
|
|
rlm@44
|
390 email->private-key pairs, to enable automatic encryption.
|
|
rlm@32
|
391
|
|
rlm@44
|
392 - universal eye color :: every equivalent creature will see each
|
|
rlm@44
|
393 others' eyes as black -- it's universal. Even if the creatures
|
|
rlm@44
|
394 see in radio waves, and their eyes are 2m long pieces of jagged
|
|
rlm@44
|
395 metal, when those creatures look at each other, they will see
|
|
rlm@44
|
396 black, the absence of light and color (since it's being absorbed
|
|
rlm@44
|
397 by the sensor array).
|
|
rlm@32
|
398
|
|
rlm@33
|
399 - intelligent microwave :: it learns where the hot nodes of its fields
|
|
rlm@32
|
400 are, and uses them to evenly heat any food item. It has an infared
|
|
rlm@32
|
401 camera or something to keep track of how hot the food is. That way,
|
|
rlm@32
|
402 you don't get bowls where the edges are boiling, while the center is
|
|
rlm@32
|
403 still frozen. Requires a little bit of intelligence/vision, since
|
|
rlm@32
|
404 the exact pattern of heating totally depends on the exact shape of
|
|
rlm@47
|
405 the food. Wouldn't need a carousel, and wouldn't need a timer,
|
|
rlm@47
|
406 just a desired temperature. Could also detect ice, and automatically
|
|
rlm@32
|
407 defrost the parts which are frozen. Might be able to work much
|
|
rlm@47
|
408 faster since it can avoid overheating; might have problems with
|
|
rlm@32
|
409 heating the insides of thick things, might need a weight sensor too.
|
|
rlm@32
|
410
|
|
rlm@39
|
411 + Would be much cleaner than other microwaves, since food would
|
|
rlm@39
|
412 "sputter" and splash liquid much less.
|
|
rlm@32
|
413
|
|
rlm@39
|
414 + Throw in some SIFT+R processing to match previously cooked foods
|
|
rlm@39
|
415 and learn the exact heating profiles for things that have been
|
|
rlm@54
|
416 cooked before -- it can get faster the more it's used.
|
|
rlm@32
|
417
|
|
rlm@47
|
418 - compression :: brain-aware image compression algorithm
|
|
rlm@32
|
419
|
|
rlm@44
|
420 - Credit card proxy :: would be a company which works like paypal
|
|
rlm@44
|
421 except for real world transactions
|
|
rlm@32
|
422
|
|
rlm@33
|
423 - Flesh pillow :: a pillow like the arm or torso of a human, complete
|
|
rlm@33
|
424 with simulated temperature, bones, and heartbeat.
|
|
rlm@33
|
425
|
|
rlm@47
|
426 - super screw :: a screw which has only one or two threads and instead
|
|
rlm@47
|
427 uses compression to fit into a hole (the whole shank
|
|
rlm@33
|
428 of the screw is split into multiple pieces to
|
|
rlm@33
|
429 accomplish this; the tip is a point, then the middle
|
|
rlm@33
|
430 bulges out and gets compressed when screwed in.
|
|
rlm@33
|
431
|
|
rlm@47
|
432 - light filter :: (like light tweezers) to mechanically separate
|
|
rlm@33
|
433 fluids with different index of refraction
|
|
rlm@33
|
434
|
|
rlm@33
|
435 - chalk eraser project :: maybe make a directional eraser, for easy
|
|
rlm@33
|
436 release of chalk dust, like fur, and how it likes to rest in a
|
|
rlm@33
|
437 certain direction.
|
|
rlm@33
|
438
|
|
rlm@44
|
439 - silver socks :: socks laced with silver for the antimicrobial
|
|
rlm@44
|
440 properties.
|
|
rlm@32
|
441
|
|
rlm@53
|
442 - UROP :: magnet gear/metal teeth tape
|
|
rlm@53
|
443
|
|
rlm@53
|
444 - rod of moses :: device to distill urine through evaporation and
|
|
rlm@53
|
445 easily dispose of urea crystals for use in desert --
|
|
rlm@53
|
446 produce drinkable water.
