Win A Trip To Spacetag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2008:/blogs/patent//492007-05-31T09:35:16ZMovable Type Enterprise 1.53Win a trip to space - the resulttag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.98002007-05-30T17:43:36Z2007-05-31T09:35:16Z Human inventiveness is alive and well, judging by the entries to the win-a-trip-to-space competition. More than 2400 would-be astronauts entered, giving answers characterised by passion, ingenuity and not a little straw-clutching. It is astonishing how much emotion the humble...New Scientist Administrator
Human inventiveness is alive and well, judging by the entries to the win-a-trip-to-space competition. More than 2400 would-be astronauts entered, giving answers characterised by passion, ingenuity and not a little straw-clutching.
It is astonishing how much emotion the humble paper clip can provoke. Certainly it is a simple, practical design, and some people think civilisation would crumble without it. Post-it notes and Blu Tack are similarly lauded for keeping our lives in order. Other popular choices include the biro, for doing what it's supposed to do cheaply and reliably, the PC and the internet for changing our lives so dramatically, and the flush toilet, for improving sanitation, human comfort and for providing a place of solitude in a chaotic world.
For cheek, Maeve Regan deserves a mention for nominating duct tape and the lubricant WD-40. "If it doesn't move and it should, go with the WD-40," she advises. "If it moves and it shouldn't, tape it up." Wise words, no doubt, but there is one too many inventions in her answer. Let's also dispense with venetian blinds (without them it would be curtains for us all): their advocates would do well to find a new jokes website.
The left field is well represented. The Odyssey Gyro is a device used by bicycle stunt riders: it lets them spin their handlebars without tangling their brake cables. It's ingenious, but definitely niche.
More widespread but still on the obscure side are aglets, the caps on the ends of shoelaces that stop them fraying. Even shoes themselves are proposed for services to human mobility. Then there is the keystroke sequence control-alt-delete, that panacea for frustrated PC users.
For passion, it is hard to match Dillon Hayes's selection of the electric guitar: "whatever your taste in music it's hard to deny the powerful imagery and sounds generated by man and his axe". Of the many rhyming entries, this from Lydia Houghton stood out:
How many calories in a tin of Spam?
What's the time in Vietnam?
Should I worry about getting rabies?
Who invented jelly babies?
And so it goes until you discover why these questions are being asked:
Who, what, where, when, how or why?
Finding out is as easy as pie
For answers in life and comprehension
The search engine is the best patented invention
A great entry, if only that last line had scanned...
And so to inventions that have unequivocally changed the course of history. Believe it or not, the wheel was patented in Australia in 2001. While it is hard to believe there was no "prior art" in Australia before the third millennium, there are examples from other countries dating back many centuries. The Gutenberg printing press was praised for spreading information to the masses. But Gutenberg created his machine about a decade before the first patent was awarded in 1449 by King Henry VI of England.
Many entries focused on steam engines, ranging from Edward Somerset's 1663 model to James Watt's more efficient condensing engine, but none made a convincing case for novelty. Cameras gained support for recording historic events, personal moments and everything in between. Oral rehydration salts were a close-run thing: this simple mixture of salt and sugar saves millions of children a year from dying of diarrhoea. So too was the integrated circuit, which underpins so much of our modern world.
The winner chose an earlier transforming technology. Ian Anderson of Staffordshire, UK, opted for radio and gave it an out-of-this-world justification. You can read his entry here.
So, commiserations to all those who had high hopes for their entry and congratulations to Ian Anderson, who now joins the queue to become a pioneer among space tourists.]]>
Televisiontag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89532007-04-30T22:57:11Z2007-05-01T07:46:38ZThe greatest patented device of all time is most definitely the television. In the almost seventy six years since the television was patented, it has grown from being something possessed by only a few privileged families, to something that is...New Scientist Administrator
The greatest patented device of all time is most definitely the television.
In the almost seventy six years since the television was patented, it has grown from being something possessed by only a few privileged families, to something that is found in the majority of the homes throughout the world.
This constantly evolving device, has from its humble beginnings, completely revolutionised the very way that we look at the concept of home entertainment.
Television today not only provides entertainment just for entertainments sake, but is also able to educate and influence the masses in a way that no other form of media can even come close to.
The television brings us programs to help children learn basic reading and maths whilst having fun. It helps us keep abreast of current events in the world around us.
