How Convenient
Things don’t always turn out as promised. If you’ve ever waited in a long line at a fast food restaurant or searched all over for a convenience store, you know what I mean. While it’s true that technology often woos us with bright shiny objects that make us feel special, it also portends to be […]
Stuff Happens When You Fool Mother Nature
Butter is milk fat that is rapidly converted by the body into people fat. Butter had been around for 4000 years with no real competition until 1869, when French chemist Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès horrified American dairy farmers with his patented, lower-priced spread known as margarine. Frantic political lobbying and prohibitive licensing fees ensued. Margarine was blamed […]
Methane Monitor (aka Fart Tracker)
The Apple Watch is lots of things to lots of people – chic, attention-grabbing, fun – but at its core, it is basically a sophisticated computer worn on the wrist. Like any computer, it is only as good as the software that it runs. Apple is well aware of this, and has promoted apps which […]
Innovative Intersections
It is often said that innovation occurs at the intersection of seemingly unrelated ideas. As an example, consider urine and origami. A recent paper in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A titled “Urine-Activated Origami Microbial Fuel Cells to Signal Proof of Life” by researchers at UWE Bristol has the details. The problem statement would seem […]
i Hedgehog
Hedgehogs are known for being cute, and for having sharp spines. While neither barbed nor poisonous, these spines are nonetheless their first line of defense. When threatened by a predator, the hedgehog will curl into a tight ball with all of its spines pointing outward. How little hedgehogs are made remains a mystery. Innovation often […]
Zipperbot
Marvel Comics currently has 10 characters with names beginning in “Z”, but Zipperbot is not one of them. The ability to automatically unzip might pass for a super-power in some settings but that was not what the team at MIT had in mind. In a world where robots can put out fires, respond to disasters, […]
What People Think of You
“People who say they don’t care what people think are usually desperate to have people think they don’t care what people think.” – George Carlin In the business world, just like in the real world, people are your number one resource. Changing “Personnel Department” to “Human Resources” wasn’t just a cheap re-branding ploy; it really […]
Just Build Something
The mention of Thomas Edison may provoke thoughts of creative energy and invention, but his real contribution to America’s emergence as a world superpower stems from manufacturing. In 1892, he founded General Electric, which today is the last of the original industrial firms to remain listed on the Dow Jones Index. During its storied history, […]
Selfie Tech
Although “selfies” started generating buzz last year, the first recorded instance of a “selfie”, taken by Robert Cornelius, dates back to 1839. The daguerreotype photographic process of the day was so slow that Bob was able to open the lens, run into the shot for several minutes, and then head back to replace the lens […]
No More Footbag, Sawtooth or Bushwalk*
If you’ve ever raised a child, you know there are certain major milestones that you will need to achieve. These are things like sleeping through the night, walking, talking and (my personal favorite) potty training. There are untold additional developmental steps that will provide bragging rights with your friends, and keep your pediatrician from asking […]
