annotate org/ideas.org @ 51:fd862cff3f3c

add quote.
author Robert McIntyre <rlm@mit.edu>
date Mon, 15 Jul 2013 01:12:48 -0400
parents 1b9df83db1f5
children a7da18a744e6
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@42 11
rlm@43 12 This is a list of all the ideas I've had that I felt like writing down
rlm@43 13 for the past ~ 7 years. Some of them could be practical inventions and
rlm@47 14 are "just" waiting the that 95% perspiration to bring them to
rlm@47 15 fruition, some are ideas for science fiction, and some are simple
rlm@48 16 observations. Some are really only for my own personal notes and are
rlm@48 17 not meant to be comprehensible. They are arranged roughly in reverse
rlm@48 18 chronological order, with the most recent ideas at the top of the
rlm@48 19 list. The ones at the bottom of the list are heavily influenced by my
rlm@48 20 time at MIT.
rlm@43 21
rlm@43 22 If you find some of these interesting and would like to collaborate on
rlm@43 23 them with me or discuss them in more detail, I'd love to hear from
rlm@43 24 you. You can email me at ideas@aurellem.org.
rlm@43 25
rlm@51 26 /There's no end to what a man can accomplish if he doesn't care about
rlm@51 27 getting credit/
rlm@51 28
rlm@50 29 - image compression :: use a library like gimp or opencv to process an
rlm@50 30 image to make it have less entropy, then store the reverse of
rlm@50 31 those operations along with the compressed simpler image as a
rlm@50 32 super-compressed image file (possibly sccapting some
rlm@50 33 lesses). Trades file size for decompression time, and allows one
rlm@50 34 to cheat by using information in gimp/opencv to compress the
rlm@50 35 image.
rlm@50 36
rlm@47 37 - fixed cryopreservation :: why not use a fixative to buy enough time
rlm@42 38 to ramp up cryoprotectants to an acceptable level at room
rlm@42 39 temperature? Then, the whole system can be rapidly cooled and
rlm@42 40 vitrified. This method "severs the biological link" in that the
rlm@47 41 fixatives are highly toxic, but current vitrification procedures
rlm@42 42 do this anyway since there can be a lot of freezing damage.
rlm@38 43
rlm@40 44 - bitcoin wallet :: Part of "server culture", this would be something
rlm@40 45 like "coin.your-domain.com" which would serve as
rlm@40 46 your personal trusted access to your own bitcoins
rlm@40 47 from anywhere.
rlm@40 48
rlm@40 49 - libpay :: this would be a free library which would enable
rlm@40 50 micro-donations to software projects and other projects,
rlm@47 51 so that you could donate a penny to "emacs" and it would
rlm@47 52 be automatically split up to every person who has ever
rlm@40 53 contributed to emacs in proportion to the amount of
rlm@40 54 community esteem, code quantity, bugs fixed, whatever the
rlm@47 55 community decides. This might make it possible for
rlm@40 56 programmers to live entirely off of free programming.
rlm@40 57
rlm@45 58 - distributed graphics :: Browser based graphics-card accelerated
rlm@45 59 distributed computing API.
rlm@41 60
rlm@40 61 - pronouns :: use capital letters A-Z instead of pronouns. They solve
rlm@40 62 pronoun referents and gender neutrality, are short to
rlm@40 63 say, and you can encode useful information into the
rlm@40 64 choice of letter. For example, instead of "Meetings
rlm@40 65 shall be presided over by the president, unless she is
rlm@42 66 absent." USE "Meetings shall be presided over by the
rlm@40 67 president, unless P is absent." We already use this a
rlm@40 68 little, since I and U are reserved for the subject and
rlm@40 69 object respectively.
rlm@40 70
rlm@40 71 - phone DSP :: software app that inserts an audio DSP between the
rlm@40 72 input to a phone and the output. The DSP is delicious
rlm@40 73 and configurable, and can allow men to make their
rlm@40 74 voices deeper, etc. The app would allow you to hear
rlm@40 75 your own voice as others hear it. Most people hate how
rlm@40 76 their own voice sounds. The app would also allow one to
rlm@47 77 immediately change the parameters of the DSP using good
rlm@40 78 presets.
rlm@40 79
rlm@47 80 - predestined body learning :: a good example of predestined learning
rlm@40 81 might be the mirror neurons.
rlm@40 82
rlm@47 83 - restaurant receipt :: use a carbon copy receipt instead of two stupid
rlm@40 84 copies.