Television can even help us to learn about the views and cultures of those people we never would have thought about otherwise.
From the News to ‘how to’ programs, sitcoms to movies, documentaries to Sesame Street, the television brings the whole world into our homes and lives.
Submitted by: Zoe Raistrick
Mgr.tag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89502007-04-30T22:44:10Z2007-05-01T07:46:38ZThe microwaves energy occurs when electric current flows through a conductor. Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation that is very similar to sunlight and radio waves. Trough the test process in a new vacuum tube called a magnetron, the...New Scientist Administrator
The microwaves energy occurs when electric current flows through a conductor. Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation that is very similar to sunlight and radio waves. Trough the test process in a new vacuum tube called a magnetron, the discovery around the candy bar was performed. Dr.Percy Spencer, a self-taught engineer with the Raytheon Corporation has invented this patent. Dr.Spencer fashioned a metal box with an opening into which he fed microwave power. The energy entering the box was unable to escape, thereby creating a higher density electromagnetic field. The conclusion is, when food is placed into the box and microwave energy fed in, the temperature of the food rise very rapidly. Dr. Spencer had invented what was to revolutionize cooking and form the basis of a multimilion dollar industry. Dr.Spencer has invented the microwave oven.
Submitted by: Peter Rybarik
Inspiringtag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89482007-04-30T22:21:04Z2007-05-01T07:46:38ZI think the best –patented invention has got to be the computer. Why? Because it is so diverse. I can think of no other invention capable of so many multi- functional uses, which also has the ability to inspire other...New Scientist Administrator
I think the best –patented invention has got to be the computer. Why? Because it is so diverse. I can think of no other invention capable of so many multi- functional uses, which also has the ability to inspire other individuals to invent other equipment to enhance and continually improve it. Cheeky really, but ingenious. Without the computer the Internet and all the associated inventions would never have been thought of.
I can’t imagine a world without a computer. It’s so much more stimulating than ordinary TV. I love it’s interactive properties, being able to visit other parts of our world or even checking out Mars, making new friends or keeping in touch with old ones and having access to so much knowledge by a click of a button is wondrous. Apart from the entertainment and creative value the computer has also helped to aid the medical, educational and scientific communities. And I can’t help wondering what other future inventions it will help emerge. The computer is an invention that will not date, as its constantly reinventing it’s self with all its of- spring’s inventions, which is like a small protective community in itself.
Submitted by: Elizabeth Wallace
Inspiringtag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89472007-04-30T22:21:02Z2007-05-01T07:46:38ZI think the best –patented invention has got to be the computer. Why? Because it is so diverse. I can think of no other invention capable of so many multi- functional uses, which also has the ability to inspire other...New Scientist Administrator
I think the best –patented invention has got to be the computer. Why? Because it is so diverse. I can think of no other invention capable of so many multi- functional uses, which also has the ability to inspire other individuals to invent other equipment to enhance and continually improve it. Cheeky really, but ingenious. Without the computer the Internet and all the associated inventions would never have been thought of.
I can’t imagine a world without a computer. It’s so much more stimulating than ordinary TV. I love it’s interactive properties, being able to visit other parts of our world or even checking out Mars, making new friends or keeping in touch with old ones and having access to so much knowledge by a click of a button is wondrous. Apart from the entertainment and creative value the computer has also helped to aid the medical, educational and scientific communities. And I can’t help wondering what other future inventions it will help emerge. The computer is an invention that will not date, as its constantly reinventing it’s self with all its of- spring’s inventions, which is like a small protective community in itself.
Submitted by: Elizabeth Wallace
Cat's eyestag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89462007-04-30T22:13:20Z2007-05-01T07:46:38ZA milestone in road safety - simple, elegant, highly cost-effective, and durable. What more can I say? Submitted by: John Butler...New Scientist Administrator
A milestone in road safety - simple, elegant, highly cost-effective, and durable. What more can I say?
