Domain: halfbakery.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to halfbakery.com.
Comments · 203
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Re:Electricity bill?
By the way, called it.
(I guess I might be to blame for the WiFi. Oh well. Nothing terms of service, SLAs, and a firewall policy can't fix.)
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Re:security doesn't necessarily matter
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Re: Bobcat rental
The generic idea (different "liquid" specified) was posted on the internet back in 2001. Here.
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Re:So it's not a 32 core chip
It looks to me like they finally figured out a small part of something I wrote about more than a decade ago. Too bad I couldn't afford to patent it....
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Re:HGST nearly always on top
Here's a wild idea that might extend disk-drive lifespan even more. All the drive-spindles/axles in one of those pods should be aligned parallel with the Earth's rotation axis (details in the link).
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Half baked
Someone already thought of this. Check the link for one real-world test and a lot of discussion on the matter.
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Two more problems with Venus
On Earth it appears that the oceans put enough water into the crust as to make plate tectonics possible (the water lubricates fault lines. If Venus ever had plate tectonics, it probably stopped when the water evaporated. And then there is the fact that Venus is tide-locked between the Sun and Earth (always has the save face toward Earth when the two planets are closest together). Earth's magnetic field exists partly because of its rotation, and that magnetic field helps protect its atmosphere. Venus hasn't got the necessary rotation rate.
I once speculated about a way to make Venus habitable. Like many good tricks, it can mostly be done with mirrors. :) -
Re:app???
The problem is mostly about typing into text box, when mouse-clicking outside the box is sometimes useful. I personally complained about the problem roughly three years ago, and am glad someone finally is deciding to do something about it.
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Re:Dark Matter and Energy
The original article clearly indicates that such particles need to be found first, within the abilities of the LHC. OR, we need something bigger than the Earth's circumference.
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Or another application
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Magneto-nuclear asteroid steering
I like this idea better.
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Re:Uncertainty
I prefer to think that the definition of what is "valuable" is subject to change. This idea describes a kind of "overview" regarding converting just about anything into a pile of resources. The main cost is Energy. And in space, solar energy can be very cheap. IF they bother to put a solar-power station into Space, that is, with the goal not of using it to beam energy to Earth, but to use it to "smelt" (for want of a more precise word) space rocks down into useful oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, magnesium, etc. Then it won't matter in the least if one of those space rocks happens to be full of platinum.
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Teflon
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Re:Won't work because ...
I wish there was a website specific for open sourcing ideas, or maybe there's one and I don't know about it.
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Re: Jet packs
Yeah, jetpacks have serious issues. What this world needs is a good $500 Balloonachute.
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Recently on Halfbakery: 3D Study Maze
Gamification of studies can be good for you: 3D Study Maze - Computer game for students: theory on the walls, problem solutions unlock the doors.
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Re:What happens when a car stands still on them?
It's a good one but I've seen it before http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Custard-Filled_20Speed_20Bumps#985712400
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"Religion" and fusion
I am bothered by the fact that people know full well that many inventions come about from different things being combined together, yet as far as nuclear fusion research is concerned, the researchers are largely divided into camps, each of which thinks its own approach is the One True Way. There are the magnetic confinement people, the electrostatic confinement people, the inertial confinement laser-blast people, the inertial confinement electron-blast people, the inertial confinement sonic-blast people, and so on, and so on, and so on. Bah! It seems to me that some of those techniques are "complementary", such that if combined in an overall system, the whole would be a more effective means of reaching the goal. Well? (For some particular examples, see this link.)
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Really?
“Because humans have unlimited storage capacity, having total recall would be a mess,” says Bjork.
In that case, using only 10% of it shouldn't be a problem!
:)Joking aside, most of the suggestions in the article make sense.
After years and years of classes, some years off, and going back to taking classes (and doing much better in them), this is the advice I have. It is not free -- you are required to give me $5 if you ever find me in real life:
0) Understand the material. Keep a laptop connected to the Internet open during class. Google whatever you don't understand immediately, fill the gaps in your knowledge, and get back to the lecture. Bookmark or transcribe the info down if necessary (this helps me with definitions, acronyms, etc.). This will keep you from getting bored, since boredom generally results from not understanding. If you understand the material and the instructor is truly being boring, the tangential information you discover during this process may be more useful than the class itself!
1) Understand the material! I mean really -- even if you're behind. Do reading before class if you can. Check Wikipedia. Consult the Khan Academy. Do the homework, and spread it over multiple days, making sure you get some sleep in between the days. All-nighters, while they make for great stories, are not as helpful as you think. (My record was 36 hours straight -- I got the A -- but I wouldn't do it again if I had the chance!)
2) Avoid early morning classes, if possible. Unless you're a morning person -- in which case you probably don't need the advice.
3) Take notes during class. On paper, with indelible pen, in a bound notebook, writing/drawing only the points which seem relevant to you. The point of doing this is to help you focus and summarize, not to record the lecturers words for posterity. I've found that typing, while faster and more legible, does not aid my recall as well. Recording the lecture may be helpful if it's an exam review, but is pointless if you're not paying attention while there.
4) Teach someone the material right afterward, if you can. Tutor someone, or bore your significant other to tears...
