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merge ideas together.
author Robert McIntyre <rlm@mit.edu>
date Mon, 10 Mar 2014 13:01:48 -0400
parents e0f8793b7aaf 8bd81d22ae93
children 34dca21f8a05
comparison
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88:e0f8793b7aaf 89:09d093d9b61f
4 #+description: list of ideas from the last ~ 7 years 4 #+description: list of ideas from the last ~ 7 years
5 #+keywords: aurellem ideas half-baked random 5 #+keywords: aurellem ideas half-baked random
6 #+SETUPFILE: ../../aurellem/org/setup.org 6 #+SETUPFILE: ../../aurellem/org/setup.org
7 #+INCLUDE: ../../aurellem/org/level-0.org 7 #+INCLUDE: ../../aurellem/org/level-0.org
8 #+babel: :mkdirp yes :noweb yes :exports both 8 #+babel: :mkdirp yes :noweb yes :exports both
9
10
9 11
10 * Ideas 12 * Ideas
11 13
12 This is a list of all the ideas I've had that I felt like writing down 14 This is a list of all the ideas I've had that I felt like writing down
13 for the past ~ 7 years. Some of them could be practical inventions and 15 for the past ~ 7 years. Some of them could be practical inventions and
29 #+begin_quote 31 #+begin_quote
30 There's no end to what a man can accomplish if he doesn't care about 32 There's no end to what a man can accomplish if he doesn't care about
31 getting credit. 33 getting credit.
32 #+end_quote 34 #+end_quote
33 35
36 <<<<<<< local
34 - suicide parasite :: sometimes, people kill themselves for no good 37 - suicide parasite :: sometimes, people kill themselves for no good
35 reason. We often explain this with things like "hidden 38 reason. We often explain this with things like "hidden
36 depression" or we say that they had something like chronic jaw or 39 depression" or we say that they had something like chronic jaw or
37 back pain. I think that smells of rationalization. I don't buy 40 back pain. I think that smells of rationalization. I don't buy
38 it. I propose that in many suicide cases there is a disease that 41 it. I propose that in many suicide cases there is a disease that
49 sense : people who weren't really depressed, who had no 52 sense : people who weren't really depressed, who had no
50 reason to kill themselves. People who have killed themselves 53 reason to kill themselves. People who have killed themselves
51 should have a higher incidence of some unknown parasite in 54 should have a higher incidence of some unknown parasite in
52 their brains. 55 their brains.
53 56
54 - domestic insects :: People should eat more bugs, but why not do some 57 - domestic insects :: People should eat more bugs because they're much
55 major domestication research to make very appealing bugs? 58 more efficient, so why not do some major domestication research
59 to make very appealing bugs?
56 60
57 - birth-clones :: What if each person was intentionally split at birth 61 - birth-clones :: What if each person was intentionally split at birth
58 into a normal embryo and a few "backup" cells which 62 into a normal embryo and a few "backup" cells which
59 is then frozen. The backup cells are created just 63 is then frozen. The backup cells are created just
60 the same way as natural identical twins. The backups 64 the same way as natural identical twins. The backups
63 have a culture where people reward people who were 67 have a culture where people reward people who were
64 especially awesome are "reborn" from their 68 especially awesome are "reborn" from their
65 backups. Imagine having a young Bach every 69 backups. Imagine having a young Bach every
66 generation, etc. 70 generation, etc.
67 71
72 - pronuncation guide :: a simple webpage where you type in a word and
73 it returns a simpe, English sentence describing exactly how to
74 pronounce the word. For people who don't want to learn IPA.
75
68 - cortex-search :: use the repertoire of actions learned to limit the 76 - cortex-search :: use the repertoire of actions learned to limit the
69 search space of possible actions. 77 search space of possible actions.