Submitted by: John Butler
The (humble) safety pintag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89452007-04-30T22:06:06Z2007-05-01T07:46:38ZSimple in design and form, the humble safety pin has one of the widest uses anyone can think of. From holding up your trouser in the most of embarrassing of situations to pinning on your childs triumphs on the school...New Scientist Administrator
Simple in design and form, the humble safety pin has one of the widest uses anyone can think of. From holding up your trouser in the most of embarrassing of situations to pinning on your childs triumphs on the school sports field, from first aid applications to using it on your baby’s nappy, to making a fashion statement for the 1970’s punk to post modern jewellery of the more conservative, the safety pin is the go anywhere, easily portable and most ultimately useful thing you can find at the bottom of your handbag. It has a simple design; it's strong but still lightweight and is made from readily available materials. Its clever mechanical action is form and motion at its best and does not depend on any external power sources to make it work. It is more amazing to think that this was a product of one man’s afternoon of pondering how to pay back a $15 debt just over 150 years ago and it has never gone out of fashion nor been replaced by a superior design. Our familiar modern form of the pin was invented by Walter Hunt and the patent sold to for $400 to the man he owe that $15 debt to. That design has earned millions over the intervening period
Submitted by: Elaina Hermitage
The RSA Ciphertag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89442007-04-30T21:49:41Z2007-05-01T07:46:38ZThis asymmetric key cipher was invented in 1977 by three MIT researchers who gave their names to the system: Ronald Rivest, Adi Shamir and Leonard Adleman. At the time the cost of distributing and maintaining encryption keys was becoming prohibitively...New Scientist Administrator
This asymmetric key cipher was invented in 1977 by three MIT researchers who gave their names to the system: Ronald Rivest, Adi Shamir and Leonard Adleman. At the time the cost of distributing and maintaining encryption keys was becoming prohibitively expensive for organizations such as banks that needed secure communication. RSA provided the perfect solution allowing the public key to be freely published and requiring only the private key to be kept secret. The added benefit is that the process works in reverse: a message encrypted with the private key can be read by anyone but could only have come from one person. When combined with a hashing algorithm RSA can create a digital signature ensuring that a digital message cannot be been tampered with. Furthermore if both the sender and the receiver of such a message use RSA they can both be certain of each others identity, a concept known as non-repudiation.
It can be argued that the growth and success of the Internet through the World Wide Web has been due to massive commercial investment. Commercial activity would not have been possible without cheap and simple secure communication. For better or for worse without RSA we would not have Google, eBay or Wikipedia.
Submitted by: Matthew Webster
Applause!tag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89432007-04-30T21:44:01Z2007-05-01T07:46:38ZTo applause is one of the first things they learn to children. Why is that? It learns us to use our hands, so it improves our coordination. It learns us to interact with people from the very early start in...New Scientist Administrator
To applause is one of the first things they learn to children. Why is that? It learns us to use our hands, so it improves our coordination. It learns us to interact with people from the very early start in life. One giant applause is so powerful that it can lift a person to reach for the sky; it is the international sign of human’s approval and its wish for more. It gives the “performer” wings and self-confidence and it is understood by the entire world as being positive and admirable. One only needs a pair of hands to express so very much…
Submitted by: Thierry Van Raemdonck
Washing-up Liquidtag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89422007-04-30T21:38:08Z2007-05-01T07:46:38Z1960s. I watched that bottle on the windowsill. How I wanted it to be finished. I waited and waited for that stream of viscous liquid to run dry but no, it kept on flowing and the dishes kept on being...New Scientist Administrator
1960s. I watched that bottle on the windowsill. How I wanted it to be finished. I waited and waited for that stream of viscous liquid to run dry but no, it kept on flowing and the dishes kept on being cleaned. I needed that bottle. How could I make that rocket on Blue Peter without it? Days went by, weeks went by and still no bottle. But now my interest was drawn to other things. What was it that made that liquid on the windowsill quite so special? The foam and the froth gave way to laughter as bubbles, blown through plastic hoops and fingers, grew to enormous proportions. My aim - to make the biggest bubble in the universe. I watched the swirling rainbow colours form patterns as the bubbles grew and grew, expanding and bursting into a myriad of thin film particles, speeding away across the galaxy to distant worlds.
Childhood didn't last for long and I never did get my Blue Peter badge but my youthful obsession with that green liquid led me to seek solutions, to ask when and to push the boudaries. After all it's all to do with surface tension.
