# HG changeset patch # User Robert McIntyre # Date 1428886360 25200 # Node ID e9c46842080bce2eaf63db858f39cb19ce444a52 # Parent f5a56e2241fb224e21f4d59774c7e642e72b58d8 finally updated ideas page. diff -r f5a56e2241fb -r e9c46842080b org/good-ideas.org --- a/org/good-ideas.org Sun Apr 12 17:31:34 2015 -0700 +++ b/org/good-ideas.org Sun Apr 12 17:52:40 2015 -0700 @@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
#+END_HTML -** The Ocean becomes a Drop +** The Ocean Becomes a Drop Upload faces challenges to grow into they type of person that can join the greater society -- a god. They have to go though quests that replicate all the things that humanity had to accomplish, like @@ -289,804 +289,865 @@ is that it's a very minor effect -- you can only get about 0.1C with most systems that have been studied so far. -- room temp noodles :: how does the physics of cooking noodles work? - Could you use a vacuum instead of heat to force water into the - noodle? +** Room Temp Ramen + How does the physics of cooking noodles work? Could you use a + vacuum instead of heat to force water into the noodle? -- personal carbon offset :: feel bad about contribuiting to global - warming by using electricity / driving a car? Forget trying to - "conserve" or "minimize your carbon footprint". Follow the - Platinum rule -- make the world BETTER off than you found it! - This would be a small, self contained system that sucks C02 out - of the air. It uses electricity, but it's so efficient at - removing CO2 that it more than offsets the CO2 produced by even a - coal plant to produce that electricity. This way, you can still - drive even a gas guzzler, but have a net negative carbon - footprint! Maybe something cool could be done with the carbon as - well. Use as much electricity as you want, but negate the damage - to the enviroment with more technology. +** Personal Carbon Offset + Feel bad about contribuiting to global warming by using electricity + / driving a car? Forget trying to "conserve" or "minimize your + carbon footprint". Follow the Platinum rule -- make the world + BETTER off than you found it! This would be a small, self + contained system that sucks C02 out of the air. It uses + electricity, but it's so efficient at removing CO2 that it more + than offsets the CO2 produced by even a coal plant to produce that + electricity. This way, you can still drive even a gas guzzler, but + have a net negative carbon footprint! Maybe something cool could be + done with the carbon as well. Use as much electricity as you want, + but negate the damage to the enviroment with more technology. -- undoing spermogenesis :: with enough sperm, you can derive the - donor's entire genome. You gain more confidence in the alleles - for a particular gene the more sperm you have. Each additional - sperm gives you the same sort of information you'd get flipping a - coin and trying to decide whether the coin is H/T of H/H. Is - there enough sperm in the the average load for you to be as - confident as mitosis? +** Undoing Spermogenesis + With enough sperm, you can derive the donor's entire genome. You + gain more confidence in the alleles for a particular gene the more + sperm you have. Each additional sperm gives you the same sort of + information you'd get flipping a coin and trying to decide whether + the coin is H/T of H/H. Is there enough sperm in the the average + load for you to be as confident as mitosis? -- mars life :: we could engineer life that could survive on mars - (probably some non-vascular photosynthetic poikilohydric creature - like a lichen) by taking an extremophile from Antarctica and - evolving it in increasingly Martian conditions. This could be an - easy start to a terraforming process. +** Mars Life + We could engineer life that could survive on mars (probably some + non-vascular photosynthetic poikilohydric creature like a lichen) + by taking an extremophile from Antarctica and evolving it in + increasingly Martian conditions. This could be an easy start to a + terraforming process. -- problem with Aubrey de Grey's ideas :: Aubrey de Grey says that we - might be able to live forever by continually repairing our bodies - at the cellular level -- he details 7 different mechanisms of - damage and says that if all of them are dealt with /together/ - that it would stop aging. (You can't miss even one because - they're all fatal.) However, it doesn't take into account that - we are also beings of information and that there is a very real - software component to our existence. Even if our biological - chassies can be maintained forever, I think it is unlikely that - our minds will operate well far outside of the design constraints - that we've evolved to handle. Say I programmed a webserver with - the express goal of it being able to serve webpages for month on - some stock server. I'll do fairly rigorous testing to make sure - that it can handle the expected load then then some. Now say that - you want to keep a particular instance of this webserver running - indefinitely. (The program instance is like your mind and the - computer it's running on is like your body). You might very well - be able to keep the physical computer infrastructure running for - forever by replacing hard drives / ram / CPUs, etc. However, - since I designed the webserver to work for a month, it probably - has memory leaks, rare stochastic bugs, or other built in limits - / constraints (think log files or some date rollover shenanigans) - that will ultimately kill the webserver even with eternally - perfect hardware. Do you really expect that a webserver - engineered to work for 1 month will run for 10 years without - catastrophically crashing? Not even Apache can do this! In fact, - if I put in the extreme effort to make it that robust, I've - wasted time that I could have spent on other projects by pursuing - an unnecessary engineering goal. Likewise, human minds have only - ever run for at most 122 years before they are destroyed due to - hardware degradation. Fixing the hardware doesn't change any - software bugs that are almost certainly present in the human - mind. Think of all the pathological things that can go wrong with - a webserver, multiply it by a million, and that likely how - evolution has designed our minds. For example, consider memory : - why should you expect that we have evolved the ability to - coherently organize memories past say 150 years? There's been - absolutely no selective pressure for this ability, so you can bet - that if there's any fitness to be gained from not having - unlimited memory potential (such as better metabolic efficiency), - we have it! You might think that maybe we would just forget - things the same way that we sort of forget things that happen - earlier in our lives, but complicated information processing - systems don't have to fail gracefully when they're pushed far - past their design constraints. A 150 year old person is just as - likely to suffer a catastrophic psychosis due to software - limitations associated with memory as he is to do something with - all those memories we might consider reasonable. More likely, in - fact, since there are so very many ways for a complicated - software system to break and so few ways for it to run - successfully. Therefore, I think Aubrey de Grey's "hardware-only" - approach is missing a very important component of longevity - science, and any successful effort to make people live orders of - magnitude longer than they do naturally will need to deal with - people's software as well as their hardware. +** Problem with Aubrey de Grey's Ideas + Aubrey de Grey says that we might be able to live forever by + continually repairing our bodies at the cellular level -- he + details 7 different mechanisms of damage and says that if all of + them are dealt with /together/ that it would stop aging. (You can't + miss even one because they're all fatal.) However, it doesn't take + into account that we are also beings of information and that there + is a very real software component to our existence. Even if our + biological chassies can be maintained forever, I think it is + unlikely that our minds will operate well far outside of the design + constraints that we've evolved to handle. Say I programmed a + webserver with the express goal of it being able to serve webpages + for month on some stock server. I'll do fairly rigorous testing to + make sure that it can handle the expected load then then some. Now + say that you want to keep a particular instance of this webserver + running indefinitely. (The program instance is like your mind and + the computer it's running on is like your body). You might very + well be able to keep the physical computer infrastructure running + for forever by replacing hard drives / ram / CPUs, etc. However, + since I designed the webserver to work for a month, it probably has + memory leaks, rare stochastic bugs, or other built in limits / + constraints (think log files or some date rollover shenanigans) + that will ultimately kill the webserver even with eternally perfect + hardware. Do you really expect that a webserver engineered to work + for 1 month will run for 10 years without catastrophically + crashing? Not even Apache can do this! In fact, if I put in the + extreme effort to make it that robust, I've wasted time that I + could have spent on other projects by pursuing an unnecessary + engineering goal. Likewise, human minds have only ever run for at + most 122 years before they are destroyed due to hardware + degradation. Fixing the hardware doesn't change any software bugs + that are almost certainly present in the human mind. Think of all + the pathological things that can go wrong with a webserver, + multiply it by a million, and that likely how evolution has + designed our minds. For example, consider memory : why should you + expect that we have evolved the ability to coherently organize + memories past say 150 years? There's been absolutely no selective + pressure for this ability, so you can bet that if there's any + fitness to be gained from not having unlimited memory potential + (such as better metabolic efficiency), we have it! You might think + that maybe we would just forget things the same way that we sort of + forget things that happen earlier in our lives, but complicated + information processing systems don't have to fail gracefully when + they're pushed far past