A "dietary supplement" i.e. "pill from the health food store" that would help me get my memory back. Or one that could restore my vim and vigor for short periods of time, like a Geritol type thing (never had tried it, maybe I should!) or Lucy's "VegaVita. . . whatever"
A "clapper" deal to help me find my car keys I'm always misplacing. Clap, clap; it sounds an "alarm", and I retrieve them.
Is there a kitchen gadget that you'd love to have? Something you always struggle with, and it could solve? Y'all could brainstorm that.
As far as helping industries grow, and be more efficient, sorry, ole noggin coming up with nothing on that front.
Start off with a basic lie detecting machine...hook up a special adaptor to plug into the television set...everything runs through a special modulator and into the lie detecting machine...
it would be especially useful during the presidential debates... :)
What about a devise that helps someone enjoy and learn about personal interests such as something to help learn and organize colors and pigments for painting? Or a devise that helps music students learn scales and rudiments? Or how about a building block type game that helps young hockey players understand rules and strategies?
Side note on Geritol.
Adding iron to the diet of males and post menopausal females is definitely NOT a good idea.
Lots of fairly new research linking it to cholesterol related problems.
Give the language you want the phrase translated into
Translator types and speaks back in the language you requested, with the proper slang and common language. You'll need many options for "Spanish" since it's very different depending on the geography - e.g. Dominican Republic Spanish is very different from Spain Spanish, Cuban Spanish, Puerto Rican Spanish and Mexican Spanish.
For chits and giggles - you should also be able to translate into Cajun, Hillbilly and Bronx.
Ex, the alarm clock that works by light instead of noise comes from my experience living with a police officer who worked nights. He wore ear plugs and we had "black out" curtains that blocked out all the light so that he could sleep in a dark, quiet place - but, with the ear plugs he couldn't hear the alarm clock, so we had to rig something up with a lampshade-less lamp (100 watt bulbs) and one of those timers that people use on lamps when they go on vacation and hoped that the light coming on would wake him up.
It would be beneficial for deaf people, too, I imagine.
Oh, and if that handsome 8th grader of yours could come up with some shorts that have quite a bit of cushion in the buttocks so that my arse doesn't get so sore from falling down when I'm out roller blading, that would be awesome, too! Skateboarders might appreciate something like that, too, eh?
How about safety gear for skateboarders that doesn't look like safety gear? Something protective, but cool looking?
My Vixen is micro-chipped, but that's only good when it's scanned at the vet's office. Wouldn't it be cool to have a GPS micro-chip for pets? If those were invented and your Rascal had one, then all you'd have to do is turn on the GPS tracking in the micro-chip and you'd know exactly where that Rascal had flown off to.
My Vixen is micro-chipped, but that's only good when it's scanned at the vet's office. Wouldn't it be cool to have a GPS micro-chip for pets? If those were invented and your Rascal had one, then all you'd have to do is turn on the GPS tracking in the micro-chip and you'd know exactly where that Rascal had flown off to.
I thought I heard about something like this - LoJack for animals??
It rang when the dog stepped near the door to let us know she wanted to go out. It was pressure sensitive. It stopped her from scratching the door.
Tell him to find a problem around the house and try to think of a way to fix it. Perhaps something having to do with the birds... I always hated the mess under and around the bird cage myself.
Anything that would make the lives of older people, or people with infirmities would be a good idea. Anything that would help the older generation is a good financial bet since we have such a large aging population.This is what I would like - I have arthritis in my hands and dealing with a telephone is the pits. - - or the TV remote. This is what I would like:
A large TV remote that stays in one place on the arm of my chair or on a tv table. Instead of small buttons which are sometimes hard for me to push, I would like a large TV remote where I can just touch the number or symbol instead of pushing a button. I'd like the kind of touch screen like I find on many ATM machines.
I'd like a telephone that does the same thing, only I want it in speaker phone only....I don't want to hold a telephone a long time some days. I want a large touch screen so I don't have to put my glasses on.
I'm an inventor so I can speak with a little bit of authority. 3 patents and started 2 successful businesses with my ideas.