Submitted by: Anne Storie
We often take the simple things in life for granted.tag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89402007-04-30T21:27:29Z2007-05-01T07:46:38ZWe often take the simple things in life for granted, such as being warm and comfortable. Only recently in our modern era has humanity become complacent about these simple yet essential things. However, with talk of global warming and the...New Scientist Administrator
We often take the simple things in life for granted, such as being warm and comfortable. Only recently in our modern era has humanity become complacent about these simple yet essential things. However, with talk of global warming and the inevitable onslaught of climate change there has been an awakening in the developed world and the words ‘sustainable living’ are being whispered throughout capitalist societies.
To me this means breaking down our mountains of possessions and indeed our lifestyles into ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential’, in addition to refining industrial processes and converting to renewable energy sources. This has brought me to the conclusion that one of mankind’s simplest inventions is the greatest and most indispensable. It is the first thing I use in the morning and the last I use at night. Capable of lasting for twenty-five years or more, it is something we will all end up using for at least a third of our lives. Patented in 1865, it is the coil spring mattress. So what makes a mattress better than all the other patented inventions? Take the microprocessor chip, great when ordering your new gadget off ebay, but what about when it’s guiding a ballistic missile to its destination!
But seriously, a lot of our modern technology seems to have a very sinister side as well as bringing us obvious benefits. This is why I have nominated an invention that gives us pleasure without unpleasant consequences ‘the mattress’
Submitted by: Alex Lea
Paper: no future without historytag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89392007-04-30T21:16:54Z2007-05-01T07:46:38ZPaper is one of the greatest inventions ever, next to the great classics such as radio, phone, car, aeronautics or electricity. From the beginning of its existence, paper has been the ideal carrier for the distribution of knowledge and of...New Scientist Administrator
Paper is one of the greatest inventions ever, next to the great classics such as radio, phone, car, aeronautics or electricity. From the beginning of its existence, paper has been the ideal carrier for the distribution of knowledge and of news and especially the saving of these. How would the world look like if we did not dispose of such a compact way to save the thoughts of human kind into books, papers and such? On which carrier would Columbus have kept track of his discoveries, on which carrier would he have mapped the world? How would our great inventors have noted down their inventions, how would they have been able to compare their very first attempts with one another? How would the Bible have been distributed so extensively throughout the world, or the Koran? In our modern internet-society with numerous telecommunication means, paper is long not written-off from our daily life. Paper can carry the greatest nonsense. But paper has also made sure that masterpieces from Mozart or Chopin have survived time and ephemerality. How would we have ever “virtually met” our favourite ancestors? If we have to convince people on the great virtues of paper, we have to raise one question: how would the world look like without paper? Simple: without literature, news papers, publicity. Or in one word: without HISTORY. And without history, the future can never be the same...
Submitted by: Dominique De Cremer
The only things you'll ever need...tag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89382007-04-30T20:49:33Z2007-05-01T07:46:38ZI’m going to cheat a little and go with two inventions: WD-40 and duct tape. With nothing more than these two items, you can fix any mechanical problem. If it doesn’t move and it should, go with the WD-40; if...New Scientist Administrator
I’m going to cheat a little and go with two inventions: WD-40 and duct tape. With nothing more than these two items, you can fix any mechanical problem. If it doesn’t move and it should, go with the WD-40; if it moves and it shouldn’t, tape it up. I know I never embark on a trip in to space without a healthy supply of each…
Submitted by: Maeve Regan
The Space Shuttletag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89372007-04-30T20:47:24Z2007-05-01T07:46:38ZI know it does not seem like an original idea but the space shuttle in my mind has to be the best patented invention ever created. The reason being that it is an example of humanity’s creativeness and drive to...New Scientist Administrator
I know it does not seem like an original idea but the space shuttle in my mind has to be the best patented invention ever created. The reason being that it is an example of humanity’s creativeness and drive to reach new heights. For the first time in human history we were able to put a reusable craft into space which we could use to ferry astronauts and supplies to projects such as the International space station. It also represented a new dawn in space travel. Humankind’s journey into space is without doubt the greatest achievement that we have ever accomplished, it has brought peoples and nations together in a spirit which we would not have thought possible. The shuttle represented the next step to our journey into the unknown, without it projects such as the International space station would not have been possible. It has been responsible for putting satellites into orbit around the Earth broadcasting a new way of communication across the entire planet bringing the human race ultimately closer together. The space shuttle is a stepping stone to the next generation of space vehicles, it has also been the inspiration of people all over the world to become involved with the space programme or study the mysteries of the universe. It is for these reasons that I feel the Space Shuttle is the best patented invention as it is a representation of humanity’s ambition and never ending quest to be part of something greater.