rlm@40 85
rlm@41 86 - anti google glass :: glasses with mounted lasers and computer vision
rlm@41 87 that targets the cameras in google glass and destroy them.
rlm@41 88
rlm@40 89 - wearable towel :: towel with clasp, velcro, whatever, that allows
rlm@40 90 one to wear the towel more securely than just
rlm@40 91 wrapping it tightly and hoping for the best.
rlm@40 92
rlm@47 93 - crossdressing :: Easiest way to disguise oneself as a woman is to
rlm@44 94 wear a burka.
rlm@41 95
rlm@40 96 - book-mode :: intelligent color highlighting for books and
rlm@40 97 articles. It would disambiguate pronouns and involved
rlm@40 98 references. For example, if "Rachael" as red, and "the
rlm@40 99 blonde haired girl" refers to "Rachael", then "the
rlm@40 100 blonde haired girl" would he colored red. Also, you
rlm@47 101 could disambiguate multi part run-on sentences by
rlm@40 102 highlighting each subcomponent. Maybe would also have
rlm@47 103 applications to scientific reading.
rlm@40 104
rlm@40 105 - Handheld light Rain measurement :: this would be a clear, teflon
rlm@47 106 coated plastic disk with a camera underneath the disk. You would
rlm@40 107 be able to hold the device out and it would measure the rate of
rlm@40 108 accumulation of water droplets from fine mists and light rain by
rlm@40 109 using computer vision to measure the diameters of the drops.
rlm@40 110
rlm@40 111 - Big Brother Farming :: This would be a vision system that would
rlm@40 112 individually monitor each plant and turn on water, etc to ensure
rlm@40 113 maximum/uniform growth for each plant.
rlm@40 114
rlm@40 115 - Discrete Faucet :: A faucet with discrete ticks instead of
rlm@47 116 continuous.
rlm@40 117
rlm@40 118 - Laser Circle :: take a glass microfiliment and shine a laser at one
rlm@40 119 end at an oblique angle. It will make a perfect,
rlm@40 120 large circle on the wall, converting a laser beam
rlm@47 121 into a laser cone, preserving most of the energy of
rlm@40 122 the laser.
rlm@40 123
rlm@40 124 - Invisible Glass :: Take a container of liquid and embed a
rlm@40 125 glass sculpture made out of glass that has exactly the same index
rlm@40 126 of refraction and color of the liquid. Then the sculpture will be
rlm@40 127 totally invisible in the container, and will only be revealed
rlm@40 128 when the liquid is drained. The container might be a fancy
rlm@40 129 wine/spirit bottle or an hourglass.
rlm@40 130
rlm@47 131 - Caterpillar people :: A race of caterpillar like creatures gains
rlm@40 132 intelligence after eons of predation by birds, etc. These
rlm@47 133 caterpillar creatures still undergo metamorphosis into a large
rlm@40 134 butterfly-like creature. The metamorphosis process turns the
rlm@40 135 caterpillar's brain into mush and reforms it into a minimal,
rlm@40 136 dumb, truly insect-like mind, completely destroying the person
rlm@47 137 the caterpillar was. The society develops all sorts of customs and
rlm@40 138 religious interpretations of the metamorphosis. It is viewed as
rlm@40 139 good and natural by some since it is part of their life cycle and
rlm@47 140 necessary to propagate the species, as only the butterflies can
rlm@40 141 mate. Some think that the butterflies are still the same person
rlm@47 142 because they have the same soul, even they no longer posses the
rlm@47 143 memories or personality of the original caterpillar. Some see the
rlm@40 144 butterfly form as the "true form" of the species, since the
rlm@40 145 butterflies can fly, mate, and are beautiful. Many make a big
rlm@47 146 deal out of the fact that 1-2% of the caterpillar's mind is
rlm@40 147 actually preserved in the butterfly. Some see it as a terrible
rlm@47 148 tragedy and argue that the caterpillars should try to stop the
rlm@40 149 metamorphosis by technology. Practically, some very important
rlm@40 150 members of society undergo hormone therapy and/or surgery to
rlm@40 151 prevent metamorphosis so that they can live longer as themselves.
rlm@40 152
rlm@40 153 This is a continuation of Marvin Minsky's ideas about pain being
rlm@40 154 something that preserves our bodies while destroying our minds,
rlm@40 155 something that is a remnant from our too harsh animal days that
rlm@40 156 hasn't caught up to the fact that we have very complex brains
rlm@40 157 now. It's a worst-case scenario about a maladaptive genetic
rlm@40 158 legacy. Also, it's inspired by "There She Is!!!", which makes a
rlm@40 159 compelling point about homosexuality by introducing a second
rlm@40 160 gender characteristic (bunny/cat, male/female), which makes
rlm@40 161 homophobia look very silly. Here, our own biological legacy of
rlm@47 162 pain and death is made to look like the tragedy it is through the
rlm@47 163 lens of the the caterpillar people.