|
|
rlm@32
|
447
|
|
rlm@47
|
448 - UROP :: Make the LED in line with the flow for the micro injector, so
|
|
rlm@44
|
449 that it may transmit maximum flow. Motor that changes
|
|
rlm@44
|
450 distance of internal magnet from windings depending on
|
|
rlm@44
|
451 desired speed so as to obtain maximum power efficiency.
|
|
rlm@32
|
452
|
|
rlm@47
|
453 - lottery scraper :: web scraper which monitors various lotteries,
|
|
rlm@44
|
454 looking for "special" gimmick changes in the rules (like 4x
|
|
rlm@44
|
455 winnings on Wednesdays) and computes expected value...
|
|
rlm@34
|
456
|
|
rlm@34
|
457 - Memristiors novel design :: make an evolutionary algorithm to make
|
|
rlm@34
|
458 old stuff using all four basic circuit elements.
|
|
rlm@34
|
459
|
|
rlm@44
|
460 - Conductive concrete :: concrete that has embedded metal fibers so
|
|
rlm@44
|
461 that it can conduct electricity.
|
|
rlm@34
|
462
|
|
rlm@44
|
463 - little bitty melting pot :: might be useful for some types of
|
|
rlm@44
|
464 manufacturing/3D printing -- how small can an induction melter be
|
|
rlm@44
|
465 made, for example.
|
|
rlm@34
|
466
|
|
rlm@44
|
467 - power strip/timer programmable combination :: meh
|
|
rlm@34
|
468
|
|
rlm@47
|
469 - algorithms :: which learn what their inputs are and in what order,
|
|
rlm@44
|
470 and can adapt to changing circumstances -- they
|
|
rlm@44
|
471 remember previous arguments and adapt so as to respond
|
|
rlm@44
|
472 to different connections.
|
|
rlm@34
|
473
|
|
rlm@47
|
474 - true pure tones :: hear a true pure tone by direct stimulation of the
|
|
rlm@44
|
475 nerves of the ear
|
|
rlm@43
|
476
|
|
rlm@43
|
477 - mechanical analogue to the electrical op-amp :: would be an object
|
|
rlm@43
|
478 with two levers -- you pull on one lever and the other moves the
|
|
rlm@43
|
479 same way, no matter what's in the way or what it is driving. This
|
|
rlm@47
|
480 analogy could be useful to teach op amps to people.
|
|
rlm@34
|
481
|
|
rlm@47
|
482 - paper folding device :: make it convenient to fold lots of papers in
|
|
rlm@34
|
483 various ways.
|
|
rlm@34
|
484
|
|
rlm@34
|
485 - concrete epoxy :: epoxy with sand/ some other solid material.
|
|
rlm@34
|
486
|
|
rlm@47
|
487 - light capacitor :: suspend some ball of material with a high index
|
|
rlm@43
|
488 of refraction and shine light into it so it gets stuck -- would
|
|
rlm@43
|
489 the light stay trapped forever? Could you build up unlimited
|
|
rlm@43
|
490 quantities of light inside the sphere (which could then be
|
|
rlm@43
|
491 released slowly by frustrated internal reflection?
|
|
rlm@34
|
492
|
|
rlm@40
|
493 - movie screening :: Movies always are too long at first. One way to
|
|
rlm@34
|
494 shorten them ``scientifically" is to record blink rate during the
|
|
rlm@34
|
495 move and then remove / shorten the frames of the parts in which
|
|
rlm@34
|
496 there are a lot of blinking (average this over multiple people)
|
|
rlm@34
|
497 better yet, put it online and do it across thousands of people. I
|
|
rlm@34
|
498 got this from youtube in which there is an episode of kill bill
|
|
rlm@47
|
499 which is composed entirely of the parts in which people had their
|
|
rlm@34
|
500 eyes closed. slogan: want to make a movie people can't take their
|
|
rlm@34
|
501 eyes off of? Just take those parts out!