Here's two that I've been working on for 20 years with no progress:
Autostereoscopic display. That's a TV or computer monitor that can display a real, 3D image with no special glasses.
Practical infinitely variable transmission. That's like a manual transmission but with a million gears instead of 4. That would allow the engine to run at one constant speed while the transmission varies the speed of the wheels. A gas engine that only needs to run at one speed can be made cleaner and more efficent than one that has to run at a wide range of speeds. Infinitely variable transmissions exist, but are too expensive or unreliable.
Here's one that's worth real money to the person that can get it into production:
Personal reminder doll. A little furby like creature that can sit next to your bed or desk and remind you to get up, do your homework, take out the trash, etc. Reminders can be uploaded through a USB connection or wireless. The creature would speak the reminders.
I have two more ideas that I'm working on, but can't disclose them yet.
The problem that your son was given was a bit unfair and you and he should not feel bad having difficulty with it. I get one "genius level" idea about every 10 years, and I work on them every day.
The first activity is to brainstorm. My brain is stuck. Need original ideas for an invention that will help industries grow and become more efficient or can help make the daily lives of Americans easier.
Then later....
what is the name ?
what is the purpse ?
what will it do ?
how will it improve your society and our world ?
draw or create an actual model of the invention....
It can also be an improvement to a current product.
--
Got any ideas please ? I need help to help my kid. He's as stuck as I am.
We must not be inventors.
If we want to come up with a great invention, we must think of a situation or circumstance around the house that has bothered us for a long time, but we've just lived with it. The longer the better, because it's hopefully had some time to "ferment" a bit.
Make it specific. It can't just be, "the hall closet is a frickin' mess." It has to be "the hall closet is painted an off-white, and there are five shelves, and it contains linens, towels, and bathroom articles like shampoo and toothpaste, and it's a frickin' mess."
Then think of something in the house we could use that would fix the problem.
Remember that an invention can be a thing, or it can be a process. Maybe there is no gadget that will fix the mess in the hall closet, but there is a simple routine we just never thought of before. Ah ha! Fold the freakin' wash cloths. There. Invented! And it's off to the patent office, and now we wait for the royalties to pour in.
Here's an example I read years ago. A typical, if tightly wound, dad was constantly annoyed that his wife and kids would squeeze the toothpaste tube from the middle. After several years of putting up with this horsesh.., he got the i.d.e.a. -- for a process, not a gadget, and it never annoyed him again. From that day forward, he just dropped the tube on the floor and squeezed it all to the top with the bottom of his foot. It took only a moment every morning and every night, and it felt kind of cool beneath his toes. It was an invention, and it was fun too!
Now let's face it, this guy was a psycho, a true sociopath, who would take a chainsaw to his whole family if they left the hall light on, or forgot to put the milk back in the fridge. After all, nobody who's normal steps on the toothpaste, and on the bathroom floor for God's sake. That's disgusting. But we can still learn a lot from the story, about inspiration.
I've seen the phrase "cognitive dissonance" used to describe exactly this sort of situation. "CD" refers to the tension generated between our ears, when we simultaneously see the way things are, and envision the way we'd like them to be. Usually misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, it's energizing melody can sometimes be heard in the familiar clacking, chirping and chipping noises of dry enamel, grinding against dry enamel, in the darkness.
Sure, maybe we expected the aliens to destroy Earth back in 1956, but they messed up, and they didn't. Embarrassing, after we "witnessed" to pretty much everybody we knew!? But, do we go on believing it's going to happen, 51 years late? Well, it could, but of course not! We either adapt our doctrine, as true believers described here did (and more recently, Mike has set that bar), or we just "step down on the toothpaste," step hard, and we move on. Take that, toothpaste. And that. And that! And THAT! (FYI - you can break the tube if you over-do it, I've heard.)
You know what bugs me? Soap goo. People I won't mention tend to return the soap to the soap dish, which is good, but leave it in a half inch of standing water, which... The next morning when I reach for the soap to wash my hands, it feels like arm-wrestling with a 3-pound garden slug.