rlm@40 164
rlm@46 165 - relationships as a business :: [[http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Up-or-Out-Solving-the-IT-Turnover-Crisis.aspx][Turnover-Crisis]] is an excellent talk
rlm@46 166 about the "culture of quitting," which is about better business
rlm@46 167 by letting people go instead of keeping them around past their
rlm@47 168 "apex". Focuses on information transfer. Cool idea of an alumni
rlm@46 169 network, which for relationships would be a group of satisfied
rlm@46 170 ex-lovers, who would recommend new people your way, and who might
rlm@46 171 consider coming to you again, refreshed from their time away with
rlm@46 172 new stories/experiences. I should look for examples of this and
rlm@46 173 how they worked out.
rlm@43 174
rlm@47 175 - coffee with tea :: /rlm-tea/ contains 2% sugar, 10% cream, and 20%
rlm@43 176 dylan coffee. /dylan coffee/ contains 5% sugar,
rlm@43 177 20% cream, and 10% rlm-tea. Start your mornings
rlm@43 178 with recursion!
rlm@43 179
rlm@43 180 - psychic crystal :: in a science fiction story, this would be an
rlm@43 181 object that is very easy to move physically but is extremely
rlm@43 182 difficult to move with telekinesis.
rlm@43 183
rlm@40 184 - http://betsofbitco.in/ :: what a great place for an AI/person to
rlm@40 185 prove themselves as a good predictor. I wish this could be
rlm@40 186 automated.
rlm@40 187
rlm@44 188 - true reflection :: don't forget about that mirror in the student
rlm@44 189 center!, it's two mirrors at right angles, like staring at a
rlm@44 190 corner of a room. The light reflects so that it shows you what
rlm@44 191 you actually look like, instead of your mirror image.
rlm@33 192
rlm@33 193 - remote control wasp :: use computer to drive wings with remote
rlm@32 194 power/logic.
rlm@32 195
rlm@47 196 - encrypted email phone book :: public (distributed?) database of
rlm@44 197 email->private-key pairs, to enable automatic encryption.
rlm@32 198
rlm@44 199 - universal eye color :: every equivalent creature will see each
rlm@44 200 others' eyes as black -- it's universal. Even if the creatures
rlm@44 201 see in radio waves, and their eyes are 2m long pieces of jagged
rlm@44 202 metal, when those creatures look at each other, they will see
rlm@44 203 black, the absence of light and color (since it's being absorbed
rlm@44 204 by the sensor array).
rlm@32 205
rlm@33 206 - intelligent microwave :: it learns where the hot nodes of its fields
rlm@32 207 are, and uses them to evenly heat any food item. It has an infared
rlm@32 208 camera or something to keep track of how hot the food is. That way,
rlm@32 209 you don't get bowls where the edges are boiling, while the center is
rlm@32 210 still frozen. Requires a little bit of intelligence/vision, since
rlm@32 211 the exact pattern of heating totally depends on the exact shape of
rlm@47 212 the food. Wouldn't need a carousel, and wouldn't need a timer,
rlm@47 213 just a desired temperature. Could also detect ice, and automatically
rlm@32 214 defrost the parts which are frozen. Might be able to work much
rlm@47 215 faster since it can avoid overheating; might have problems with
rlm@32 216 heating the insides of thick things, might need a weight sensor too.
rlm@32 217
rlm@39 218 + Would be much cleaner than other microwaves, since food would
rlm@39 219 "sputter" and splash liquid much less.
rlm@32 220
rlm@39 221 + Throw in some SIFT+R processing to match previously cooked foods
rlm@39 222 and learn the exact heating profiles for things that have been
rlm@39 223 cooked before -- it can get faster the more its used.
rlm@32 224
rlm@47 225 - compression :: brain-aware image compression algorithm
rlm@32 226
rlm@44 227 - Credit card proxy :: would be a company which works like paypal
rlm@44 228 except for real world transactions
rlm@32 229
rlm@33 230 - Flesh pillow :: a pillow like the arm or torso of a human, complete
rlm@33 231 with simulated temperature, bones, and heartbeat.