their design constraints. A 150 year old + person is just as likely to suffer a catastrophic psychosis due to + software limitations associated with memory as he is to do + something with all those memories we might consider + reasonable. More likely, in fact, since there are so very many ways + for a complicated software system to break and so few ways for it + to run successfully. Therefore, I think Aubrey de Grey's + "hardware-only" approach is missing a very important component of + longevity science, and any successful effort to make people live + orders of magnitude longer than they do naturally will need to deal + with people's software as well as their hardware. -- validating neurocryopreservation :: Problem : you want to test - whether a brain is functionally preserved through vitrification, - but you don't want to figure out how to preserve all the other - organs in the animal. It might be possible to keep the rest of - the body at almost 0C and vitrify just the head for only a few - minutes. Induce hypothermia, then separate out the head's blood - supply from the rest of the body, then just cryoptotect and - vitrify the head. Might need some sort of thermal guard to keep - the outer head / neck from becoming too cold. You leave the - spinal cord intact! Then you devitrify to 0C, remove - cryoprotectant, and then reattach the blood supply. You can - determine brain preservation using behavioral assays! +** Validating Neurocryopreservation + Problem : you want to test whether a brain is functionally + preserved through vitrification, but you don't want to figure out + how to preserve all the other organs in the animal. It might be + possible to keep the rest of the body at almost 0C and vitrify just + the head for only a few minutes. Induce hypothermia, then separate + out the head's blood supply from the rest of the body, then just + cryoptotect and vitrify the head. Might need some sort of thermal + guard to keep the outer head / neck from becoming too cold. You + leave the spinal cord intact! Then you devitrify to 0C, remove + cryoprotectant, and then reattach the blood supply. You can + determine brain preservation using behavioral assays! -- freezing water purifier :: you slowly freeze water, but also run - liquid water over the frozen mass. This takes away basically all - impurities and creates "washed ice" then you melt the ice. Maybe - you could re-use the heat from creating the ice to melt the ice? +** Freezing Water Purifier + You slowly freeze water, but also run liquid water over the frozen + mass. This takes away basically all impurities and creates "washed + ice" then you melt the ice. Maybe you could re-use the heat from + creating the ice to melt the ice? -- ultra strength :: allow a person to visualize their muscle - recruitment patterns. Give them adrenaline and let them feel what - it's like to have the normal limits removed. See if they can - replicate the effects. +** Ultra Strength + Allow a person to visualize their muscle recruitment patterns. Give + them adrenaline and let them feel what it's like to have the normal + limits removed. See if they can replicate the effects. -- phone names :: make a PX record for domain names that's like the MX - record, except that it is a phone number instead of an IP - address. That way, you can use the domain name registration - system to provide names for phone numbers. Then, as long as you - control the domain, you can point people to your current phone - number by updating that record. +** Phone Names + Make a PX record for domain names that's like the MX record, except + that it is a phone number instead of an IP address. That way, you + can use the domain name registration system to provide names for + phone numbers. Then, as long as you control the domain, you can + point people to your current phone number by updating that record. -- edible flowers :: Edible white flowers that you put in a colored - solution with flavor. When the flower turns the right color, it - is also flavored and ready to eat! +** Edible Flowers + Edible white flowers that you put in a colored solution with + flavor. When the flower turns the right color, it is also flavored + and ready to eat! -- lead bone :: Could you fill in all the empty spaces in a bone with - lead? Might be cool! +** Lead Bone + Could you fill in all the empty spaces in a bone with lead? Might + be cool! -- the quest for life :: Many stories that have immortal characters - have the "immortal who wants to become mortal" trope. I want to - story where the protagonist loses their immortality and feels - /angry/ and ashamed about losing something that's so absolutely - crucial to their identity. A reverse of "death makes life worth - living", they feel that living forever is what makes life worth - living. Now they've "lost their sunrise" or their "connection to - the timeless universe" or something. So they go on a quest to get - it back, learning about themselves along the way, and regaining - the precious thing they lost in the beginning. Which, it they can - actually gain their immortality back, means that they never lost - it in the first place! +** The Quest for Life + Many stories that have immortal characters have the "immortal who + wants to become mortal" trope. I want to story where the + protagonist loses their immortality and feels /angry/ and ashamed + about losing something that's so absolutely crucial to their + identity. A reverse of "death makes life worth living", they feel + that living forever is what makes life worth living. Now they've + "lost their sunrise" or their "connection to the timeless universe" + or something. So they go on a quest to get it back, learning about + themselves along the way, and regaining the precious thing they + lost in the beginning. Which, it they can actually gain their + immortality back, means that they never lost it in the first place! -- world-map :: take a small table and paint the continents in - toothpaste on the table. Make a slightly raised barrier around - the table. Slowly pour water onto the table, and it will form the - oceans! +** World Map + Take a small table and paint the continents in toothpaste on the + table. Make a slightly raised barrier around the table. Slowly pour + water onto the table, and it will form the oceans! -- stage magic rituals :: rituals should incorporate elements of stage - magic. For example in Teller's rendition of Shakespeare's - Tempest, they have a scene where they levitate a crown in front - of someone, then put it on his head. They also have a wedding - ceremony where they levitated the bride as well. Actual weddings - and other ceremonies should incorporate stage magic as an - enhancement to the gravitas! +** Stage Magic Rituals + Rituals should incorporate elements of stage magic. For example in + Teller's rendition of Shakespeare's Tempest, they have a scene + where they levitate a crown in front of someone, then put it on his + head. They also have a wedding ceremony where they levitated the + bride as well. Actual weddings and other ceremonies should + incorporate stage magic as an enhancement to the gravitas! -- isotope time dilation :: use a cyclotron to speed up rare isotopes - developed in nuclear fusion experiments. The relativistic time - dilation will stop the isotopes from decaying, and allow time to - study them. This is based on radioactive isotopes that fall - through the earth's atmosphere that take hundreds of times longer - to decay than normal. +** Isotope Time Dilation + Use a cyclotron to speed up rare isotopes developed in nuclear + fusion experiments. The relativistic time dilation will stop the + isotopes from decaying, and allow time to study them. This is based + on radioactive isotopes that fall through the earth's atmosphere + that take hundreds of times longer to decay than normal. -- marsupial stimulation :: You take a freshly pouched marsupial baby, - and show it videos and other interactive things while it matures - in the pouch. What mental effects would this have? +** Marsupial Stimulation + You take a freshly pouched marsupial baby, and show it videos and + other interactive things while it matures in the pouch. What mental + effects would this have? -- The dynamically well tempered clavier :: Some older ways of tuning - instruments sound better, but we use the even-tempered scale - today because it makes it easier to switch keys. With electronic - music, why not make key-annotations and dynamically re-tune the - piece to sound good in the current key? Could be done as a - midi+annotation -> midi compiler for initial experimentation. +** The Dynamically Well-Tempered Clavier + Some older ways of tuning instruments sound better, but we use the + even-tempered scale today because it makes it easier to switch + keys. With electronic music, why not make key-annotations and + dynamically re-tune the piece to sound good in the current key? + Could be done as a midi+annotation -> midi compiler for initial + experimentation. -- death always implies damage :: is is possible for a corpse to differ - from a living person only in the fact that one is dead and the - other is alive? NO! A corpse must always have some sort of - molecular damage which causes the loss of function! +** Death Always Implies Damage + is is possible for a corpse to differ from a living person only in + the fact that one is dead and the other is alive? NO! A corpse must + always have some sort of molecular damage which causes the loss of + function! -- inner eye :: Surgically install a bunch of tiny cameras inside a - person. Then, you can activate them all and get a picture of your - internal organs for diagnostic purposes. +** Inner Eye + Surgically install a bunch of tiny cameras inside a person. Then, + you can activate them all and get a picture of your internal organs + for diagnostic purposes. -- chaos rails :: The homoclinic tangle (which I call the "rails of - chaos") is very beautiful. We couldn't even visualize it before - computers because it's so complicated! Someone should make a - visualization of it. Here's my inital [[/thoughts/images/rails-of-chaos.png][The Rails of Chaos]] +** Chaos Rails + The homoclinic tangle (which I call the "rails of chaos") is very + beautiful. We couldn't even visualize it before computers because + it's so complicated! Someone should make a visualization of + it. Here's my inital stab at it: [[../images/rails-of-chaos.png][The Rails of Chaos]] -- cryonics middle ages :: some people say that cryonics is an - experiment and that it is foolish to wait until we have revived a - human. There is a middle ground where the procedure has a dismal - success rate on humans, say 1 in 20, so that you'd be a fool to - try revival. Nonetheless, this very risky procedure could be the - legal proof of concept needed to create a new class of life - between "living" and "dead": "stasis". +** Cryonics Middle Ages + Some people say that cryonics is an experiment and that it is + foolish to wait until we have revived a human. There is a middle + ground where the procedure has a dismal success rate on humans, say + 1 in 20, so that you'd be a fool to try revival. Nonetheless, this + very risky procedure could be the legal proof of concept needed to + create a new class of life between "living" and "dead": "stasis". -- Minds and Mirrors :: neat thought experiment -- if you take a mirror - of someone by actually reversing a person's chirality molecule by - molecule, then will the only be able to read mirror writing? The - answer is yes, by analogy to a purely mechanical scan-tron - device. This is one of the only interesting transforms I know - that can take a human brain and change it in subtle, - non-destructive ways. It's also an argument against dualism. +** Minds and Mirrors + Neat thought experiment -- if you take a mirror of someone by + actually reversing a person's chirality molecule by molecule, then + will the only be able to read mirror writing? The answer is yes, by + analogy to a purely mechanical scan-tron device. This is one of the + only interesting transforms I know that can take a human brain and + change it in subtle, non-destructive ways. It's also an argument + against dualism. -- biosphere in a bottle :: There are around 15 million species. 15 - million stem cells will fill only a tiny size, far less than a cubic - inch. Preserve a single cell from every species on earth in this - small space, and you will have a record of our current biosphere - that can be protected. "Hold the genetic data of all species in - your hand!" +** Biosphere in a Bottle + There are around 15 million species. 15 million stem cells will + fill only a tiny size, far less than a cubic inch. Preserve a + single cell from every species on earth in this small space, and + you will have a record of our current biosphere that can be + protected. "Hold the genetic data of all species in your hand!" -- chaos lock :: The "arrow of time" points in the direction of - increasing entropy. The time evolution of chaotic systems depend - exquisitely on their initial state. If you take a measurement of - a chaotic system at any given point of time, you can evolve that - system backwards or forwards based on your measurement. So let's - say you start the chaotic system in a VERY low entropy state, - then let it run for a while, then take a measurement with some - uncertainty. Your measurement is pretty good, but obviously not - PERFECT. If you evolve the chaotic system back in time, then you - will see that you don't really reach a state with low entropy an - hour before (the entropy is easy to measure with surrogates like - alignment, etc). So use this technique to SEARCH for a more - accurate measurement! This potentially can give you many more - orders of magnitude than you could get alone just using an - instrument. Sometimes it will give you bad results, the the odds - of it doing that are infinitesimal, and you can just measure a - couple of times. +** Chaos Lock + The "arrow of time" points in the direction of increasing + entropy. The time evolution of chaotic systems depend exquisitely + on their initial state. If you take a measurement of a chaotic + system at any given point of time, you can evolve that system + backwards or forwards based on your measurement. So let's say you + start the chaotic system in a VERY low entropy state, then let it + run for a while, then take a measurement with some + uncertainty. Your measurement is pretty good, but obviously not + PERFECT. If you evolve the chaotic system back in time, then you + will see that you don't really reach a state with low entropy an + hour before (the entropy is easy to measure with surrogates like + alignment, etc). So use this technique to SEARCH for a more + accurate measurement! This potentially can give you many more + orders of magnitude than you could get alone just using an + instrument. Sometimes it will give you bad results, the the odds of + it doing that are infinitesimal, and you can just measure a couple + of times. -- cryo-evolution :: perhaps there would be a way to rapidly evolve a - symbiotic bacterial organism that could protect human tissues - from freezing damage. +** Cryo Evolution + Perhaps there would be a way to rapidly evolve a symbiotic + bacterial organism that could protect human tissues from freezing + damage. -- suicide parasite :: sometimes, people kill themselves for no good - reason. We often explain this with things like "hidden - depression" or we say that they had something like chronic jaw or - back pain. I think that smells of rationalization. I don't buy - it. I propose that in many suicide cases there is a disease that - causes the suicidal behavior. We already know that certain - parasites have mind-bending properties in other animals, even - mammals like mice. It's not much of a stretch to imagine a - parasite that causes suicides in humans. Some problems: - - What does the suicide parasite get out of it? :: This might be - answered by the whole thing being a glitch caused by - cross-species contamination. Toxoplasma works this way. - - What predictions does a disease model make :: suicide should - be more common among people who share a contagion - vector. There should be suicides that don't make any - sense : people who weren't really depressed, who had no - reason to kill themselves. People who have killed themselves - should have a higher incidence of some unknown parasite in - their brains. +** Suicide Parasite + Sometimes, people kill themselves for no good reason. We often + explain this with things like "hidden depression" or we say that + they had something like chronic jaw or back pain. I think that + smells of rationalization. I don't buy it. I propose that in many + suicide cases there is a disease that causes the suicidal + behavior. We already know that certain parasites have mind-bending + properties in other animals, even mammals like mice. It's not much + of a stretch to imagine a parasite that causes suicides in + humans. Some problems: -- domestic insects :: People should eat more bugs because they're much - more efficient, so why not do some major domestication research - to make very appealing bugs? Beetles, in particular, seem to be - excellent targets for domestication because they have extreme - levels of genetic malleability. Remember that lobster was once - seen as an animal only fit for prisoners to consume! + *What does the suicide parasite get out of it?* : This might be + answered by the whole thing being a glitch caused by cross-species + contamination. Toxoplasma works this way. -- birth-clones :: What if each person was intentionally split at birth - into a normal embryo and a few "backup" cells which are then - frozen. The backup cells are created just the same way as natural - identical twins. The backups can be used to regenerate - organs. etc. Also, it would be a good sci-fi concept, because you - could have a culture where people reward people who were - especially awesome are "reborn" from their backups. Imagine - having a young Bach every generation, etc. + *What predictions does a disease model make* : suicide should be + more common among people who share a contagion vector. There should + be suicides that don't make any sense : people who weren't really + depressed, who had no reason to kill themselves. People who have + killed themselves should have a higher incidence of some unknown + parasite in their brains. -- pronunciation guide :: a simple webpage where you type in a word and - it returns a simple, English sentence describing exactly how to - pronounce the word. For people who don't want to learn IPA. +** Domestic Insects + People should eat more bugs because they're much more efficient, so + why not do some major domestication research to make very appealing + bugs? Beetles, in particular, seem to be excellent targets for + domestication because they have extreme levels of genetic + malleability. Remember that lobster was once seen as an animal only + fit for prisoners to consume! -- Learning to Teleport :: This is a story about a person who is - struggling with his/her society's ideas about teleportation. It's - considered a fundamental part of being a member of that society - (after all, the difference between animals and humans is that - humans are creatures of pure information while animals are - burdened with base matter, "that's how you travel the stars, - etc") Humans are born normally, grow up, and then eventually - transcend via destructive upload. Analogies to jumping off a - diving board into a pool (which I simply /could not do/ for a - long time), etc. +** Birth-Clones + What if each person was intentionally split at birth into a normal + embryo and a few "backup" cells which are then frozen. The backup + cells are created just the same way as natural identical twins. The + backups can be used to regenerate organs. etc. Also, it would be a + good sci-fi concept, because you could have a culture where people + reward people who were especially awesome are "reborn" from their + backups. Imagine having a young Bach every generation, etc. -- no-float-ice :: cup that has cross beams at the bottom where ice - forms. Then when you drink liquid from the glass, the ice stays - at the bottom and doesn't hit your lips. For bars and fancy - things. +** Pronunciation Guide + A simple webpage where you type in a word and it returns a simple, + English sentence describing exactly how to pronounce the word. For + people who don't want to learn IPA. -- bitcoins for immigrants :: A common case with Mexican immigrants - (illegal or not) is that they want to send money they've earned - in the US back to their families in Mexico. They currently do - this through things like Money Gram or Western Union, and they - get fleeced in