78
79 - learning to teleport :: scifi idea, this is a story about a person
80 who is struggling with his/her society's ideas about
81 teleportation. It's considered a fundamental part of being a
82 member of that society (after all, the difference between animals
83 and humans is that humans are creatures of pure information while
84 animals are burdened with base matter, "that's how you travel the
85 stars, etc") Humans are born normally, grow up, and then
86 eventually transcend via destructive upload. Analogies to jumping
87 off a diving board into a pool (which I simply /could not do/ for
88 a long time), etc.
70 89
71 - no-float-ice :: cup that has cross beams at the bottom where ice 90 - no-float-ice :: cup that has cross beams at the bottom where ice
72 forms. Then when you drink liquid from the glass, 91 forms. Then when you drink liquid from the glass,
73 the ice stays at the bottom and doesn't hit your 92 the ice stays at the bottom and doesn't hit your
74 lips. For bars and fancy things. 93 lips. For bars and fancy things.
171 pages. The point is that the bar can be EASILY subdivided (and 190 pages. The point is that the bar can be EASILY subdivided (and
172 people would perform this test before buying), thus guaranteeing 191 people would perform this test before buying), thus guaranteeing
173 it's authenticity. 192 it's authenticity.
174 193
175 - aurellem shirt :: I should make an aurellem star symbol tee-shirt. 194 - aurellem shirt :: I should make an aurellem star symbol tee-shirt.
195
196 - touch vision :: inspired by GelSight, I want to reexamine cortex and
197 see if I could implement touch as a very low range
198 form of vision.
176 199
177 - high school science :: this is a lesson in scientific ethics. The 200 - high school science :: this is a lesson in scientific ethics. The
178 goal is to calculate /g/, the local gravitational 201 goal is to calculate /g/, the local gravitational
179 acceleration. The students are told that the textbook says it's 202 acceleration. The students are told that the textbook says it's
180 /exactly/ 9.81 before they start the experiment. See how they 203 /exactly/ 9.81 before they start the experiment. See how they
451 metal, when those creatures look at each other, they will see 474 metal, when those creatures look at each other, they will see
452 black, the absence of light and color (since it's being absorbed 475 black, the absence of light and color (since it's being absorbed
453 by the sensor array). 476 by the sensor array).
454 477
455 - intelligent microwave :: it learns where the hot nodes of its fields 478 - intelligent microwave :: it learns where the hot nodes of its fields
456 are, and uses them to evenly heat any food item. It has an infared 479 are, and uses them to evenly heat any food item. It has an infrared
457 camera or something to keep track of how hot the food is. That way, 480 camera or something to keep track of how hot the food is. That way,
458 you don't get bowls where the edges are boiling, while the center is 481 you don't get bowls where the edges are boiling, while the center is
459 still frozen. Requires a little bit of intelligence/vision, since 482 still frozen. Requires a little bit of intelligence/vision, since
460 the exact pattern of heating totally depends on the exact shape of 483 the exact pattern of heating totally depends on the exact shape of
461 the food. Wouldn't need a carousel, and wouldn't need a timer, 484 the food. Wouldn't need a carousel, and wouldn't need a timer,
714 difficulty, rigor, diction, emphasize crossover with certain 737 difficulty, rigor, diction, emphasize crossover with certain
715 other discipline, etc. Content generated dynamically from 738 other discipline, etc. Content generated dynamically from
716 knowledge base, along with questions that are moreover altered to 739 knowledge base, along with questions that are moreover altered to
717 guide knowledge acquisition. Motivation: One book of 740 guide knowledge acquisition. Motivation: One book of
718 knowledge. /One./ 741 knowledge. /One./
719 - * Invalid capture template
720 742
721 ** From Jacob's idea list 743 ** From Jacob's idea list
722 744
723 - Roommate-canceling headphones: uses roommate's laptop mic to seed 745 - Roommate-canceling headphones: uses roommate's laptop mic to seed
724 noise cancellation alg in your headphones (would this 746 noise cancellation alg in your headphones (would this