Engineering News

I think our modern world prevents the mating of ideas to a large extent. Don't tell because the half done idea might be the basis of a patent.

Also, the whole politically appointed funding committee way of financing science has a negative effect on getting ideas tested. Only ideas that the politics see as bright ones get tested. That is catastrophic misdirection. Nobody knows which fields of science will be fertile in the long run. But some get absolutely no water.

So they cannot be fertile even if they hold great potential. Politicians do not know what science to fund. Even the scientists do not know. Some people are brilliant and obsessive (And I have met some of them) They should be given funds and a full disclosure consent form and just let go at it for 2 or 3 years. Just stand back, see what happens and let society reap the benefits!

I just got word that

http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/File:Gimp_equa_float_pistons.jpg (which I call the liquid piston tracker and which is to turn solar on equatorial mount) cannot not be part of a student research program because it does not have an industrial sponsor. And this makes it ineligible. This is a roadblock.

Previously one of the academics involved said it would be perfect because it is new and because the students could use their skills to marry electronic timers and mechanical items to make the device. Several very smart people have told me that this is a good idea and that it is fairly simple and cheap to do.

But it is not simple to me.

Basically it seems students are being used to give specific commercial industrial projects free (or very cheap) product development help. I guess this keeps the intellectual property and industrial strength in Canada. This has strong political and commercial interest backing. Why do your own product r and d if you can get the university to do it for free? (Your competitors in a smaller non-university town might not appreciate this view)

But it also means that something for development aid that is public domain is left in limbo for no good reason.

don't you just feel like he just pulled your brains out... and spread them on the board? lol

I wasn't even surprised that it ended up looking like my avatar. Serendipity was mentioned only once but is the most important part of all, in my opinion. That it is the most imponderable comes with the territory.

No innovation is worth anything unless shared and reflected upon by like minded people. Any mother of invention needs a dad, siblings, family structure and the good will to scream one day: "It's alive, it's alive!!"

The feeding and nappy changing and the teething problems and temperament of the "baby" has to be kept up. All this can be done effortlessly when love is involved, when dedication to letting something grow and nurture it becomes a life style.

"Are we there yet?", from the back seats, has never achieved anything. The drivers and the road conditions dictate that. Not to mention the quality of fuel in the tank and the final destination. If it can be plotted it can be reached.

Not long now, Ky.

Hilarious!!! thanks.

A good display of various gadgets involved in the innovation process means to state that innovation is not so simple.

Making grand success of inventions to innovations calls for- determination, perseverance, total madness, patience, good faith, correcting attitude, failure lessons and long range visionary are potential inputs. A master plan, plan of action, making the right connections, confidentiality and protection of intellectual property rights are also to be taken best care about.

The master plan is to be driven by good intentions, involving potential collaborators and keeping ahead of the competitors.Sharing of benefits by all stake holders is the broad concept that innovators should keep in mind to avoid the greedy attitude of all mine.

Long term aspects, costs, multiple benefits to end users and allied future development activities, products and services are also part of the game plan.

Mater plan, achieve, execute, excel and never stop is the mantra to innovators

One man's trash is another man's treasure. I'd like a definition of good idea. What does it take for something to be labeled a good idea? or crazy idea?

I can see some argument can be made for the concept new idea, it is objective and quantifiable. Ostensibly "newness" can be traced back to the originator, how do you quantify "good"?

I thought it was a very good presentation. I agree with the central concepts that new ideas take time to "solidify" and that input from others can "catalyze" them.

However, as gaiatechnician has expressed, it requires a certain environment for them to fructify.

Excellent, nicely presented.
The only thing I'd add is you need plenty of stuff lying about, to provide more possibilities for serendipitous juxtapositions.
So, on the shelf in garage is the cable rewind mechanism from a old vacuum cleaner...I mean you can't just throw away something with such a big funky spring and a friction speed regulator... oh, I've got the motor too.
Go on, tell us about the good stuff lurking in your garage/workshop.
Del

I've got one of those rewinds, but off of a Japanese made vacuum cleaner (1960's model). I added a duplex outlet box, that I connected to the rewindable power cord, and presto, instant power rewound AC extension box. Still use it, 37 years later. Not exactly a "junk box denizen" since its already a "repurposed part", but it WAS a junkbox part, anyway.

A little ignorance to the subject matter, sprinkled with gobs of ambition and the immense desire to learn, has provided the grounds for the pursuit of great viable ideas. Having decent skill levels, aptitude, the ability to commit, execute and follow through, bring them to some form of fruition.

Having little to no inhibitions, lack of care for non-constructive criticism, where "no" and "cant" is a non-inhibitor are a plus. Keeping with good fundamentals of science is a must.

very interesting!

Along these lines, Robert Ehrlich's Nine Crazy Ideas in Science: A Few Might Even Be True makes interesting reading.

Thank you

This will be worth while reading and I will make the time to do so. I have heard of his work and have seen some snippets. Hope I can free up the time to delve. He seems to be talking to me and that is a good sign. I need all the sobriety I can get my head around, Ky.