If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
During a dinner with friends last night, someone wanted to show me a particular language translation app on his phone. First, however, he had to don his reading glasses, which led me to wonder aloud why some computer wiz doesn't invent a pair of "self-translating" glasses. In other words, you could put them on and look at words in one language and have them translated to another right on the lens. I have no idea how such a thing could work, but, then again, I have no idea how "Angry Birds" works. Still, it seems to me, such an invention is possible.
So the question becomes: what seemingly-possible invention would you like to see? I don't mean turning us invisible or transporting us to another solar system in seconds or creating a politically-balanced press, but something that seems plausible in the 21st Century.
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Jun '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
Zucchini that in its natural state (except for a little warming) tastes just like fresh cut french fries.
Here's a bit more serious one: I use computers all day long, but when I run into a problem, I find the diagnostic and repair instructions either off-point, or written as though we're all programmers. This has improved, but has far to go. This is isn't so much a new invention as better communications between geeks and users.
Jun '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
Genius idea!
Oh, and for the criminals: programmable license plates.
May '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
Invisibility is a real possibility in the next 50 years, though it will probably remain insanely expensive. I suspect the biggest hurdle will be durability of the necessary materials.
For a long but awesome concept video, watch this live-action trailer for the game Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. It also imagines possible military employment of advanced robotics.
Jun '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
John Murdoch: High-efficiency fuel cells.
...
That, coupled with the dramatic impact of hydraulic fracturing in natural gas, would revolutionize electricity distribution. Instead of massive coal-fired or nuclear plants, with massive transmission lines across the countryside (and through your back yard), power distribution could be decentralized--literally, a gas-fed fuel cell inside the fence at every power company substation.
...
But it all depends upon being able to efficiently transform hydrocarbons in natural gas into electricity. For that, we need high-capacity, high-efficiency fuel cells.
Yes, this has to happen -- You probably already know about Ballard Power Systems in Vancouver, BC. They are headed in this direction. If they get their way (patent lockdown, etc.) they will be bigger than Google. (I used to say U.S. Steel but that's ridiculous nowadays.)
I am really in favor of this approach. After all, power storage is always a problem. With fuel cells natural gas itself is the stored item that converts (almost) directly and efficiently (as you point out) to clean electricity and only puts out water and CO2. Liquefied Natural Gas and Propane and Butane should be able to used in a similar fashion.
May '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
How about robotic avatars?
If you are too weak, short or inflexible to perform a physical task, you simply interface with a robot remotely to directly guide its actions. Such robots wouldn't necessarily take the general shape of humans. It might look more like a forklift or animal, depending on the task(s) it is designed for.
Some could be designed for the masses, for use at home. Others could be employed in work environments, enabling workers to guide heavy equipment without having to be in the operating vehicle or even on-site; thereby reducing risk of physical harm.
The general idea is that these are not self-operating robots. They operate by remote control. It's not a new idea, of course. But I'm surprised we haven't seen more examples of it.
Jun '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
Solar powered cooling fans built into the cars flow-thru ventilation.
Every summer I am faced with this energy issue:
Jun '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
Aaron Miller: How about robotic avatars?
If you are too weak, short or inflexible to perform a physical task, you simply interface with a robot remotely to directly guide its actions. Such robots wouldn't necessarily take the general shape of humans. It might look more like a forklift or animal, depending on the task(s) it is designed for.
Some could be designed for the masses, for use at home. Others could be employed in work environments, enabling workers to guide heavy equipment without having to be in the operating vehicle or even on-site; thereby reducing risk of physical harm.
The general idea is that these are not self-operating robots. They operate by remote control. It's not a new idea, of course. But I'm surprised we haven't seen more examples of it. · 0 minutes ago
Aliens (sequel to Alien) -- my girlfriend, Sigourney Weaver, runs an exoskeleton fork-lift manipulator.
There's a lot of work on this type of stuff. Here's something interesting:
http://www.milwaukeecylinder.com/industrial/manipulators.asp
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
One of these. That works.