rlm@33 232
rlm@47 233 - super screw :: a screw which has only one or two threads and instead
rlm@47 234 uses compression to fit into a hole (the whole shank
rlm@33 235 of the screw is split into multiple pieces to
rlm@33 236 accomplish this; the tip is a point, then the middle
rlm@33 237 bulges out and gets compressed when screwed in.
rlm@33 238
rlm@47 239 - light filter :: (like light tweezers) to mechanically separate
rlm@33 240 fluids with different index of refraction
rlm@33 241
rlm@33 242 - chalk eraser project :: maybe make a directional eraser, for easy
rlm@33 243 release of chalk dust, like fur, and how it likes to rest in a
rlm@33 244 certain direction.
rlm@33 245
rlm@44 246 - silver socks :: socks laced with silver for the antimicrobial
rlm@44 247 properties.
rlm@32 248
rlm@44 249 - UROP :: magnet gear/metal teeth tape device to distill urine through
rlm@44 250 evaporation and easily dispose of urea crystals for use in
rlm@44 251 desert -- produce drinkable water.
rlm@32 252
rlm@47 253 - UROP :: Make the LED in line with the flow for the micro injector, so
rlm@44 254 that it may transmit maximum flow. Motor that changes
rlm@44 255 distance of internal magnet from windings depending on
rlm@44 256 desired speed so as to obtain maximum power efficiency.
rlm@32 257
rlm@47 258 - lottery scraper :: web scraper which monitors various lotteries,
rlm@44 259 looking for "special" gimmick changes in the rules (like 4x
rlm@44 260 winnings on Wednesdays) and computes expected value...
rlm@34 261
rlm@34 262 - Memristiors novel design :: make an evolutionary algorithm to make
rlm@34 263 old stuff using all four basic circuit elements.
rlm@34 264
rlm@44 265 - Conductive concrete :: concrete that has embedded metal fibers so
rlm@44 266 that it can conduct electricity.
rlm@34 267
rlm@44 268 - little bitty melting pot :: might be useful for some types of
rlm@44 269 manufacturing/3D printing -- how small can an induction melter be
rlm@44 270 made, for example.
rlm@34 271
rlm@44 272 - power strip/timer programmable combination :: meh
rlm@34 273
rlm@47 274 - algorithms :: which learn what their inputs are and in what order,
rlm@44 275 and can adapt to changing circumstances -- they
rlm@44 276 remember previous arguments and adapt so as to respond
rlm@44 277 to different connections.
rlm@34 278
rlm@47 279 - true pure tones :: hear a true pure tone by direct stimulation of the
rlm@44 280 nerves of the ear
rlm@43 281
rlm@43 282 - mechanical analogue to the electrical op-amp :: would be an object
rlm@43 283 with two levers -- you pull on one lever and the other moves the
rlm@43 284 same way, no matter what's in the way or what it is driving. This
rlm@47 285 analogy could be useful to teach op amps to people.
rlm@34 286
rlm@47 287 - paper folding device :: make it convenient to fold lots of papers in
rlm@34 288 various ways.
rlm@34 289
rlm@34 290 - concrete epoxy :: epoxy with sand/ some other solid material.
rlm@34 291
rlm@47 292 - light capacitor :: suspend some ball of material with a high index
rlm@43 293 of refraction and shine light into it so it gets stuck -- would
rlm@43 294 the light stay trapped forever? Could you build up unlimited
rlm@43 295 quantities of light inside the sphere (which could then be
rlm@43 296 released slowly by frustrated internal reflection?
rlm@34 297
rlm@40 298 - movie screening :: Movies always are too long at first. One way to
rlm@34 299 shorten them ``scientifically" is to record blink rate during the
rlm@34 300 move and then remove / shorten the frames of the parts in which
rlm@34 301 there are a lot of blinking (average this over multiple people)
rlm@34 302 better yet, put it online and do it across thousands of people. I
rlm@34 303 got this from youtube in which there is an episode of kill bill
rlm@47 304 which is composed entirely of the parts in which people had their
rlm@34 305 eyes closed. slogan: want to make a movie people can't take their
rlm@34 306 eyes off of? Just take those parts out!
rlm@34 307
rlm@47 308 - optimize an article :: capture reading of a scientific article via
rlm@44 309 screen capture while people read it, then use it to make the
rlm@44 310 article better. like the movie-pruning idea.
rlm@35 311
rlm@44 312 - super reading program :: teaches people the ideal mental mask to
rlm@44 313 apply during reading so as to read very fast.