|
|
rlm@34
|
502
|
|
rlm@47
|
503 - optimize an article :: capture reading of a scientific article via
|
|
rlm@44
|
504 screen capture while people read it, then use it to make the
|
|
rlm@44
|
505 article better. like the movie-pruning idea.
|
|
rlm@35
|
506
|
|
rlm@44
|
507 - super reading program :: teaches people the ideal mental mask to
|
|
rlm@44
|
508 apply during reading so as to read very fast.
|
|
rlm@35
|
509
|
|
rlm@44
|
510 - explosive thermite epoxy putty :: one part would contain the rust,
|
|
rlm@47
|
511 one part the aluminum.
|
|
rlm@34
|
512
|
|
rlm@44
|
513 - reading comprehension :: use the above screen capture routine to
|
|
rlm@44
|
514 make a quiz program that constructs questions about the content
|
|
rlm@44
|
515 you seemed to gloss over while reading. could be easy if the pdf
|
|
rlm@44
|
516 came with embedded questions. Dylan: automatically generate
|
|
rlm@44
|
517 word-cloud about the parts you found most interesting; help
|
|
rlm@44
|
518 others who read the same stuff by drawing attention to the
|
|
rlm@44
|
519 interesting parts.
|
|
rlm@34
|
520
|
|
rlm@44
|
521 - hard sword :: make a samurai sword, but use osmiridum instead of
|
|
rlm@44
|
522 martensite for the cutting part; it should be a better
|
|
rlm@44
|
523 sword.
|
|
rlm@32
|
524
|
|
rlm@44
|
525 - close range wireless :: use the induction technology used to
|
|
rlm@44
|
526 recharge electric toothbrushes with no metal links to send data
|
|
rlm@44
|
527 without any metal at all!
|
|
rlm@32
|
528
|
|
rlm@44
|
529 - reading :: is a form of synsethesia
|
|
rlm@32
|
530
|
|
rlm@44
|
531 - DNA printer :: A machine which translates the text eg, "ACTGAC" into
|
|
rlm@44
|
532 actual DNA
|
|
rlm@32
|
533
|
|
rlm@44
|
534 - black generator :: ferro-fluid magnetic field suspended micro
|
|
rlm@44
|
535 generator to make electricity
|
|
rlm@32
|
536
|
|
rlm@44
|
537 - alcohol battery :: alcohol/fluid flow powered battery
|
|
rlm@32
|
538
|
|
rlm@44
|
539 - folding razor blade sword ::
|
|
rlm@32
|
540
|
|
rlm@44
|
541 - perfect pitch :: learn perfect pitch using another sense in
|
|
rlm@44
|
542 combination (sight or touch)
|
|
rlm@32
|
543
|
|
rlm@44
|
544 - kaleidoscope projector ::
|
|
rlm@32
|
545
|
|
rlm@44
|
546 - razor blade de-sharpener :: for guilt free disposal
|
|
rlm@32
|
547
|
|
rlm@44
|
548 - bricks :: filled with luminescent plant material
|
|
rlm@32
|
549
|
|
rlm@47
|
550 - bio metallic structure :: metal grids with seeds inside, which grow
|
|
rlm@44
|
551 together and form a durable biological matrix. The metal
|
|
rlm@44
|
552 substrate delivers water. (maybe use plastic instead of metal?)
|
|
rlm@44
|
553 Dylan: enrich plants with inorganic compounds; electrical
|
|
rlm@44
|
554 interfaces in cellular plant matter => remote-controlled
|
|
rlm@44
|
555 photosynthetic/bioluminescent structures.
|
|
rlm@32
|
556
|
|
rlm@44
|
557 - conducting extracellular matrix :: to allow better control of
|
|
rlm@44
|
558 organic systems and an enhanced nervous system.
