Ok, now part of me says, “Show me the money…” and part of me says, “Hell, there are some impressive names on that list.”
More impact than the Web? More money than Gates?
Want another teaser?
I admit this is well beyond me. I’m just a simple contractor. I am not an inventor, I am not a sophisticated investor, but I am a curious SOB. The article does a lot of name dropping, and the names are some fairly cutting edge, succesful names.
So is this article all hype with nothing real to offer? Or is it heralding the coming of something pretty damn cool?
IT is a scheme for generating intense publicity about something that will, in the short term, generate a lot of capital for a select crowd (like the author of the book), and in a couple years may recoup its costs.
The other invention the guy is credited with is a wheelchair that climbs stairs. Yeah, I’d put my money on him.
A little background about that guy who built “a wheelchair that climbs stairs.” He seems to be a little more than you dismiss him as. At the very least, he hangs around with an A-list of power buddies.
Dean Kamen
…and the link to a discussion board devoted to this article:
Their thinking seems to center around pure BS and some kind of energy machine. For my part, if it isn’t a medical device, I would place my money on the energy angle.
a) they keep talking about redesigning and retrofitting cities and campuses for it, and
b) that previous invention, the walking-wheelchair thingie, was also a form of transport, so this is where the guy has his experience.
My money is on some form of electric city vehicle. There are companies out there making batteries, rechargeables, that can come in any shape and can therefore be, presumably, packed more tightly and have more power than rechargeables that are currently available. Perhaps he’s taking advantage of this.
jmullaney: what’s the Hindenburg disaster got to do with fuel cells?
Freedom2: I don’t see where a small, single person vehicle wouldn’t be able to fit, disassembled, in some large duffel bags and cardboard boxes. But I’ll concede it would be difficult.
The Stirling engine sounds like a neato idea. If something like that is what he has in mind for doing something like powering or heating your house, bring it on! Especially given the increasing price of natural gas.
Fuel cells run on hydrogen, which is the same gas that the Hindenburg was filled with. However, I read somewhere that someone analyzed a fragment of the Hindenburg’s skin and determined that it was even more flammable than the hydrogen.
My point must have been so subtle that it slipped by you. I was merely pointing out that this guy’s experience was not merely inventing that wheelchair. If you read the link you will see that he has invented a ton of things. I didn’t want to get in trouble by posting too much of the original article, so I had to draw the line somewhere.
I would suppose that it wouldn’t matter what fuel cells where made of, some people would predict doom. The scenario that makes me laugh the most is someone predicting a future where these cells are common and then one blows up. Of course since the fuel cells are so common that will ignite a chain reaction that will level the entire continent.
Well, I’m thinking of some sort of strap on magnetic backpack that lets you fly around:)
How cool would that be? For only $1500???
And you thought the PS2 was hard to find?
After more thought, to meet the earth shattering consequences the article set up, I think it has to be either an individual flying device or some type of energy source.
Some other ideas I have seen out there:
Holographic projector for your home.
Sex aide:)
Some sort of super toilet that transforms waste into pure water.(by by sewers)
A ballot democrats can understand. (Ok I’m sorry…I’m sorry…:))
I was going to say before that if it were some newfangled sex toy he’d be guaranteed to mint money in his first year. Though I hear the competition in that field can be a bit, uh, stiff.
I saw some guy on another forum claiming it was a scooter version of the stair climbing wheelchair.
He posted pics of the wheelchair (pretty cool BTW) and then a link to the patent of the scooter. It has 3 wheels and mainly balances on two. I’m guessing the other two are for curbs and stuff.
When it is on, you can’t tip it over. I guess it uses some sort of gyroscope to maintain it’s balance. When you turn it off it just falls over.
I can’t see this scooter changing the way the world works though. No matter how clean and efficient it is, you can’t date on it and it would suck when it snowed.
I’ve read about the personal scooter theory and agree it could be a Personal Mobility Machine; if it is a clean and efficient little machine, I think the inventor and investors are counting on it replacing walking. Perhaps inside as well as outside. I suppose it would be a lot like a bicycle you don’t have to peddle. It would be a great boon to the elderly who have a little trouble with mobility, kids going to school, or any one going on a short jaunt. There is a classic science fiction short story by David H. Keller called “The Revolt of the Pedestrians” about a future society were nobody walks anymore, they all ride on Personal Mobility Machines except for a small group of Pedestrians.
…and we laugh when they call us fat and lazy Americans…
To replace walking they would have to replicate something like the fat Duke (baron?) wore in Dune. I’m not counting on a cool flying/floating machine, but that it what I really want it to be.
I guess in an altruistic sense, I should hope it is a cheap, portable and efficient fuel source. That would do the most good for the world.
(but flying would be pretty cool)