rlm@35 314
rlm@44 315 - explosive thermite epoxy putty :: one part would contain the rust,
rlm@47 316 one part the aluminum.
rlm@34 317
rlm@44 318 - reading comprehension :: use the above screen capture routine to
rlm@44 319 make a quiz program that constructs questions about the content
rlm@44 320 you seemed to gloss over while reading. could be easy if the pdf
rlm@44 321 came with embedded questions. Dylan: automatically generate
rlm@44 322 word-cloud about the parts you found most interesting; help
rlm@44 323 others who read the same stuff by drawing attention to the
rlm@44 324 interesting parts.
rlm@34 325
rlm@44 326 - hard sword :: make a samurai sword, but use osmiridum instead of
rlm@44 327 martensite for the cutting part; it should be a better
rlm@44 328 sword.
rlm@32 329
rlm@44 330 - close range wireless :: use the induction technology used to
rlm@44 331 recharge electric toothbrushes with no metal links to send data
rlm@44 332 without any metal at all!
rlm@32 333
rlm@44 334 - reading :: is a form of synsethesia
rlm@32 335
rlm@44 336 - DNA printer :: A machine which translates the text eg, "ACTGAC" into
rlm@44 337 actual DNA
rlm@32 338
rlm@44 339 - black generator :: ferro-fluid magnetic field suspended micro
rlm@44 340 generator to make electricity
rlm@32 341
rlm@44 342 - alcohol battery :: alcohol/fluid flow powered battery
rlm@32 343
rlm@44 344 - folding razor blade sword ::
rlm@32 345
rlm@44 346 - perfect pitch :: learn perfect pitch using another sense in
rlm@44 347 combination (sight or touch)
rlm@32 348
rlm@44 349 - kaleidoscope projector ::
rlm@32 350
rlm@44 351 - razor blade de-sharpener :: for guilt free disposal
rlm@32 352
rlm@44 353 - bricks :: filled with luminescent plant material
rlm@32 354
rlm@47 355 - bio metallic structure :: metal grids with seeds inside, which grow
rlm@44 356 together and form a durable biological matrix. The metal
rlm@44 357 substrate delivers water. (maybe use plastic instead of metal?)
rlm@44 358 Dylan: enrich plants with inorganic compounds; electrical
rlm@44 359 interfaces in cellular plant matter => remote-controlled
rlm@44 360 photosynthetic/bioluminescent structures.
rlm@32 361
rlm@44 362 - conducting extracellular matrix :: to allow better control of
rlm@44 363 organic systems and an enhanced nervous system.
rlm@32 364
rlm@44 365 - cross-modal memory hashing :: a way to retrieve memories more
rlm@44 366 robustly.
rlm@32 367
rlm@47 368 - flossing thimble-guards :: (these actually exist)
rlm@32 369
rlm@44 370 - rules + lattice learning :: integrate lattice learning with rules by
rlm@44 371 generating hypothetical examples
rlm@32 372
rlm@47 373 - wooden refrigerator :: to give food a better taste Dylan: like
rlm@44 374 barrels for wine, or planks for salmon. Maybe just have "flavor
rlm@44 375 planks" for your pre-existing fridge. Need to mitigate effect of
rlm@44 376 temperature on volatility?
rlm@32 377
rlm@35 378 - radioactive transmutation molecule by molecule :: create precious
rlm@35 379 metals or something else economically advantageous.
rlm@32 380
rlm@47 381 - crowd preservation :: inoculate food with tons of harmless
rlm@44 382 bacteria so that there's no room for bad bacteria as a method of
rlm@44 383 preservation
rlm@32 384
rlm@47 385 - old school preservation :: Pasteur - style holding jar with siphon
rlm@47 386 as a way to store liquids at room temperature indefinitely w/o
rlm@47 387 refrigeration.
rlm@32 388
rlm@47 389 - restaurant policy :: Throw rude people out of restaurant as a matter
rlm@44 390 of course -- make ambiance much better.
rlm@32 391
rlm@47 392 - clean windows :: make something that mixes soap with fire hydrant
rlm@44 393 water (and reduces the pressure a bit) and use it
rlm@44 394 to clean windows of buildings.
rlm@32 395
rlm@44 396 - ocarina :: make an ocarina out of pure silver
rlm@32 397
rlm@35 398 - fire pen :: pen which burns words on to the page, thus never needing
rlm@47 399 any ink. Is there a way to make it runnable from the
rlm@35 400 human's energy?