|
|
rlm@32
|
559
|
|
rlm@44
|
560 - cross-modal memory hashing :: a way to retrieve memories more
|
|
rlm@44
|
561 robustly.
|
|
rlm@32
|
562
|
|
rlm@47
|
563 - flossing thimble-guards :: (these actually exist)
|
|
rlm@32
|
564
|
|
rlm@44
|
565 - rules + lattice learning :: integrate lattice learning with rules by
|
|
rlm@44
|
566 generating hypothetical examples
|
|
rlm@32
|
567
|
|
rlm@47
|
568 - wooden refrigerator :: to give food a better taste Dylan: like
|
|
rlm@44
|
569 barrels for wine, or planks for salmon. Maybe just have "flavor
|
|
rlm@44
|
570 planks" for your pre-existing fridge. Need to mitigate effect of
|
|
rlm@44
|
571 temperature on volatility?
|
|
rlm@32
|
572
|
|
rlm@35
|
573 - radioactive transmutation molecule by molecule :: create precious
|
|
rlm@35
|
574 metals or something else economically advantageous.
|
|
rlm@32
|
575
|
|
rlm@47
|
576 - crowd preservation :: inoculate food with tons of harmless
|
|
rlm@44
|
577 bacteria so that there's no room for bad bacteria as a method of
|
|
rlm@44
|
578 preservation
|
|
rlm@32
|
579
|
|
rlm@47
|
580 - old school preservation :: Pasteur - style holding jar with siphon
|
|
rlm@47
|
581 as a way to store liquids at room temperature indefinitely w/o
|
|
rlm@47
|
582 refrigeration.
|
|
rlm@32
|
583
|
|
rlm@47
|
584 - restaurant policy :: Throw rude people out of restaurant as a matter
|
|
rlm@44
|
585 of course -- make ambiance much better.
|
|
rlm@32
|
586
|
|
rlm@47
|
587 - clean windows :: make something that mixes soap with fire hydrant
|
|
rlm@44
|
588 water (and reduces the pressure a bit) and use it
|
|
rlm@44
|
589 to clean windows of buildings.
|
|
rlm@32
|
590
|
|
rlm@44
|
591 - ocarina :: make an ocarina out of pure silver
|
|
rlm@32
|
592
|
|
rlm@35
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593 - fire pen :: pen which burns words on to the page, thus never needing
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rlm@47
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594 any ink. Is there a way to make it runnable from the
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rlm@35
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595 human's energy?
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rlm@32
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596
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rlm@44
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597 - website to design your own soda :: and label, and have it mailed to
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rlm@44
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598 you / sell it from your own online store.
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rlm@35
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599
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rlm@44
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600 - solar panels :: that float on the ocean
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rlm@43
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601
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rlm@35
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602 - handcuffs with more than two cuffs (3?) :: great for daisy chaining
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rlm@43
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603 people, binding them to environment, etc.
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rlm@35
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604
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rlm@35
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605 - vector based SOUND files :: like the pictures but with SOUND. codify
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rlm@35
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606 sound in a language with enough symbols so that it can describe
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rlm@35
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607 everything and encode it in that. would be like going from speech
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rlm@43
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608 to text or smtg. Could also store sound as an image of the
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rlm@35
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609 wavefront encoded as a vector image.
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rlm@32
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610
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rlm@44
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611 - Mouse :: with a horizontal scroll wheel in addition to the vertical
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rlm@44
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612 scroll wheel
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rlm@32
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613
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rlm@47
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614 - logic maintenance system for big institutions :: to make sure the
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rlm@44
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615 things they are thinking about doing are not retarded
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rlm@32
|
616
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rlm@47
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617 - http://www.regulations.gov/ :: cool site
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rlm@32
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618
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rlm@44
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619 - genetically engineered glowing fruit :: sell seeds?