the process with fees. Bitcoin could greatly - reduce the cost of sending money from America to Mexico, but I - don't believe that it's currently used for that among Mexican - immigrants currently due to lack of knowledge. I bet you could - set up physical locations like those obnoxious Western Union huts - in places like Texas, Arizona, etc, and greatly undercut - them. Or, perhaps some educational seminars about bitcoin might - be in order. There's some money to be made there because there is - great demand, and it's a good thing to boot! +** Learning to Teleport + This is a story about a person who is struggling with his/her + society's ideas about teleportation. It's considered a fundamental + part of being a member of that society (after all, the difference + between animals and humans is that humans are creatures of pure + information while animals are burdened with base matter, "that's + how you travel the stars, etc") Humans are born normally, grow up, + and then eventually transcend via destructive upload. Analogies to + jumping off a diving board into a pool (which I simply /could not + do/ for a long time), etc. -- reverse eye-tracking :: A painting that is actually a digital screen - with a camera. It records people's eye tracks permanently. It's - "artistic" because paintings are normally these things that you - look at without changing, but this one is changed the second you - look at it, recording where /you/ looked forever for others to - see. Make it be a painting of a woman and see the trolling as the - breasts and groin area light up with interest from all the males - passing by. +** No-Float-Ice + Cup that has cross beams at the bottom where ice forms. Then when + you drink liquid from the glass, the ice stays at the bottom and + doesn't hit your lips. For bars and fancy things. -- smart toilets :: Instead of using indirect measures like infrared - detectors of the presence of a person, use computer vision to - directly measure whether the toilet needs to be flushed. I think - a lot of things will end up going this way as we get better - computer vision. +** Bitcoins for Immigrants + A common case with Mexican immigrants (illegal or not) is that they + want to send money they've earned in the US back to their families + in Mexico. They currently do this through things like Money Gram or + Western Union, and they get fleeced in the process with + fees. Bitcoin could greatly reduce the cost of sending money from + America to Mexico, but I don't believe that it's currently used for + that among Mexican immigrants currently due to lack of knowledge. I + bet you could set up physical locations like those obnoxious + Western Union huts in places like Texas, Arizona, etc, and greatly + undercut them. Or, perhaps some educational seminars about bitcoin + might be in order. There's some money to be made there because + there is great demand, and it's a good thing to boot! -- validate chemopreservation :: chemopreservation is difficult to - validate because it destroys the functionality of a brain, and - brain simulation will take a long time to mature as a - technology. However, one very powerful way to validate - chemopreservation would be to have a person/animal learn - something with high complexity such as a number or the solution - to a maze, or a flashbulb memory. Then you preserve their brain - chemically, slice it up, and read /that specific memory/ from the - detailed brain scan. Much more difficult, but much more doable. +** Reverse Eye-Tracking + A painting that is actually a digital screen with a camera. It + records people's eye tracks permanently. It's "artistic" because + paintings are normally these things that you look at without + changing, but this one is changed the second you look at it, + recording where /you/ looked forever for others to see. Make it be + a painting of a woman and see the trolling as the breasts and groin + area light up with interest from all the males passing by. Then + watch as the painting turns into a commentary on perception and + popularity -- a sort of eigenvector of perception! Will all + paintings turn into the same thing eventually? -- candy screw :: edible candy screw with candy nuts that you can screw - as well. +** Smart Toilets + Instead of using indirect measures like infrared detectors of the + presence of a person, use computer vision to directly measure + whether the toilet needs to be flushed. I think a lot of things + will end up going this way as we get better computer vision. -- better bibliography :: when writing a thesis or paper, have the - bibliography not just be an opaque list of resources, but have it - be a list of /summaries/ and /qualities/ that each paper has in - the context of the paper being written. When examining a - bibliography, I want to know if reading the papers in the - bibliography are worth my time, and I also am probably also - interested in exactly the things that are being discussed in the - paper I'm reading. The bibliography is the perfect place to - provide information about the referenced papers from the - author's perspective. I will use this biographic form in my own - thesis! +** Validate Chemopreservation + Chemopreservation is difficult to validate because it destroys the + functionality of a brain, and brain simulation will take a long + time to mature as a technology. However, one very powerful way to + validate chemopreservation would be to have a person/animal learn + something with high complexity such as a number or the solution to + a maze, or a flashbulb memory. Then you preserve their brain + chemically, slice it up, and read /that specific memory/ from the + detailed brain scan. Much more difficult, but much more doable. -- chess visual :: to show the vast size of the game trees considered - by computers, show two people playing chess in a void. They are - floating in space, and there is a simple chess board between - them. Then, as they play, the game tree's they are considering - are drawn behind him. The root of the tree starts centered in - their heads or whatever they use to think, and the tree grows out - from behind, never crossing the dividing plane between the two - players. Each player's tree is a different color. As they grow, - there are animations for pruning, etc. Eventually, they look like - the hemispheres of a brain, wings, etc. A human's tree might - occasionally have a long chain, while the computer tree would be - more uniform. You could compare deep blue and a modern - laptop. Use actual data when fighting two computers! +** Candy Screw + Edible candy screw with candy nuts that you can screw as well. -- tamper proof gold bars :: [[http://www.tungsten-alloy.com/gold-plated-tungsten-alloy-bar.html][this site]] offers gold plated tungsten bars - as "novelty" items. One reason to prefer coins is because they - are much harder to counterfeit because there is less surface area - to mass ratio. However, gold bars are still a great design - because they can hold a lot of value in a small space. A gold bar - could be given the same protections (and more) that gold coins - have to offer by changing it into a "gold book", which would have - hundreds of "pages" of gold bound together. This could be - implemented with multiple steel rods going through the book which - can be removed, or some more classier mechanism for holding the - pages. The point is that the bar can be EASILY subdivided (and - people would perform this test before buying), thus guaranteeing - it's authenticity. +** Better Bibliography + When writing a thesis or paper, have the bibliography not just be + an opaque list of resources, but have it be a list of /summaries/ + and /qualities/ that each paper has in the context of the paper + being written. When examining a bibliography, I want to know if + reading the papers in the bibliography are worth my time, and I + also am probably also interested in exactly the things that are + being discussed in the paper I'm reading. The bibliography is the + perfect place to provide information about the referenced papers + from the author's perspective. I will use this biographic form in + my own thesis! -- high school science :: this is a lesson in scientific ethics. The - goal is to calculate /g/, the local gravitational - acceleration. The students are told that the textbook says it's - /exactly/ 9.81 before they start the experiment. See how they - doctor their results to get closer to the textbook value. It's - neat because for any given school, /g/ is probably *not* exactly - equal to 9.81, because that is just an average! +** Chess Visual + To show the vast size of the game trees considered by computers, + show two people playing chess in a void. They are floating in + space, and there is a simple chess board between them. Then, as + they play, the game tree's they are considering are drawn behind + him. The root of the tree starts centered in their heads or + whatever they use to think, and the tree grows out from behind, + never crossing the dividing plane between the two players. Each + player's tree is a different color. As they grow, there are + animations for pruning, etc. Eventually, they look like the + hemispheres of a brain, wings, etc. A human's tree might + occasionally have a long chain, while the computer tree would be + more uniform. You could compare deep blue and a modern laptop. Use + actual data when fighting two computers! -- opencourseware subtitles :: there are people who type up lectures at - MIT while they are being given, so that hearing impared students - can follow along. These recordings should be kept and given to - OCW for subtitles. If the timestamps of keys are recorded, then - it is easy to make subtitles. +** Tamper Proof Gold Bars + [[Http://www.tungsten-alloy.com/gold-plated-tungsten-alloy-bar.html][This site]] offers gold plated tungsten bars as "novelty" items. One + reason to prefer coins is because they are much harder to + counterfeit because there is less surface area to mass + ratio. However, gold bars are still a great design because they can + hold a lot of value in a small space. A gold bar could be given the + same protections (and more) that gold coins have to offer by + changing it into a "gold book", which would have hundreds of + "pages" of gold bound together. This could be implemented with + multiple steel rods going through the book which can be removed, or + some more classier mechanism for holding the pages. The point is + that the bar can be EASILY subdivided (and people would perform + this test before buying), thus guaranteeing it's authenticity. -- screen locking timing :: you use your computer camera to see if you - are sitting in front of the computer. If you are, then the screen - will never lock. If you are, then the screen will lock with a - 30-40 second timeout. It's an extension of using inactivity to - initiate the countdown, just with more information. +** High School Science + This is a lesson in scientific ethics. The goal is to calculate + /g/, the local gravitational acceleration. The students are told + that the textbook says it's /exactly/ 9.81 before they start the + experiment. See how they doctor their results to get closer to the + textbook value. It's neat because for any given school, /g/ is + probably *not* exactly equal to 9.81, because that is just an + average! -- mirror toilet :: a toilet with a square basin made of mirror instead - of porcelain. That way, you can see how good of a wipe job you - have done / watch how your excretion system works. +** Opencourseware Subtitles + There are people who type up lectures at MIT while they are being + given, so that hearing impared students can follow along. These + recordings should be kept and given to OCW for subtitles. If the + timestamps of keys are recorded, then it is easy to make subtitles. -- X-ray telepresence :: given that a doctor is operating on a patient - via telepresence, one cool things you can do is shine X-rays into - the patient to view the insides during real time. (This doesn't - expose either the doctor or patient to chronically damaging - amounts of X-rays) If the system was coupled with a Bayesian - model of the layout of the structure, and the x-rays were only - fired whenever the uncertainty of the model reached a certain - threshold, then the radiation damage and surgery risk could be - minimized. +** Screen Locking Timing + You use your computer camera to see if you are sitting in front of + the computer. If you are, then the screen will never lock. If you + are, then the screen will lock with a 30-40 second timeout. It's an + extension of using inactivity to initiate the countdown, just with + more information. -- superfluid vascular system :: I wonder what would happen if you - replaced the blood in a human with a superfluid. What would the - physical dynamics be? Would the superfluid flow through the - vasculature, or would it ignore it and travel through the cells, - or something else entirely. Since superfluids need to be cold to - retain their superfluidity, how would the dynamics change during - perfusion of a superfluid, where the fluid gains and looses - superfluidity as it goes deeper into the body and is cooled by - superfluid from upstream. In summary there are two things to - simulate 1.) replace all blood in human with superfluid - instantly. 2.) perfuse superfluid into human. +** Mirror Toilet + A toilet with a square basin made of mirror instead of + porcelain. That way, you can see how good of a wipe job you have + done / watch how your excretion system works. -- projective guessing :: I think that we read and see things by - making a really good guess about what we're expecting to see, - and then searching for our guess in what we see. If it really - doesn't match, then we start to make more guesses / analyze the - image from first principles, but most stuff is projective - guessing. +** X-ray telepresence + given that a doctor is operating on a patient via telepresence, one + cool things you can do is shine X-rays into the patient to view the + insides during real time. (This doesn't expose either the doctor or + patient to chronically damaging amounts of X-rays) If the system + was coupled with a Bayesian model of the layout of the structure, + and the x-rays were only fired whenever the uncertainty of the + model reached a certain threshold, then the radiation damage and + surgery risk could be minimized. -- Intestinal flora maintenance :: why not inoculate babies at birth - with "ideal" gut flora instead of whatever bullshit they - naturally get, thus giving them optimal digestive/nutrient - extraction capabilities. Might also be able to make their farts - not stink for life, too. MORE IMPORTANTLY, might help to - preventatively stop some forms of /colic/, which affects 1 in 5 - babies and causes constant screaming and pain for about 5 weeks. +** Superfluid Vascular System + I wonder what would happen if you replaced the blood in a human + with a superfluid. What would the physical dynamics be? Would the + superfluid flow through the vasculature, or would it ignore it and + travel through the cells, or something else entirely. Since + superfluids need to be cold to retain their superfluidity, how + would the dynamics change during perfusion of a superfluid, where + the fluid gains and looses superfluidity as it goes deeper into the + body and is cooled by superfluid from upstream. In summary there + are two things to simulate 1.) replace all blood in human with + superfluid instantly. 2.) perfuse superfluid into human. -- server culture -- mirrors :: make a distributed system where people - can mirror the websites of people they like -- essentially cover - the server costs of favored websites. This could make popular - websites run at no cost. The system would require that the - mirrored content be the same as the official source. Sort of like - bit-torrent for websites. +** Projective Guessing + I think that we read and see things by making a really good guess + about what we're expecting to see, and then searching for our guess + in what we see. If it really doesn't match, then we start to make + more guesses / analyze the image from first principles, but most + stuff is projective guessing. -- map programming :: one problem with functional programming is that - in order to remain functional, you have to pass up arguments up - into each calling function to get the full range of behavior - from the lower level functions. Normally people come to a - compromise involving abstraction and sparing use of dynamic - variables to configure runtime behavior. What would be the - advantages of making a programming language where every function - receives one argument, a map, which contains all the symbol - bindings it would ever need? This map is passed on to all - subordinate functions. This way, you could replace functions on - the fly, and arrange for there to be sensible defaults, - etc. Might cause more harm than good but is an interesting idea. +** Intestinal Flora Maintenance + Why not inoculate babies at birth with "ideal" gut flora instead of + whatever bullshit they naturally get, thus giving them optimal + digestive/nutrient extraction capabilities. Might also be able to + make their farts not stink for life, too. MORE IMPORTANTLY, might + help to preventatively stop some forms of /colic/, which affects 1 + in 5 babies and causes constant screaming and pain for about 5 + weeks. -- rest nest :: a small EEG device you would attach to your head when - you go to sleep at night. ML algorithms would determine your - particular sleep cycles. This would mostly be an alarm clock that - you could give a time range, say 7:00AM - 7:15AM, and it would - wake you up during an ideal time corresponding to then end of one - of your 90 min sleep cycles. You would feel much more rested upon - waking up, and would wake up faster. There might be some other - uses for the EEG data as well. +** Server Culture -- Mirrors + Make a distributed system where people can mirror the websites of + people they like -- essentially cover the server costs of favored + websites. This could make popular websites run at no cost. The + system would require that the mirrored content be the same as the + official source. Sort of like bit-torrent for websites. -- image compression :: use a library like gimp or opencv to process an - image to make it have less entropy, then store the reverse of - those operations along with the compressed simpler image as a - super-compressed image file (possibly accepting some - losses). Trades file size for decompression time, and allows one - to cheat by using information in gimp/opencv to compress the - image. +** Map Programming + One problem with functional programming is that in order to remain + functional, you have to pass up arguments up into each calling + function to get the full range of behavior from the lower level + functions. Normally people come to a compromise involving + abstraction and sparing use of dynamic variables to configure + runtime behavior. What would be the advantages of making a + programming language where every function receives one argument, a + map, which contains all the symbol bindings it would ever need? + This map is passed on to all subordinate functions. This way, you + could replace functions on the fly, and arrange for there to be + sensible defaults, etc. Might cause more harm than good but is an + interesting idea. -- aldehyde-stabalized cryopreservation :: why not use a fixative to - buy enough time to ramp up cryoprotectants to an acceptable level - at room temperature? Then, the whole system can be rapidly cooled - and vitrified. This method "severs the biological link" in that - the fixatives are highly toxic, but current vitrification - procedures do this anyway since there can be a lot of freezing - damage. +** Rest Nest + A small EEG device you would attach to your head when you go to + sleep at night. ML algorithms would determine your particular sleep + cycles. This would mostly be an alarm clock that you could give a + time range, say 7:00AM - 7:15AM, and it would wake you up during an + ideal time corresponding to then end of one of your 90 min sleep + cycles. You would feel much more rested upon waking up, and would + wake up faster. There might be some other uses for the EEG data as + well. -- dilated security camera :: a security camera that would capture - full video footage of everything at 60fps but then decide to keep - only every 1 frame every 5 seconds unless there's something - "interesting" happening. +** Image Compression + Use a library like gimp or opencv to process an image to make it + have less entropy, then store the reverse of those operations along + with the compressed simpler image as a super-compressed image