Oh, I've tried stepping on it. Felt pretty good too, but you don't want to fall in the bathroom, more than once.
But then, I noticed that a common dish sponge, in the soap dish, works pretty well at keeping the soap above the water, and helps the water evaporate, while keeping the soap reasonably solid. You can't patent a sponge, but you could invent a soap dish that incorporates a removable sponge that's easy to clean, resistant to soap build-up...
A good invention for a school kid is not a techno-wiz/engineering fantasy, but a solid, low-tech idea that is easy to make, and useful, enough so to justify its pricetag. Hope you didn't mind the digression. By the way, the soapdish isn't a suggestion, though you're welcome to it, just an example. The toothpaste thing is already taken.
I have been on crutches for 2 months and have at least that long left. My hands are so sore that I dread having to get up and go outside.
What is needed is a small and light weight wheel chair that can be easily handled and used. Most wheel chairs work great if you are inside already. Something that you can get in and out of a vehicle in a short amount of time and with little effort. It takes someone else to get it in and out. My sticks are ok but I get winded very quick.
It would be a big thing for business as its another product to sell. Yet its meeting a need rather than creating one.
you could weld rollerblade wheels to the bottom of those newfangled folding chairs that fold up into about a six inch square tube... but there's no brakes...
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Suda
How much imagination can be involved?
Thinking of what would make my daily life easier:
A "dietary supplement" i.e. "pill from the health food store" that would help me get my memory back. Or one that could restore my vim and vigor for short periods of time, like a Geritol type thing (never had tried it, maybe I should!) or Lucy's "VegaVita. . . whatever"
A "clapper" deal to help me find my car keys I'm always misplacing. Clap, clap; it sounds an "alarm", and I retrieve them.
Is there a kitchen gadget that you'd love to have? Something you always struggle with, and it could solve? Y'all could brainstorm that.
As far as helping industries grow, and be more efficient, sorry, ole noggin coming up with nothing on that front.
Suda
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GrouchoMarxJr
Name...BS meter
It will tell you who's lying and who ain't
Start off with a basic lie detecting machine...hook up a special adaptor to plug into the television set...everything runs through a special modulator and into the lie detecting machine...
it would be especially useful during the presidential debates... :)
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waysider
What about a devise that helps someone enjoy and learn about personal interests such as something to help learn and organize colors and pigments for painting? Or a devise that helps music students learn scales and rudiments? Or how about a building block type game that helps young hockey players understand rules and strategies?
Side note on Geritol.
Adding iron to the diet of males and post menopausal females is definitely NOT a good idea.
Lots of fairly new research linking it to cholesterol related problems.
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Belle
what is the name ?
Doggery Doo
(name is a take off on the Diggery Doo)
(idea is from a manure catcher on parade horses)
what is the purpse ?
Make taking your dog out in public a nicer experience
what will it do ?
Catch "doggy doo" as it comes out so that I don't have to bend down to scoop it up
how will it improve your society and our world ?
It will keep our parks, yards and play areas clear of "doggy doo", thereby increasing the acceptance of dogs in public and "dog friendly" communities.
draw or create an actual model of the invention....
It can also be an improvement to a current product.
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Belle
Hand held language translator
You talk into the translator
Give the language you want the phrase translated into
Translator types and speaks back in the language you requested, with the proper slang and common language. You'll need many options for "Spanish" since it's very different depending on the geography - e.g. Dominican Republic Spanish is very different from Spain Spanish, Cuban Spanish, Puerto Rican Spanish and Mexican Spanish.
For chits and giggles - you should also be able to translate into Cajun, Hillbilly and Bronx.
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Belle
Waterproof TV (they make mirrors and radios for the shower now, why not a tv?)
Alternative Fuel Sources
An Iron that automatically selects/adjusts to the right heat level
Alarm clock that turns on the lights in your room
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waysider
Belle
The dog thing is cool!
Kinda like a feed bag for the other end.
Maybe you could market it with a slogan like,
" We'll stand behind our product."
