2008SEP041940
"... Just what kinds of innovation are people looking for that they're not getting? ..."
- Data storage: Ways for people, companies to store data for perpetuity
- Power: cheap, pollution free way to generate personal power
- Water: cheap, pollution free way to clean water for drinking
The list can go on.
"... And further, what innovations from decades ago are we still relying on today and not innovating through? ..."
Lets see: operating systems (Linux, Max OSX, Windows), GUI's (Windows), keyboards and other input hardware. These are the tools we use each day and would be recognisable to people who programmed at the cutting edge in say '76, 77. Transportation is another. Inefficient engines that emit noxious gasses. Another practical example would be food storage around the world. In India for example where a percentage say 5-10% is wasted simply because it cannot be stored properly (a combination of cost & lack of expertise) and eaten by rats.
"... But let's call it what it is, instead of predicting gloom and doom. ..."
I'd agree with this. So many negative stories come from angry middle-age white-guys. Innovation comes in spurts which is never really acknowledged. From what I see coming up things are looking up wrt Power generation, water and recycling technologies.
some time later...
"... I want to provide a counter point to your argument, Sometimes innovating for the sake of innovating can be an exercise in futility if current solutions are adequate. ..."
Point taken.
"... NASA spent millions of dollars developing a pressurised pen that Astronauts can use to write in space. The Russians use a pencil ..."
Love that one, as old as the hills. Fisher with the AG7's offered to replace pencils due to fire & graphite inhalation before Apollo 11. I remember back in the dim past when /. was civil in the late '90's, early 2000's. I answered this one but can't find my original post. It went something like this one ~ slashdot.org/comments.pl?cid=11747662&sid=140282
a bit later...
"... And mechanical pencils require gravity to feed the lead; a mechanical pencil that would work in micro-g is just as hard to develop as a ballpoint pen that will. ..."
No, mechanical pencils with springs have no problems. All sorts of pencils/pens where used in the space program but the Fisher AG7 and patent # 3,285,228 ~ spacepen.com/about-us.aspx proved to be a good solution to the problems of FOD (foreign object damage), cost, availability, usability and fire. Fisher also invented the "Universal refill" for pens.
some time later...
"... Has fisher innovated the technology behind the universal refill and the spacepen even further, or has it stayed pretty much where it is? ..."
From what I can tell from reading through fisher pens the only further innovation is styling not the basic design ~ spacepen.com/about-us.aspx The Space race really kicked innovation along for lots of things even the simple pen. The engineering is pretty extreme. Imagine building a pen that will work in high PT environments from -35 to 120 degrees C and life of about 100yrs for USD$6. ~ history.nasa.gov/spacepen.html & en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Pen This is the kind of advances great challenges produce. It's still happening now in the US and the one area I know basic research and innovation can be seen is the X-Prize. Think Bert Rutan ~ news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3676312.stm and Carmac ~ www.armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home/News?news_i...
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2008SEP041940
"... Just what kinds of innovation are people looking for that they're not getting? ..."
- Data storage: Ways for people, companies to store data for perpetuity
- Power: cheap, pollution free way to generate personal power
- Water: cheap, pollution free way to clean water for drinking
The list can go on.
"... And further, what innovations from decades ago are we still relying on today and not innovating through? ..."
Lets see: operating systems (Linux, Max OSX, Windows), GUI's (Windows), keyboards and other input hardware. These are the tools we use each day and would be recognisable to people who programmed at the cutting edge in say '76, 77. Transportation is another. Inefficient engines that emit noxious gasses. Another practical example would be food storage around the world. In India for example where a percentage say 5-10% is wasted simply because it cannot be stored properly (a combination of cost & lack of expertise) and eaten by rats.
"... But let's call it what it is, instead of predicting gloom and doom. ..."
I'd agree with this. So many negative stories come from angry middle-age white-guys. Innovation comes in spurts which is never really acknowledged. From what I see coming up things are looking up wrt Power generation, water and recycling technologies.
some time later...
"... I want to provide a counter point to your argument, Sometimes innovating for the sake of innovating can be an exercise in futility if current solutions are adequate. ..."
Point taken.
"... NASA spent millions of dollars developing a pressurised pen that Astronauts can use to write in space. The Russians use a pencil ..."
Love that one, as old as the hills. Fisher with the AG7's offered to replace pencils due to fire & graphite inhalation before Apollo 11. I remember back in the dim past when /. was civil in the late '90's, early 2000's. I answered this one but can't find my original post. It went something like this one ~ slashdot.org/comments.pl?cid=11747662&sid=140282
a bit later...
"... And mechanical pencils require gravity to feed the lead; a mechanical pencil that would work in micro-g is just as hard to develop as a ballpoint pen that will. ..."
No, mechanical pencils with springs have no problems. All sorts of pencils/pens where used in the space program but the Fisher AG7 and patent # 3,285,228 ~ spacepen.com/about-us.aspx proved to be a good solution to the problems of FOD (foreign object damage), cost, availability, usability and fire. Fisher also invented the "Universal refill" for pens.
some time later...
"... Has fisher innovated the technology behind the universal refill and the spacepen even further, or has it stayed pretty much where it is? ..."
From what I can tell from reading through fisher pens the only further innovation is styling not the basic design ~ spacepen.com/about-us.aspx The Space race really kicked innovation along for lots of things even the simple pen. The engineering is pretty extreme. Imagine building a pen that will work in high PT environments from -35 to 120 degrees C and life of about 100yrs for USD$6. ~ history.nasa.gov/spacepen.html & en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Pen This is the kind of advances great challenges produce. It's still happening now in the US and the one area I know basic research and innovation can be seen is the X-Prize. Think Bert Rutan ~ news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3676312.stm and Carmac ~ www.armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home/News?news_i...
<<< start