file + (possibly accepting some losses). Trades file size for + decompression time, and allows one to cheat by using information in + gimp/opencv to compress the image. -- bitcoin wallet :: Part of "server culture", this would be something - like "coin.your-domain.com" which would serve as - your personal trusted access to your own bitcoins - from anywhere. +** Aldehyde-Stabalized Cryopreservation + Why not use a fixative to buy enough time to ramp up + cryoprotectants to an acceptable level at room temperature? Then, + the whole system can be rapidly cooled and vitrified. This method + "severs the biological link" in that the fixatives are highly + toxic, but current vitrification procedures do this anyway since + there can be a lot of freezing damage. -- libpay :: this would be a free library which would enable - micro-donations to software projects and other projects, - so that you could donate a penny to "emacs" and it would - be automatically split up to every person who has ever - contributed to emacs in proportion to the amount of - community esteem, code quantity, bugs fixed, whatever the - community decides. This might make it possible for - programmers to live entirely off of free programming. +** Dilated Security Camera + A security camera that would capture full video footage of + everything at 60fps but then decide to keep only every 1 frame + every 5 seconds unless there's something "interesting" happening. -- pronouns :: use capital letters A-Z instead of pronouns. They solve - pronoun referents and gender neutrality, are short to - say, and you can encode useful information into the - choice of letter. For example, instead of "Meetings - shall be presided over by the president, unless she is - absent." USE "Meetings shall be presided over by the - president, unless P is absent." We already use this a - little, since I and U are reserved for the subject and - object respectively. +** Bitcoin Wallet + Part of "server culture", this would be something like + "coin.your-domain.com" which would serve as your personal trusted + access to your own bitcoins from anywhere. -- phone DSP :: software app that inserts an audio DSP between the - input to a phone and the output. The DSP is delicious - and configurable, and can allow men to make their - voices deeper, etc. The app would allow you to hear - your own voice as others hear it. Most people hate how - their own voice sounds. The app would also allow one to - immediately change the parameters of the DSP using good - presets. +** Libpay + This would be a free library which would enable micro-donations to + software projects and other projects, so that you could donate a + penny to "emacs" and it would be automatically split up to every + person who has ever contributed to emacs in proportion to the + amount of community esteem, code quantity, bugs fixed, whatever the + community decides. This might make it possible for programmers to + live entirely off of free programming. -- restaurant receipts :: use a carbon copy receipt instead of two stupid - copies. +** Pronouns + Use capital letters A-Z instead of pronouns. They solve pronoun + referents and gender neutrality, are short to say, and you can + encode useful information into the choice of letter. For example, + instead of "Meetings shall be presided over by the president, + unless she is absent." USE "Meetings shall be presided over by the + president, unless P is absent." We already use this a little, since + I and U are reserved for the subject and object respectively. -- crossdressing :: Easiest way to disguise oneself as a woman is to - wear a burka. +** Phone DSP + Software app that inserts an audio DSP between the input to a phone + and the output. The DSP is delicious and configurable, and can + allow men to make their voices deeper, etc. The app would allow you + to hear your own voice as others hear it. Most people hate how + their own voice sounds. The app would also allow one to immediately + change the parameters of the DSP using good presets. -- book-mode :: intelligent color highlighting for books and - articles. It would disambiguate pronouns and involved - references. For example, if "Rachael" was assigned the - color red, and "the blonde haired girl" refers to - "Rachael", then "the blonde haired girl" would be - colored red. Also, you could disambiguate multi part - run-on sentences by highlighting each - subcomponent. Maybe would also have applications to - scientific reading. +** Restaurant Receipts + Use a carbon copy receipt instead of two stupid copies. -- Handheld light Rain measurement :: this would be a clear, teflon - coated plastic disk with a camera underneath the disk. You would - be able to hold the device out and it would measure the rate of - accumulation of water droplets from fine mists and light rain by - using computer vision to measure the diameters of the drops. +** Crossdressing + Easiest way to disguise oneself as a woman is to wear a burka. -- Big Brother Farming :: This would be a vision system that would - individually monitor each plant and turn on water, etc to ensure - maximum/uniform growth for each plant. +** Book-Mode + Intelligent color highlighting for books and articles. It would + disambiguate pronouns and involved references. For example, if + "Rachael" was assigned the color red, and "the blonde haired girl" + refers to "Rachael", then "the blonde haired girl" would be colored + red. Also, you could disambiguate multi part run-on sentences by + highlighting each subcomponent. Maybe would also have applications + to scientific reading. -- Discrete Faucet :: A faucet with discrete ticks instead of - continuous. +** Handheld Light Rain Measurement + This would be a clear, teflon coated plastic disk with a camera + underneath the disk. You would be able to hold the device out and + it would measure the rate of accumulation of water droplets from + fine mists and light rain by using computer vision to measure the + diameters of the drops. -- Laser Circle :: take a glass microfiliment and shine a laser at one - end at an oblique angle. It will make a perfect, - large circle on the wall, converting a laser beam - into a laser cone, preserving most of the energy of - the laser. +** Big Brother Farming + This would be a vision system that would individually monitor each + plant and turn on water, etc to ensure maximum/uniform growth for + each plant. -- Invisible Glass :: Take a container of liquid and embed a - glass sculpture made out of glass that has exactly the same index - of refraction and color of the liquid. Then the sculpture will be - totally invisible in the container, and will only be revealed - when the liquid is drained. The container might be a fancy - wine/spirit bottle or an hourglass. +** Discrete Faucet + A faucet with discrete ticks instead of continuous. -- Caterpillar people :: A race of caterpillar like creatures gains - intelligence after eons of predation by birds, etc. These - caterpillar creatures still undergo metamorphosis into a large - butterfly-like creature. The metamorphosis process turns the - caterpillar's brain into mush and reforms it into a minimal, - dumb, truly insect-like mind, completely destroying the person - the caterpillar was. The society develops all sorts of customs and - religious interpretations of the metamorphosis. It is viewed as - good and natural by some since it is part of their life cycle and - necessary to propagate the species, as only the butterflies can - mate. Some think that the butterflies are still the same person - because they have the same soul, even they no longer posses the - memories or personality of the original caterpillar. Some see the - butterfly form as the "true form" of the species, since the - butterflies can fly, mate, and are beautiful. Many make a big - deal out of the fact that 1-2% of the caterpillar's mind is - actually preserved in the butterfly. Some see it as a terrible - tragedy and argue that the caterpillars should try to stop the - metamorphosis by technology. Practically, some very important - members of society undergo hormone therapy and/or surgery to - prevent metamorphosis so that they can live longer as themselves. +** Laser Circle + Take a glass microfiliment and shine a laser at one end at an + oblique angle. It will make a perfect, large circle on the wall, + converting a laser beam into a laser cone, preserving most of the + energy of the laser. - This is a continuation of Marvin Minsky's ideas about pain being - something that preserves our bodies while destroying our minds, - something that is a remnant from our too harsh animal days that - hasn't caught up to the fact that we have very complex brains - now. It's a worst-case scenario about a maladaptive genetic - legacy. Also, it's inspired by "There She Is!!!", which makes a - compelling point about homosexuality by introducing a second - gender characteristic (bunny/cat, male/female), which makes - homophobia look very silly. Here, our own biological legacy of - pain and death is made to look like the tragedy it is through the - lens of the the caterpillar people. +** Invisible Glass + Take a container of liquid and embed a glass sculpture made out of + glass that has exactly the same index of refraction and color of + the liquid. Then the sculpture will be totally invisible in the + container, and will only be revealed when the liquid is + drained. The container might be a fancy wine/spirit bottle or an + hourglass. -- relationships as a business :: [[http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Up-or-Out-Solving-the-IT-Turnover-Crisis.aspx][Turnover-Crisis]] is an excellent talk - about the "culture of quitting," which is about better business - by letting people go instead of keeping them around past their - "apex". Focuses on information transfer. Cool idea of an alumni - network, which for relationships would be a group of satisfied - ex-lovers, who would recommend new people your way, and who might - consider coming to you again, refreshed from their time away with - new stories/experiences. I should look for examples of this and - how they worked out. +** Caterpillar people + A race of caterpillar like creatures gains intelligence after eons + of predation by birds, etc. These caterpillar creatures still + undergo metamorphosis into a large butterfly-like creature. The + metamorphosis process turns the caterpillar's