rlm@32 401
rlm@44 402 - website to design your own soda :: and label, and have it mailed to
rlm@44 403 you / sell it from your own online store.
rlm@35 404
rlm@44 405 - solar panels :: that float on the ocean
rlm@43 406
rlm@35 407 - handcuffs with more than two cuffs (3?) :: great for daisy chaining
rlm@43 408 people, binding them to environment, etc.
rlm@35 409
rlm@35 410 - vector based SOUND files :: like the pictures but with SOUND. codify
rlm@35 411 sound in a language with enough symbols so that it can describe
rlm@35 412 everything and encode it in that. would be like going from speech
rlm@43 413 to text or smtg. Could also store sound as an image of the
rlm@35 414 wavefront encoded as a vector image.
rlm@32 415
rlm@44 416 - Mouse :: with a horizontal scroll wheel in addition to the vertical
rlm@44 417 scroll wheel
rlm@32 418
rlm@47 419 - logic maintenance system for big institutions :: to make sure the
rlm@44 420 things they are thinking about doing are not retarded
rlm@32 421
rlm@47 422 - http://www.regulations.gov/ :: cool site
rlm@32 423
rlm@44 424 - genetically engineered glowing fruit :: sell seeds?
rlm@32 425
rlm@36 426 - memory slide :: IF memories are encoded using particular sensory
rlm@36 427 impressions, what happens if the sensory organ
rlm@36 428 itself changes? those memories would become
rlm@47 429 inaccessible. maybe this is why we can't remember
rlm@36 430 much from our childhoods. also, could this happen
rlm@47 431 throughout life as well? Could S remember stuff from
rlm@36 432 his childhood?
rlm@32 433
rlm@47 434 - make a completely indestructible phone :: no moving parts or display
rlm@36 435 you should be able to slam it around all you want, and it will
rlm@36 436 just work. brutally simple. aerogel around the battery, minimal
rlm@36 437 interface - never gets too hot, and can be dropped into water. no
rlm@36 438 holes -- uses field effects for everything from the buttons to
rlm@36 439 inductive charging and data transfer.
rlm@32 440
rlm@44 441 - midi to ocarina "tabs" program :: (online website? buy ocarinas from
rlm@44 442 it too)
rlm@32 443
rlm@44 444 - 3d printing with sound pulses (or just patterns) :: like the 8.03
rlm@44 445 lecture
rlm@32 446
rlm@40 447 - lighter flint on spring :: make hot, throw it at something, and it
rlm@40 448 makes sparkles!
rlm@32 449
rlm@44 450 - nuclear energy :: Rebranding New+Clear Energy with informational
rlm@44 451 campaign and public debate forum to enforce its
rlm@44 452 transparent and open nature. France needn't be the
rlm@44 453 world leader in nuclear energy. (Dylan)
rlm@32 454
rlm@44 455 - bubbles :: Engineer a material which has both ductility and high
rlm@44 456 surface tension to make the "third"
rlm@44 457 minimal-surface-energy solution to a bubble suspended
rlm@44 458 between two equal-diameter rings. (Solutions are
rlm@44 459 cylindrical catenary curve, two separated half-bubbles,
rlm@44 460 and a double-cone)
rlm@38 461
rlm@38 462 - Textbook whose content can be varied continuously :: alter level of
rlm@38 463 difficulty, rigor, diction, emphasize crossover with certain
rlm@38 464 other discipline, etc. Content generated dynamically from
rlm@38 465 knowledge base, along with questions that are moreover altered to
rlm@38 466 guide knowledge acquisition. Motivation: One book of
rlm@40 467 knowledge. /One./
rlm@40 468
rlm@40 469
rlm@40 470 ** From Jacob's idea list
rlm@40 471
rlm@47 472 - Roommate-canceling headphones: uses roommate's laptop mic to seed
rlm@43 473 noise cancellation alg in your headphones (would this
rlm@40 474 work?). -Update on sound canceling headphones that take feed from
rlm@40 475 tv: how about ones that cancel people talking on the phone by
rlm@40 476 receiving the phone signals and playing inverse sound
rlm@40 477 waves. #signalprocessing ~jcole@mit.edu
rlm@40 478
rlm@40 479 - ClackerAlert -- tells if you slam the keys too hard using sound data
rlm@40 480 (and speed/jerkiness data)!.Prevents RSI ~jcole@mit.e
rlm@40 481
rlm@40 482 - Panic Pin :: separate pin that you can tell someone if forced to
rlm@41 483 identify your PIN (idea from idea about credit cards)