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excathedra
you all are the best people in the world
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Belle
Ex, the alarm clock that works by light instead of noise comes from my experience living with a police officer who worked nights. He wore ear plugs and we had "black out" curtains that blocked out all the light so that he could sleep in a dark, quiet place - but, with the ear plugs he couldn't hear the alarm clock, so we had to rig something up with a lampshade-less lamp (100 watt bulbs) and one of those timers that people use on lamps when they go on vacation and hoped that the light coming on would wake him up.
It would be beneficial for deaf people, too, I imagine.
Oh, and if that handsome 8th grader of yours could come up with some shorts that have quite a bit of cushion in the buttocks so that my arse doesn't get so sore from falling down when I'm out roller blading, that would be awesome, too! Skateboarders might appreciate something like that, too, eh?
How about safety gear for skateboarders that doesn't look like safety gear? Something protective, but cool looking?
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GrouchoMarxJr
How about one for people?...Think of the time that could be saved at the work place...
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doojable
That would have to be strapped onto the mouth...
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Belle
My Vixen is micro-chipped, but that's only good when it's scanned at the vet's office. Wouldn't it be cool to have a GPS micro-chip for pets? If those were invented and your Rascal had one, then all you'd have to do is turn on the GPS tracking in the micro-chip and you'd know exactly where that Rascal had flown off to.
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doojable
I thought I heard about something like this - LoJack for animals??
If not - I agree, that would be cool.
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Tom Strange
I really am trying to think of something myseestorEx... but all that keeps coming to mind is popsicle sticks... I'm sorry... very sorry... :(
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doojable
My oldest invented a "Doggy Doorbell"
It rang when the dog stepped near the door to let us know she wanted to go out. It was pressure sensitive. It stopped her from scratching the door.
Tell him to find a problem around the house and try to think of a way to fix it. Perhaps something having to do with the birds... I always hated the mess under and around the bird cage myself.
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krys
Anything that would make the lives of older people, or people with infirmities would be a good idea. Anything that would help the older generation is a good financial bet since we have such a large aging population.This is what I would like - I have arthritis in my hands and dealing with a telephone is the pits. - - or the TV remote. This is what I would like:
A large TV remote that stays in one place on the arm of my chair or on a tv table. Instead of small buttons which are sometimes hard for me to push, I would like a large TV remote where I can just touch the number or symbol instead of pushing a button. I'd like the kind of touch screen like I find on many ATM machines.
I'd like a telephone that does the same thing, only I want it in speaker phone only....I don't want to hold a telephone a long time some days. I want a large touch screen so I don't have to put my glasses on.
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George Aar
Hey Belle,
Instead of the Doggery-doo, how about just a cork and dab of super-glue?
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Danny
How about a voice comand remote.
Like the cell phone say call home and it does.
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Jim
I'm an inventor so I can speak with a little bit of authority. 3 patents and started 2 successful businesses with my ideas.
Here's two that I've been working on for 20 years with no progress:
Autostereoscopic display. That's a TV or computer monitor that can display a real, 3D image with no special glasses.
Practical infinitely variable transmission. That's like a manual transmission but with a million gears instead of 4. That would allow the engine to run at one constant speed while the transmission varies the speed of the wheels. A gas engine that only needs to run at one speed can be made cleaner and more efficent than one that has to run at a wide range of speeds. Infinitely variable transmissions exist, but are too expensive or unreliable.
Here's one that's worth real money to the person that can get it into production:
Personal reminder doll. A little furby like creature that can sit next to your bed or desk and remind you to get up, do your homework, take out the trash, etc. Reminders can be uploaded through a USB connection or wireless. The creature would speak the reminders.
I have two more ideas that I'm working on, but can't disclose them yet.
The problem that your son was given was a bit unfair and you and he should not feel bad having difficulty with it. I get one "genius level" idea about every 10 years, and I work on them every day.