brain into mush and + reforms it into a minimal, dumb, truly insect-like mind, completely + destroying the person the caterpillar was. The society develops all + sorts of customs and religious interpretations of the + metamorphosis. It is viewed as good and natural by some since it is + part of their life cycle and necessary to propagate the species, as + only the butterflies can mate. Some think that the butterflies are + still the same person because they have the same soul, even they no + longer posses the memories or personality of the original + caterpillar. Some see the butterfly form as the "true form" of the + species, since the butterflies can fly, mate, and are + beautiful. Many make a big deal out of the fact that 1-2% of the + caterpillar's mind is actually preserved in the butterfly. Some see + it as a terrible tragedy and argue that the caterpillars should try + to stop the metamorphosis by technology. Practically, some very + important members of society undergo hormone therapy and/or surgery + to prevent metamorphosis so that they can live longer as + themselves. -- psychic crystal :: in a science fiction story, this would be an - object that is very easy to move physically but is extremely - difficult to move with telekinesis. + This is a continuation of Marvin Minsky's ideas about pain being + something that preserves our bodies while destroying our minds, + something that is a remnant from our too harsh animal days that + hasn't caught up to the fact that we have very complex brains + now. It's a worst-case scenario about a maladaptive genetic + legacy. Also, it's inspired by "There She Is!!!", which makes a + compelling point about homosexuality by introducing a second gender + characteristic (bunny/cat, male/female), which makes homophobia + look very silly. Here, our own biological legacy of pain and death + is made to look like the tragedy it is through the lens of the the + caterpillar people. -- true reflection :: There's a "true mirror" in the MIT student center - -- it's two normal mirrors at right angles, like staring at a - corner of a room. The light reflects so that it shows you what - you actually look like, instead of your mirror image. +** Relationships as a Business + [[http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Up-or-Out-Solving-the-IT-Turnover-Crisis.aspx][Turnover-Crisis]] is an excellent talk about the "culture of + quitting," which is about better business by letting people go + instead of keeping them around past their "apex". Focuses on + information transfer. Cool idea of an alumni network, which for + relationships would be a group of satisfied ex-lovers, who would + recommend new people your way, and who might consider coming to you + again, refreshed from their time away with new + stories/experiences. I should look for examples of this and how + they worked out. -- remote control wasp :: use computer to drive wings with remote - power/logic. +** Psychic Crystal + In a science fiction story, this would be an object that is very + easy to move physically but is extremely difficult to move with + telekinesis. -- encrypted email phone book :: public (distributed?) database of - email->private-key pairs, to enable automatic encryption. +** True Reflection + There's a "true mirror" in the MIT student center -- it's two + normal mirrors at right angles, like staring at a corner of a + room. The light reflects so that it shows you what you actually + look like, instead of your mirror image. -- universal eye color :: every equivalent creature will see each - others' eyes as black -- it's universal. Even if the creatures - see in radio waves, and their eyes are 2m long pieces of jagged - metal, when those creatures look at each other, they will see - black, the absence of light and color (since it's being absorbed - by the sensor array). +** Remote Control Wasp + Use computer to drive wings with remote power/logic. -- intelligent microwave :: it learns where the hot nodes of its fields - are, and uses them to evenly heat any food item. It has an infrared - camera or something to keep track of how hot the food is. That way, - you don't get bowls where the edges are boiling, while the center is - still frozen. Requires a little bit of intelligence/vision, since - the exact pattern of heating totally depends on the exact shape of - the food. Wouldn't need a carousel, and wouldn't need a timer, - just a desired temperature. Could also detect ice, and automatically - defrost the parts which are frozen. Might be able to work much - faster since it can avoid overheating; might have problems with - heating the insides of thick things, might need a weight sensor too. +** Encrypted Email Phone Book + Public (distributed?) database of email->private-key pairs, to + enable automatic encryption. + +** Universal Eye Color + Every equivalent creature will see each others' eyes as black -- + it's universal. Even if the creatures see in radio waves, and their + eyes are 2m long pieces of jagged metal, when those creatures look + at each other, they will see black, the absence of light and color + (since it's being absorbed by the sensor array). + +** Intelligent Microwave + It learns where the hot nodes of its fields are, and uses them to + evenly heat any food item. It has an infrared camera or something + to keep track of how hot the food is. That way, you don't get bowls + where the edges are boiling, while the center is still + frozen. Requires a little bit of intelligence/vision, since the + exact pattern of heating totally depends on the exact shape of the + food. Wouldn't need a carousel, and wouldn't need a timer, just a + desired temperature. Could also detect ice, and automatically + defrost the parts which are frozen. Might be able to work much + faster since it can avoid overheating; might have problems with + heating the insides of thick things, might need a weight sensor + too. - + Would be much cleaner than other microwaves, since food would - "sputter" and splash liquid much less. + + Would be much cleaner than other microwaves, since food would + "sputter" and splash liquid much less. - + Throw in some SIFT+R processing to match previously cooked foods - and learn the exact heating profiles for things that have been - cooked before -- it can get faster the more it's used. + + Throw in some SIFT+R processing to match previously cooked foods + and learn the exact heating profiles for things that have been + cooked before -- it can get faster the more it's used. -- Flesh pillow :: a pillow like the arm or torso of a human, complete - with simulated temperature, bones, and heartbeat. +** Flesh Pillow + A pillow like the arm or torso of a human, complete with simulated + temperature, bones, and heartbeat. -- light filter :: (like light tweezers) to mechanically separate - fluids with different index of refraction +** Light Filter + Works like light-tweezers to mechanically separate fluids with + different indexes of refraction. -- silver socks :: socks laced with silver for the antimicrobial - properties. +** Silver Socks + Socks laced with silver for the antimicrobial properties. -- Rod of Moses :: device to distill urine through evaporation and - easily dispose of urea crystals for use in desert -- produce - drinkable water and live an extra few days! +** Rod of Moses + Device to distill urine through evaporation and easily dispose of + urea crystals for use in desert -- produce drinkable water and live + an extra few days! -- lottery scraper :: web scraper which monitors various lotteries, - looking for "special" gimmick changes in the rules (like 4x - winnings on Wednesdays) and computes expected value... +** Lottery Scraper + Web scraper which monitors various lotteries, looking for "special" + gimmick changes in the rules (like 4x winnings on Wednesdays) and + computes expected value... -- Memristiors novel design :: make an evolutionary algorithm to make - old stuff using all four basic circuit elements. +** Memristiors Novel Design + Make an evolutionary algorithm to make old stuff using all four + basic circuit elements. -- Conductive concrete :: concrete that has embedded metal fibers so - that it can conduct electricity. +** Conductive Concrete + Concrete that has embedded metal fibers so that it can conduct + electricity. -- little bitty melting pot :: might be useful for some types of - manufacturing/3D printing -- how small can an induction melter be - made, for example. +** Little Bitty Melting Pot + Might be useful for some types of manufacturing/3D printing -- how + small can an induction melter be made, for example. -- true pure tones :: hear a true pure tone by direct stimulation of the - nerves of the ear +** True Pure Tones + Hear a true pure tone by direct stimulation of the nerves of the + ear. Like when Adelson "saw green". -- mechanical analogue to the electrical op-amp :: would be an object - with two levers -- you pull on one lever and the other moves the - same way, no matter what's in the way or what it is driving. This - analogy could be useful to teach op amps to people. +** Mechanical analogue to the electrical op-amp + would be an object with two levers -- you pull on one lever and the + other moves the same way, no matter what's in the way or what it is + driving. This analogy could be useful to teach op amps to people. -- light capacitor :: suspend some ball of material with a high index - of refraction and shine light into it so it gets stuck -- would - the light stay trapped forever? Could you build up unlimited - quantities of light inside the sphere (which could then be - released slowly by frustrated internal reflection? +** Light Capacitor + Suspend some ball of material with a high index of refraction and + shine light into it so it gets stuck -- would the light stay + trapped forever? Could you build up unlimited quantities of light + inside the sphere (which could then be released slowly by + frustrated internal reflection? -- reading comprehension :: use the screen capture routine to make a - quiz program that constructs questions about the content you - seemed to gloss over while reading. could be easy if the pdf came - with embedded questions. Dylan: automatically generate - word-cloud about the parts you found most interesting; help - others who read the same stuff by drawing attention to the - interesting parts. +** Reading Comprehension + use the