My grandfather, who owned and ran a furniture manufacturing plant, had patents on some machines he’d made for various steps in the process of making upholstered furniture. Needless to say, they’re way too old to find in a search by patentholder name.
I work in the physics department at a large research university, so there are a ton of patent-holders around here. Hell, there’s a fellow down the hall who has a Nobel Prize, which is even more impressive.
My dad, for train brakes…
The coolest is a guy from my high school circle, who is an official MacArthur Genius! Hell, I couldn’t even understand the abstract of his work.
I’ve greatly enjoyed chatting with the couple I’ve met. Very interesting indeed.
A friend’s dad, for some kind of grape-picker.
I work at a technology company. Half the offices have those little plaques on the walls.
does a quick search
Holy crap! I new my uncle was tied in with a lot of stuff, but man. Most of them seem to be in connection to where he worked at the time.
grins at Jorel
Tell me about it… my SO is aiming for becoming a Patent Attorney. I still can’t figure out what draws him to that particular job.
<< Foo. >>
This is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone say that (and then have a bunch of people concur). Usually you get “patent attorneys are geeks” or “who is more boring, the tax attorney or the patent attorney” comments.
I don’t have any patents to my name, but I’ve helped a bunch of people get one.
This is because you move in those circles.
I taught school in neighborhoods such that I would bet you randomly that a student’s parents didn’t even personally know an engineer, chemist, or physicist, period.
A good deal of the folks that I’m acquainted with are REQUIRED to get patents if they want to advance their careers. In software, chemical engineering, automotive design and so forth, patents are (at least for the people I know) a nearly daily way of life. I’m always hearing comments like “I’m working on four patents - looks like I’ll get one done next month” and so forth.
Frankly, to me, it sounds a lot like extended college.