Submitted by: Lawrence Kettle
The Humble Transistortag:www.winatriptospace.co.uk,2007:/blogs/patent//49.89352007-04-30T20:14:54Z2007-05-01T07:46:38ZWell! Where do I begin? Where will it all end? The humble transistor, in my humble opinion is almost certainly the best invention ever patented. If man could have patented the wheel then I may have rated the transistor as...New Scientist Administrator
Well! Where do I begin? Where will it all end? The humble transistor, in my humble opinion is almost certainly the best invention ever patented. If man could have patented the wheel then I may have rated the transistor as the second best patented invention - or I may not!
But how does one define best I hear you ask? At best, this is a very subjective question. Does it mean ubiquitous? Civilisation enabling? Life giving? Regardless, the transistor is all of these and more! For example, I defy anyone reading this to think of a time when they were not within at least a meter of a transistor (or a million of them)! I could just list all the devices I can think of that contain transistors but I am sure you are capable of this yourself! And these devices run our lives - our planet even. Where would we be without them?
I am no patent expert but I would bet my trip into space that most patented inventions today are devices that contain, or processes that rely on, the transistor! For this reason alone doesn't this make the transistor - by default - the best patented invention?
Each year, we build faster, more complex devices containing transistors. We learn from what works and build on this. Who knows then where the transistor will take us given enough space and enough time? Just imagine!
Submitted by: Stuart Prestedge
It is astonishing how much emotion the humble paper clip can provoke. Certainly it is a simple, practical design, and some people think civilisation would crumble without it. Post-it notes and Blu Tack are similarly lauded for keeping our lives in order. Other popular choices include the biro, for doing what it's supposed to do cheaply and reliably, the PC and the internet for changing our lives so dramatically, and the flush toilet, for improving sanitation, human comfort and for providing a place of solitude in a chaotic world.
For cheek, Maeve Regan deserves a mention for nominating duct tape and the lubricant WD-40. "If it doesn't move and it should, go with the WD-40," she advises. "If it moves and it shouldn't, tape it up." Wise words, no doubt, but there is one too many inventions in her answer. Let's also dispense with venetian blinds (without them it would be curtains for us all): their advocates would do well to find a new jokes website.
The left field is well represented. The Odyssey Gyro is a device used by bicycle stunt riders: it lets them spin their handlebars without tangling their brake cables. It's ingenious, but definitely niche.
More widespread but still on the obscure side are aglets, the caps on the ends of shoelaces that stop them fraying. Even shoes themselves are proposed for services to human mobility. Then there is the keystroke sequence control-alt-delete, that panacea for frustrated PC users.
For passion, it is hard to match Dillon Hayes's selection of the electric guitar: "whatever your taste in music it's hard to deny the powerful imagery and sounds generated by man and his axe". Of the many rhyming entries, this from Lydia Houghton stood out:
How many calories in a tin of Spam?
What's the time in Vietnam?
Should I worry about getting rabies?
Who invented jelly babies?
And so it goes until you discover why these questions are being asked:
Who, what, where, when, how or why?
Finding out is as easy as pie
For answers in life and comprehension
The search engine is the best patented invention
A great entry, if only that last line had scanned...
And so to inventions that have unequivocally changed the course of history. Believe it or not, the wheel was patented in Australia in 2001. While it is hard to believe there was no "prior art" in Australia before the third millennium, there are examples from other countries dating back many centuries. The Gutenberg printing press was praised for spreading information to the masses. But Gutenberg created his machine about a decade before the first patent was awarded in 1449 by King Henry VI of England.
Many entries focused on steam engines, ranging from Edward Somerset's 1663 model to James Watt's more efficient condensing engine, but none made a convincing case for novelty. Cameras gained support for recording historic events, personal moments and everything in between. Oral rehydration salts were a close-run thing: this simple mixture of salt and sugar saves millions of children a year from dying of diarrhoea. So too was the integrated circuit, which underpins so much of our modern world.
The winner chose an earlier transforming technology. Ian Anderson of Staffordshire, UK, opted for radio and gave it an out-of-this-world justification. You can read his entry here.
So, commiserations to all those who had high hopes for their entry and congratulations to Ian Anderson, who now joins the queue to become a pioneer among space tourists.]]>