screen capture routine to make a quiz program that + constructs questions about the content you seemed to gloss over + while reading. could be easy if the pdf came with embedded + questions. Dylan: automatically generate word-cloud about the + parts you found most interesting; help others who read the same + stuff by drawing attention to the interesting parts. -- optimize an article :: capture reading of a scientific article via - screen capture while people read it, then use it to make the - article better. like the movie-pruning idea. +** Optimize an Article + Capture reading of a scientific article via screen capture while + people read it, then use it to make the article better. like the + movie-pruning idea. -- movie pruning :: Movies always are too long at first. One way to - shorten them ``scientifically" is to record blink rate during the - move and then remove / shorten the frames of the parts in which - there are a lot of blinking (average this over multiple people) - better yet, put it online and do it across thousands of people. I - got this from youtube in which there is an episode of kill bill - which is composed entirely of the parts in which people had their - eyes closed. slogan: want to make a movie people can't take their - eyes off of? Just take those parts out! +** Movie Pruning + Movies always are too long at first. One way to shorten them + ``scientifically" is to record blink rate during the move and then + remove / shorten the frames of the parts in which there are a lot + of blinking (average this over multiple people) better yet, put it + online and do it across thousands of people. I got this from + youtube in which there is an episode of kill bill which is composed + entirely of the parts in which people had their eyes + closed. slogan: want to make a movie people can't take their eyes + off of? Just take those parts out! -- explosive thermite epoxy putty :: one part would contain the rust, - one part the aluminum. +** Explosive Thermite Epoxy Putty + One part would contain the rust, one part the aluminum. -- concrete epoxy :: epoxy with sand/ some other solid material. +** Concrete Epoxy + Epoxy with sand/ some other solid material. -- hard sword :: make a samurai sword, but use osmiridum instead of - martensite for the cutting part; it should be a better - sword. +** Hard Sword + Make a samurai sword, but use osmiridum instead of martensite for + the cutting part; it should be a better sword. -- close range wireless :: use the induction technology used to - recharge electric toothbrushes with no metal links to send data - without any metal at all! +** Close Range Wireless + use the induction technology used to recharge electric toothbrushes + with no metal links to send data without any metal at all! -- perfect pitch :: learn perfect pitch using another sense in - combination (sight or touch) +** Perfect Pitch + Learn perfect pitch using another sense in combination (sight or + touch). -- bio metallic structure :: metal grids with seeds inside, which grow - together and form a durable biological matrix. The metal - substrate delivers water. (maybe use plastic instead of metal?) - Dylan: enrich plants with inorganic compounds; electrical - interfaces in cellular plant matter => remote-controlled - photosynthetic/bioluminescent structures. +** Bio Metallic Structure + Metal grids with seeds inside, which grow together and form a + durable biological matrix. The metal substrate delivers + water. (maybe use plastic instead of metal?) Dylan: enrich plants + with inorganic compounds; electrical interfaces in cellular plant + matter => remote-controlled photosynthetic/bioluminescent + structures. -- conducting extracellular matrix :: to allow better control of - organic systems and an enhanced nervous system. +** Conducting Extracellular Matrix + To allow better control of organic systems and an enhanced nervous + system. -- cross-modal memory hashing :: a way to retrieve memories more - robustly. +** Cross-Modal Memory Hashing + A way to retrieve memories more robustly. -- wooden refrigerator :: to give food a better taste Dylan: like - barrels for wine, or planks for salmon. Maybe just have "flavor - planks" for your pre-existing fridge. Need to mitigate effect of - temperature on volatility? +** Greener than Green + If you stare at a red light, then you get a green after-image. If + you immediately look at something green while still seeing the + green after-image, you will experience a Green like none you've + ever seen before -- color so intense it's beyond the range of + anything that exists in the world. -- radioactive transmutation molecule by molecule :: create precious - metals or something else economically advantageous. Best - transmutation I can come up with is mercury into gold, but it's - not economically viable. +** Wooden Refrigerator + To give food a better taste Dylan: like barrels for wine, or planks + for salmon. Maybe just have "flavor planks" for your pre-existing + fridge. Need to mitigate effect of temperature on volatility? -- preservation via crowding :: inoculate food with tons of harmless - bacteria so that there's no room for bad bacteria as a method of - preservation +** Radioactive Transmutation Molecule by Molecule + Create precious metals or something else economically + advantageous. Best transmutation I can come up with is mercury into + gold, but it's not economically viable. -- old school preservation :: Pasteur - style holding jar with siphon - as a way to store sterilized liquids at room temperature - indefinitely w/o refrigeration. +** Preservation Via Crowding + Inoculate food with tons of harmless bacteria so that there's no + room for bad bacteria as a method of preservation -- restaurant policy :: Throw rude people out of restaurant as a matter - of course -- make ambiance much better. +** Old-School Preservation + Pasteur - style holding jar with siphon as a way to store + sterilized liquids at room temperature indefinitely w/o + refrigeration. -- clean windows :: make something that mixes soap with fire hydrant - water (and reduces the pressure a bit) and use it - to clean windows of buildings. +** Restaurant Policy + Throw rude people out of restaurant as a matter of course -- make + ambiance much better. -- ocarina :: make an ocarina out of pure silver +** Clean Windows + Make something that mixes soap with fire hydrant water (and reduces + the pressure a bit) and use it to clean windows of buildings. -- fire pen :: pen which burns words on to the page, thus never needing - any ink. Is there a way to make it runnable from body heat? +** Ocarina + Make an ocarina out of pure silver. Might have really good acoustic + properties. -- website to design your own soda :: and label, and have it mailed to - you / sell it from your own online store. +** Fire Pen + Pen which burns words on to the page, thus never needing any + ink. Is there a way to make it runnable from body heat? -- solar panels :: that float on the ocean +** Website to Design Your Own Soda + and label, and have it mailed to you / sell it from your own online + store. -- handcuffs with more than two cuffs (3?) :: great for daisy chaining - people, binding them to environment, etc. +** Ocean Power + Solar panels that float on the ocean. -- vector based SOUND files :: like the pictures but with SOUND. codify - sound in a language with enough symbols so that it can describe - everything and encode it in that. would be like going from speech - to text or smtg. Could also store sound as an image of the - wavefront encoded as a vector image. +** Handcuffs with More Than Two Cuffs (3?) + Great for daisy chaining people, binding them to environment, etc. -- genetically engineered glowing fruit :: They have some animals that - can glow, but glowing fruit that you eat would be AWESOME! +** Vector Based SOUND Files + Like the pictures but with SOUND. codify sound in a language with + enough symbols so that it can describe everything and encode it in + that. would be like going from speech to text or smtg. Could also + store sound as an image of the wavefront encoded as a vector image. -- The body as a key to memory :: IF memories are encoded using - particular sensory impressions, what happens if the sensory organ - itself changes? those memories would become inaccessible. maybe - this is why we can't remember much from our childhoods. also, - could this happen throughout life as well? Could S remember stuff - from his childhood? +** Genetically Engineered Glowing Fruit + They have some animals that can glow, but glowing fruit that you + eat would be AWESOME! -- lighter flint on spring :: make hot, throw it at something, and it - makes sparkles! +** The Body as a Key to Memory + IF memories are encoded using particular sensory impressions, what + happens if the sensory organ itself changes? those memories would + become inaccessible. maybe this is why we can't remember much from + our childhoods. also, could this happen throughout life as well? + Could S remember stuff from his childhood? -- rare bubbles :: Engineer a material which has both ductility and high - surface tension to make the "third" - minimal-surface-energy solution to a bubble suspended - between two equal-diameter rings. (Solutions are - cylindrical catenary curve, two separated half-bubbles, - and a double-cone) +** Lighter Flint on Spring + Make hot, throw it at something, and it makes sparkles! -- Textbook whose content can be varied continuously :: alter level of - difficulty, rigor, diction, emphasize crossover with certain - other discipline, etc. Content generated dynamically from - knowledge base, along with questions that are moreover altered to - guide knowledge acquisition. Motivation: One book of - knowledge. /One./ +** Rare Bubbles + Engineer a material which has both ductility and high surface + tension to make the "third" minimal-surface-energy solution to a + bubble suspended between two equal-diameter rings. (Solutions are + cylindrical catenary curve, two separated half-bubbles, and a + double-cone) + +** Magic Textbook + whose content can be varied continuously alter level of difficulty, + rigor, diction, emphasize crossover with certain other discipline, + etc. Content generated dynamically from knowledge base, along with + questions that are moreover altered to guide knowledge + acquisition. Motivation: One book of knowledge. /One./ #+BEGIN_HTML