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rlm@32
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620
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rlm@36
|
621 - memory slide :: IF memories are encoded using particular sensory
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rlm@36
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622 impressions, what happens if the sensory organ
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rlm@36
|
623 itself changes? those memories would become
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rlm@47
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624 inaccessible. maybe this is why we can't remember
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rlm@36
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625 much from our childhoods. also, could this happen
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rlm@47
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626 throughout life as well? Could S remember stuff from
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rlm@36
|
627 his childhood?
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rlm@32
|
628
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rlm@47
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629 - make a completely indestructible phone :: no moving parts or display
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rlm@36
|
630 you should be able to slam it around all you want, and it will
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rlm@36
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631 just work. brutally simple. aerogel around the battery, minimal
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|
rlm@36
|
632 interface - never gets too hot, and can be dropped into water. no
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rlm@36
|
633 holes -- uses field effects for everything from the buttons to
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rlm@36
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634 inductive charging and data transfer.
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rlm@32
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635
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rlm@44
|
636 - midi to ocarina "tabs" program :: (online website? buy ocarinas from
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rlm@44
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637 it too)
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rlm@32
|
638
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rlm@44
|
639 - 3d printing with sound pulses (or just patterns) :: like the 8.03
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rlm@44
|
640 lecture
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|
rlm@32
|
641
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rlm@40
|
642 - lighter flint on spring :: make hot, throw it at something, and it
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|
rlm@40
|
643 makes sparkles!
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rlm@32
|
644
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|
rlm@44
|
645 - nuclear energy :: Rebranding New+Clear Energy with informational
|
|
rlm@44
|
646 campaign and public debate forum to enforce its
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|
rlm@44
|
647 transparent and open nature. France needn't be the
|
|
rlm@44
|
648 world leader in nuclear energy. (Dylan)
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|
rlm@32
|
649
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|
rlm@44
|
650 - bubbles :: Engineer a material which has both ductility and high
|
|
rlm@44
|
651 surface tension to make the "third"
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|
rlm@44
|
652 minimal-surface-energy solution to a bubble suspended
|
|
rlm@44
|
653 between two equal-diameter rings. (Solutions are
|
|
rlm@44
|
654 cylindrical catenary curve, two separated half-bubbles,
|
|
rlm@44
|
655 and a double-cone)
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|
rlm@38
|
656
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|
rlm@38
|
657 - Textbook whose content can be varied continuously :: alter level of
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|
rlm@38
|
658 difficulty, rigor, diction, emphasize crossover with certain
|
|
rlm@38
|
659 other discipline, etc. Content generated dynamically from
|
|
rlm@38
|
660 knowledge base, along with questions that are moreover altered to
|
|
rlm@38
|
661 guide knowledge acquisition. Motivation: One book of
|
|
rlm@40
|
662 knowledge. /One./
|
|
rlm@40
|
663
|
|
rlm@40
|
664
|
|
rlm@40
|
665 ** From Jacob's idea list
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|
rlm@40
|
666
|
|
rlm@47
|
667 - Roommate-canceling headphones: uses roommate's laptop mic to seed
|
|
rlm@43
|
668 noise cancellation alg in your headphones (would this
|
|
rlm@40
|
669 work?). -Update on sound canceling headphones that take feed from
|
|
rlm@40
|
670 tv: how about ones that cancel people talking on the phone by
|
|
rlm@40
|
671 receiving the phone signals and playing inverse sound
|
|
rlm@40
|
672 waves. #signalprocessing ~jcole@mit.edu
|
|
rlm@40
|
673
|
|
rlm@40
|
674 - ClackerAlert -- tells if you slam the keys too hard using sound data
|
|
rlm@40
|
675 (and speed/jerkiness data)!.Prevents RSI ~jcole@mit.e
|
|
rlm@40
|
676
|
|
rlm@40
|
677 - Panic Pin :: separate pin that you can tell someone if forced to
|
|
rlm@41
|
678 identify your PIN (idea from idea about credit cards)
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