May '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
Larry Koler: Solar powered cooling fans built into the cars flow-thru ventilation.
Every summer I am faced with this energy issue: · 14 minutes ago
Incidentally, why is the focus on converting direct sunlight and not heat in general? Friction and electricity produce heat as well. And attics get awfully hot during the summer.
Oct '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
If we can send a man to the Moon…
…we can expand the scope of human civilisation to the entire solar system, and do it for less than the treasure squandered on the grotesque “International Space Station”. Here is a set of slides which may not make much sense unless you've read the accompanying paper.
I'm not so sure about the part where the human-scale intelligence robots hand everything over to their creators. Why would they?
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
Reckless Endangerment: Hey! My first post. Glad to be a member of the Ricochet community. · 1 hour ago
Edited 1 hour ago
Welcome, Reckless!
May '11
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
I wouldn't mind just sending an American crew back to the Moon. Recent headlines on the NASA website talked about 5 years until we're launching manned vehicles from the US. What the hell happened to our space program?
Jun '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
Peter Robinson
Reckless Endangerment: Hey! My first post. Glad to be a member of the Ricochet community. · 1 hour ago
Edited 1 hour ago
Welcome, Reckless! · 22 minutes ago
Nice name. Is that what the liberals accuse you of: reckless endangerment of liberal pieties?
Dec '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
John Murdoch: High-efficiency fuel cells.
Instead of massive coal-fired or nuclear plants, with massive transmission lines across the countryside (and through your back yard), power distribution could be decentralized--literally, a gas-fed fuel cell inside the fence at every power company substation.
A natural gas pipeline is that much easier to install than wires?
Jun '11
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
The translating glasses is actually well within our technical ability. The biggest hurdle is getting a high enough resolution camera in something that can gracefully fit into the form factor of something like a pair of glass. Someone above mention Google Glass, and that's certainly got the ability to do this, but probably only in controlled circumstances.
I think the next big thing to develop is going to be a massive improvement of optics in such small form factors. Ability to capture 20MP of resolution in something half the size of an iphone camera.
Aug '12
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
I confess I drew inspiration from Gretchen Morgenson's fine read from 2011. However, come to think of it, liberal pieties ought to beware!
tabula rasa
Peter Robinson
Reckless Endangerment: Hey! My first post. Glad to be a member of the Ricochet community. · 1 hour ago
Edited 1 hour ago
Welcome, Reckless! · 22 minutes ago
Nice name. Is that what the liberals accuse you of: reckless endangerment of liberal pieties? · 1 minute ago
Jun '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
Foxman
John Murdoch: High-efficiency fuel cells.
Instead of massive coal-fired or nuclear plants, with massive transmission lines across the countryside (and through your back yard), power distribution could be decentralized--literally, a gas-fed fuel cell inside the fence at every power company substation.
A natural gas pipeline is that much easier to install than wires? · 14 minutes ago
Great point (or question).
Electrical lines have losses in them that are considerably greater than the frictional losses that a gas is subject to.
Aug '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
It seems like a "Lawnba" is way overdue. It would be a cross between a Roomba and a lawnmower.
Of course, the lawyers might have something to say about autonomic robots with spinning steel blades being loosed on suburbia, but maybe they could whip up a liability waiver.
Aug '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
Calorie-free ice cream that tastes as good as Blue Bell.
Jun '10
Re: If We Can Send a Man to the Moon...
Larry Koler
Foxman
John Murdoch: High-efficiency fuel cells.
Instead of massive coal-fired or nuclear plants, with massive transmission lines across the countryside (and through your back yard), power distribution could be decentralized--literally, a gas-fed fuel cell inside the fence at every power company substation.
A natural gas pipeline is that much easier to install than wires? · 14 minutes ago
Great point (or question).
Electrical lines have losses in them that are considerably greater than the frictional losses that a gas is subject to. · 1 hour ago
Also, gas can be stored and electricity loses even more energy whenever it's stored -- which is almost never.