# What could "IT" be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 9, 2001, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241 "2001-01-09T23:07:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/1 "2001-01-09T23:07:46Z")
[http://www.inside.com/jcs/Story?article\_id=20218&pod\_id=8](http://www.inside.com/jcs/Story?article_id=20218&pod_id=8) Well _my_ interest is piqued. Anybody heard anything about this? Roswell technology? Perhaps the Orgasmatron has been perfected? ---
**Author:** ![muppetsoup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@muppetsoup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muppetsoup)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/2 "2001-01-09T23:48:14Z")
They’ve finally figured out how to make candles that smell like Steak and Potatoes!! Yes! ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/3 "2001-01-09T23:50:15Z")
I think **IT** is a solar powered, fully automated, merkin with a built in MP3 player. ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Don](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e95f7d/32.png) [@Engineer\_Don](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Don)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/4 "2001-01-09T23:53:38Z")
Any small effective energy conversion (generator) or storage device (like a battery) that had a decent capacity would turn the world on it’s ear. I keep hoping for one. ---
**Author:** ![muppetsoup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@muppetsoup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muppetsoup)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/5 "2001-01-10T00:05:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lance Turbo \* > \*\*I think **IT** is a solar powered, fully automated, merkin with a built in MP3 player. \*\* I thought someone might bring up the merkin, but it sure wasn’t going to be me 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TwoBuyFour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/76d3ee/32.png) [@TwoBuyFour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoBuyFour)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/6 "2001-01-10T02:59:29Z")
Finally! A working transmogrifier! ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/7 "2001-01-10T03:10:39Z")
Here’s an article on the guy from Wired: > **[Breakout Artist](https://www.wired.com/2000/09/kamen/)** > > Dean Kamen, multimillionaire inventrepreneur, is going global with a robochair that climbs stairs, a miracle motor that fights disease, and his wildest notion of all – that scientists will be the 21st century's superstars. Dean Kamen's sense of... ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/8 "2001-01-10T03:20:27Z")
From [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=54700) thread: > [@](#): > > According to the inventor of `Ginger,'' Dean Kamen, his device will be an alternative to products that `are dirty, expensive, sometimes dangerous and often frustrating, especially for people in the cities.’’ It’s pretty clear: it’s someone you can pick up in a bar, powered by a flux capacitor. Either that, or it’s bottled hype. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/9 "2001-01-10T03:37:11Z")
‘IT’ sounds like a hoax wrapped in a lie. Take no press reports on face value. ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/10 "2001-01-10T03:40:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lance Turbo \* > \*\*I think **IT** is a solar powered, fully automated, merkin with a built in MP3 player. \*\* Well it’s about time! I think we all know how painfull those internal combustion merkins can be. I’m starting to suspect 'Flakes is right. It has that hollow hype feel [that net sources eat up](http://www.salon.com/books/wire/2001/01/09/ginger/index.html). ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/11 "2001-01-10T03:41:56Z")
“IT” smells to high heaven of hype, but we’ll take a look at “IT” when it’s “OUT.” ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/12 "2001-01-10T06:32:20Z")
Ummmm…duh? It’s Warp Drive, you idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/13 "2001-01-10T06:53:09Z")
**IT** is obviously the end of the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Heath\_Doolin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Heath\_Doolin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heath_Doolin)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/14 "2001-01-10T07:02:09Z")
If it is it… For Women- -A bra that fits perfectly -The black shoes that will go with everything -No calorie cheesecake or chocolate that tastes exactly like the original -Artficial Intelligence only limited to giving backrubs and sex and looks like Brad Pitt For men- -The perfect pick up line -The eternal cold beer -a portable Victoria Secret model For everyone: -A year of movies without: Steven Seagal, VanDamme, Stallone, Jar Jar, or Dennis Rodman -NSync, Brittney Spears, Christina Agulara, and Backstreet Boys all killed in a mid air collision ---
**Author:** ![BigTuffGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5daacb/32.png) [@BigTuffGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigTuffGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/15 "2001-01-10T07:03:35Z")
what ever you may think “it” is, its actually just swampgas and shadows… ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/16 "2001-01-10T07:12:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Heath Doolin \* > **-a portable Victoria Secret model** But does the world really need anorexic women who rarely put out, have a shelf life of 5 years and require assembly? ---
**Author:** ![zuma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9c0ed/32.png) [@zuma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zuma)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/17 "2001-01-10T07:52:42Z")
There are quite lengthy threads full of (mostly) serious speculation, links, etc on slashdot and fuckedcompany (of all places). Based on the clues, it sounds like some sort of personal transportation device (some sort of hovercraft?), but who knows. If this is indeed hoax, we’ll know very soon (tomorrow, undoubtably), based on the caliber of names involved in this and the coverage it’s recieved today. Anyway, here’s another article from msnbc on this thing: [http://www.msnbc.com/news/513749.asp?0cm=c10](http://www.msnbc.com/news/513749.asp?0cm=c10) And since speculation is the fun part, here are the clues: Not a medical invention (Kamen has a history of coming up with rather groundbreaking medical applications) Assembled with a screwdriver and hex wrenches with parts contained in two duffel bags and a couple boxes Two Ginger models, named “metro” and “pro”. The cheaper of which could be sold to consumers for $2000. Bezos is quoted as saying that IT “…is a product so revolutionary, you’ll have no problem selling it. The question is, are people going to be allowed to use it?” Jobs: “…If enough people see the machine you won’t have to convince them to architect cities around it. It’ll just happen.” Kemper: will “sweep over the world and change lives, cities, and ways of thinking.” and most telling: the invention will “profoundly affect our environment and the way people live worldwide. It will be an alternative to products that are dirty, expensive, sometimes dangerous and often frustrating, especially for people in the cities.” Kemper also has many patents on (I hope I don’t screw this up…) gyroscopic load balancing devices. His Ibot wheelchair is able to climb stairs, and stand “up” on just two wheels: [http://www.msnbc.com/news/285231.asp](http://www.msnbc.com/news/285231.asp) If it’s true, the “dirty, expensive, frustrating, dangerous, people in cities” bit, I think, describes the automobile. ---
**Author:** ![zuma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9c0ed/32.png) [@zuma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zuma)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/18 "2001-01-10T08:13:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SmackFu \* > \*\*Here’s an article on the guy from Wired: > [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.09/kamen.html](http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.09/kamen.html) \*\* Interesting article, smackfu. this paragraph was rather interesting: Another project, to be unveiled in the next year, will necessitate building “the largest company in New Hampshire,” Kamen says with characteristic bravura. He’s shy about details, except to say it involves a consumer device unrelated to health care and will require $100 million in financing. Among the investors: Kleiner Perkins. I wonder if the 100 mil project mentioned then is the same one being discussed today? ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/19 "2001-01-10T08:51:58Z")
Apparently someone has perfected the rebigulator! ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241/20 "2001-01-10T09:08:59Z")
Sounds like it could be damn near anyone of the devices or ideas Nikola Tesla was screwing around with before his death. The Tesla death ray? Wireless transmission of electricity? His unduplicatable light without a source? Of course it’s sometimes difficult to tell fact from fiction with Tesla biographies, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see, huh? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-it-be/49241.md?page=2)