Jeremy Webb - An Editor's thoughts ..
As Editor of New Scientist, Jeremy Webb is sadly not eligible to win a trip to space. To get everyone else's juices flowing, he's submitted some ideas ..
I'm not going to say what my favourite is: that would be giving the game away. But here are some ideas that I think are strong contenders.
The first has got to be the telephone. No other invention has fostered communication in the way the telephone has. The phone allowed people for the first time to talk over vast distances. To be able to let the US and Soviet leaders speak or merely a husband and wife separated by hundreds of miles, that was a great achievement. And although the technology may be different, Alexander Graham Bell's device was the forerunner of the cellphone that we all carry with us today. An entire generation would be lost without them. In developing countries, cellphones are revolutionising not only communications between friends and relatives but also information systems, healthcare delivery and lots more besides.
Next is the humble electric light bulb. It might seem a dim idea, but artificial light has a profound impact on the world.
A few years ago I visited rural Kenya. In much of the area around Mount Kenya, life pretty much stopped after dark. But in one village, people had installed solar panels linked to car batteries. The prime use for this miniature power station was to provide light. A local schoolmaster told me how their lives had changed. Previously, children had gone to bed as soon as it got dark -- paraffin lamps just couldn't provide enough light to read by. But since the installation of electric light bulbs, children read into the evenings. The number of exam passes at the local school went through the roof: more and more children were going on to secondary education and university.
All that education and progress for the cost of a few light bulbs. We tend to take them for granted, but it's not until you go somewhere that doesn't have them that you realise just how important they are. Our modern way of life would stop dead without them.
There are plenty of other ideas out there: the aeroplane, for example, or the transistor, penicillin or Velcro. And I'm dying to see a great justification for how bubble wrap changed the world!
NB. I know this is a lot more that 250 words, but New Scientist Editors aren't allowed to win, so I can break the rules a little ...
You can also hear Jeremy's thoughts in the first of our podcasts.
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The winner has now been chosen and you can read their entry here.
Although Bell got the patent on the telephone, he certainly didn't invent it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invention_of_the_telephone
Meucci has much more of a claim, and also "...Meucci was recognised as the first inventor of the telephone by the United States Congress, in its resolution 269 dated 11 June 2002."
Still a fantastic invention though!
i really had the impression, according to your web site at least, that the judges will go for originality of both the invention and the explanation.. certainly the telephone and light bulbs are indeed extremely important.. however, i cannot see any originality in the idea..
my question is: do we go for relative importance or originality??
i really had the impression, according to your web site at least, that the judges will go for originality of both the invention and the explanation.. certainly the telephone and light bulbs are indeed extremely important.. however, i cannot see any originality in the idea..
my question is: do we go for relative importance or originality??
Are there many more patents on the essence of preserving Life, showing love and care for others, and allowing peoples freedoms? For I am sure there are many patents that do not allow these. I wonder if your judges will be able to consider those brave entrants who enter patents for the Nuclear Bomb that has preseved humankind during the cold war? or will there only be patents that are socially acceptable?
Dear Jeremy and New Scientist team, I just wanted to bring this one to your attention. I think your competition has created some aspirations among our Gottabe's... Thanks!
Dear Jeremy your competition make me eager to win i am thinking a lot about it all things invented has positive side on life.
Thanks i will go to space.
DEAR JEREMY AND TEAM, YEH SOME INVENTIONS ARE GREAT, BUT YOU DO NEED ORIGINALITY, LIKE THE FILM CONTACT.. JODIE FOSTER UTTERED THE WORDS " YOU SHOULD OF SENT A POET" CHECK OUT MY POEM UNDER TELESCOPE TAG..(A COSMIC DREAM).
PUT ME ON THE SHUTTLE AND I WILL WRITE YOU A POEM. ern.
DEAR JEREMY AND TEAM, YEH SOME INVENTIONS ARE GREAT, BUT YOU DO NEED ORIGINALITY, LIKE THE FILM CONTACT.. JODIE FOSTER UTTERED THE WORDS " YOU SHOULD OF SENT A POET" CHECK OUT MY POEM UNDER TELESCOPE TAG..(A COSMIC DREAM).
PUT ME ON THE SHUTTLE AND I WILL WRITE YOU A POEM. ern.
DEAR JEREMY AND TEAM, YEH SOME INVENTIONS ARE GREAT, BUT YOU DO NEED ORIGINALITY, LIKE THE FILM CONTACT.. JODIE FOSTER UTTERED THE WORDS " YOU SHOULD OF SENT A POET" CHECK OUT MY POEM UNDER TELESCOPE TAG..(A COSMIC DREAM).
PUT ME ON THE SHUTTLE AND I WILL WRITE YOU A POEM. ern.
I have been trying to enter the competition website both last night and this morning to post my entry however the web siteb keeps returning incorrect security code. After double checking with the sound file the security code entered I feel each time it is correct. Could you please advice me what to do so as I can submit my entry before the deadline as I would like to have a chance to win this competition.
Many Thanks
James
I entered five entries into this competition at 5.10 pm on Firday 27th April. The five entries all recieved an acknowledgement and reference number. The entries were:-
ATM Automated teller machine. Reference 8649
The answering machine. Reference 8650
Barbie Dolls. Reference 8651
Cats Eyes. Reference 8652
Corn flakes. Reference 8654
When I checked the list of entries received, however, my entries were not listed. I am concerned that they have not been admitted. The competition has now, of course ended. Please help.
David,
The entries were received and are in the moderation queue.
Phew! That's a relief! Thanks a million, I've now got everything crossed for a win!
Brilliant competition, i have enjoyed reading the entries whilst trying to come up with something original of my own. Although it has taken up far too much of my time... thank god its over. Looking forward to reading the winning entry! ;-)
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