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excathedra
i REALLY want to thank you all ! you're such SMART greasespotters
he'll definitely get a good grade for the brainstorming. i will let you know which one he decides to do
and jim, thank you ! i did feel bad and almost felt like i was cheating for asking for help
THANK YOU EVERYONE
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satori001
If we want to come up with a great invention, we must think of a situation or circumstance around the house that has bothered us for a long time, but we've just lived with it. The longer the better, because it's hopefully had some time to "ferment" a bit.
Make it specific. It can't just be, "the hall closet is a frickin' mess." It has to be "the hall closet is painted an off-white, and there are five shelves, and it contains linens, towels, and bathroom articles like shampoo and toothpaste, and it's a frickin' mess."
Then think of something in the house we could use that would fix the problem.
Remember that an invention can be a thing, or it can be a process. Maybe there is no gadget that will fix the mess in the hall closet, but there is a simple routine we just never thought of before. Ah ha! Fold the freakin' wash cloths. There. Invented! And it's off to the patent office, and now we wait for the royalties to pour in.
Here's an example I read years ago. A typical, if tightly wound, dad was constantly annoyed that his wife and kids would squeeze the toothpaste tube from the middle. After several years of putting up with this horsesh.., he got the i.d.e.a. -- for a process, not a gadget, and it never annoyed him again. From that day forward, he just dropped the tube on the floor and squeezed it all to the top with the bottom of his foot. It took only a moment every morning and every night, and it felt kind of cool beneath his toes. It was an invention, and it was fun too!
Now let's face it, this guy was a psycho, a true sociopath, who would take a chainsaw to his whole family if they left the hall light on, or forgot to put the milk back in the fridge. After all, nobody who's normal steps on the toothpaste, and on the bathroom floor for God's sake. That's disgusting. But we can still learn a lot from the story, about inspiration.
I've seen the phrase "cognitive dissonance" used to describe exactly this sort of situation. "CD" refers to the tension generated between our ears, when we simultaneously see the way things are, and envision the way we'd like them to be. Usually misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, it's energizing melody can sometimes be heard in the familiar clacking, chirping and chipping noises of dry enamel, grinding against dry enamel, in the darkness.
Sure, maybe we expected the aliens to destroy Earth back in 1956, but they messed up, and they didn't. Embarrassing, after we "witnessed" to pretty much everybody we knew!? But, do we go on believing it's going to happen, 51 years late? Well, it could, but of course not! We either adapt our doctrine, as true believers described here did (and more recently, Mike has set that bar), or we just "step down on the toothpaste," step hard, and we move on. Take that, toothpaste. And that. And that! And THAT! (FYI - you can break the tube if you over-do it, I've heard.)
You know what bugs me? Soap goo. People I won't mention tend to return the soap to the soap dish, which is good, but leave it in a half inch of standing water, which... The next morning when I reach for the soap to wash my hands, it feels like arm-wrestling with a 3-pound garden slug.
Oh, I've tried stepping on it. Felt pretty good too, but you don't want to fall in the bathroom, more than once.
But then, I noticed that a common dish sponge, in the soap dish, works pretty well at keeping the soap above the water, and helps the water evaporate, while keeping the soap reasonably solid. You can't patent a sponge, but you could invent a soap dish that incorporates a removable sponge that's easy to clean, resistant to soap build-up...
A good invention for a school kid is not a techno-wiz/engineering fantasy, but a solid, low-tech idea that is easy to make, and useful, enough so to justify its pricetag. Hope you didn't mind the digression. By the way, the soapdish isn't a suggestion, though you're welcome to it, just an example. The toothpaste thing is already taken.
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coolchef
build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door!
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ex70sHouston
I have been on crutches for 2 months and have at least that long left. My hands are so sore that I dread having to get up and go outside.
What is needed is a small and light weight wheel chair that can be easily handled and used. Most wheel chairs work great if you are inside already. Something that you can get in and out of a vehicle in a short amount of time and with little effort. It takes someone else to get it in and out. My sticks are ok but I get winded very quick.
It would be a big thing for business as its another product to sell. Yet its meeting a need rather than creating one.
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Tom Strange
you could weld rollerblade wheels to the bottom of those newfangled folding chairs that fold up into about a six inch square tube... but there's no brakes...
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