5) Find a way to extend what you learned. Right down your ideas. Implement them if practical. Post them on Halfbakery if not...
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Re:Seatbelts?
Ah, looks like you'd be a fan of the Steering Wheel Spike. Since you're a pedestrian or cyclist, you might not be such a fan of the "pointy thing in the front" that's standard on all cars from the Badi Dea Motor Corporation.
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Re:Materials
I suspect for any part that can be made via 3D printing, the replaced part can be ground up into powder suitable for making a new part. Remember that the ISS is surrounded by lots of vacuum, and various materials have exhibited some interesting properties in a vacuum that they don't exhibit on Earth. For more details, especially regarding the "stickiness" a substance needs to make a part in a 3D printer, see this old idea.
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Use it for touchscreens
Ferrofluid touch interface
Touch interface that uses Ferrofluids to provides tactile feedback
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Ferrofluid_20touch_20interface -
Some ideas...
Ferrofluid touch interface
Touch interface that uses Ferrofluids to provides tactile feedback
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Ferrofluid_20touch_20interfaceAir-Driven Touch Interface
Using a mesh of air valves to provide a tactile interface
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Air-Driven_20Touch_20InterfaceLiquid Interfaces - A Malleable, Transient, Direct-Touch Interface
http://www.mendeley.com/research/liquid-interfaces-malleable-transient-directtouch-interface-2/#page-1 -
Some ideas...
Ferrofluid touch interface
Touch interface that uses Ferrofluids to provides tactile feedback
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Ferrofluid_20touch_20interfaceAir-Driven Touch Interface
Using a mesh of air valves to provide a tactile interface
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Air-Driven_20Touch_20InterfaceLiquid Interfaces - A Malleable, Transient, Direct-Touch Interface
http://www.mendeley.com/research/liquid-interfaces-malleable-transient-directtouch-interface-2/#page-1 -
Greening the Dessert
The world has lots of water, lots of desert, too much carbon dioxide, far too many people who do not have enough to eat and insufficient clean water. What follows is a possible solution.
I have posted my idea here
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Water_20transportation#1287975564To save the above website from being slashdotted, here is my idea plus a few edits.
Deliver water and electricity anywhere on the planet cheaply
In Iceland they have built a vast hydroelectric system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1rahnj%C3%BAkavirkjun
They are using the electricity to smelt aluminium. I propose a different plan, that they use the electricity to smelt hydrogen from the sea.
The three beautiful attributes of hydrogen are, it can be used to lift things, make electricity and it is one of the two elements that make up water.
Why not combine all three attributes of hydrogen to improve the planet and undo some of the harm, our species appears to be doing.
Put the hydrogen in a vast balloon, attach a motor driven propeller and a hydrogen compressor, both driven by the hydrogen in the balloon, navigate it automatically using GPS.
Fly the balloon into the jet stream using the compressor to control the height of the balloon, use the jet stream to transport the balloon encased hydrogen most of the way, to where water is required on the planet. When the hydrogen is as close to where it is wanted as you can get it, using the oxygen hydrogen reaction, start compressing the hydrogen and the balloon will sink.
In one cubic mile of uncompressed hydrogen, there is potentially 744316795 gallons of water, which is enough water to fill over a thousand Olympic swimming pools.
Water is very heavy so would be expensive to transport about, simple just transport the hydrogen 'coz the oxygen is already there!
Once we can get the water to the dry areas of the planet and grow oil palm plantations there, we can stop the absolute scandal of chopping down jungle in Indonesia to plant oil palm plantations and in so doing - destroy the orangutans environment.
Imagine a plentiful supply of water in the middle of Australia or in the Sahara.
More water in dry areas means more plants means less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
If the water is stored at the top of mountains then hydroelectricity could be made when the water is needed at the bottom of the mountains.
The electricity generated when the hydrogen and oxygen are combined in a fuel cell, could be used to create fertilizer and if there were any juice left over, you could always smelt aluminium with it
:)The price of scrap aluminium is very cheap, the planet has little need of smelted aluminium.
Little Iceland, needs an economic lifeline so as to pay off its debts.
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Re:Hydrogen
Here is some source material for you. CITATION
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Re:Other strategies...
That sounds like a beautiful idea.
I had a similar idea for parking lots, but I never tried to fund it.
Pneumatic speed bumps. If you speed, they pump up, if not, no bump...
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Re:From the No Duh Dept.
I had an idea about this several years ago: http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Speed-Limited_20Road_20Design#1170250376
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Re:If you post before this
This idea has been "out there" for several years. Perhaps its time has finally arrived. See http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Boiled_20Gasoline_20Engine
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Re:Push them further away
We need a vacuum cleaner! http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Vacuum_20Cleaner#1133566372
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Re:The haptic hell waits for them ...
I agree.
Here's a blue-sky idea that could help.
Ferrofluid touch interface
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Ferrofluid_20touch_20interfaceAnother idea that could help is having analog buttons and joysticks with tiny OLEDs mounted on the keys/buttons/sticks (like the Optimus keyboard). Perhaps even the physicals components could be reconfigurable like the Rubik cube.
Also wonder if it would be possible to build constructive interference with several piezo sensors to generate feedback
Anyway, here's to ideas and inventions
[everything here is public domain] -
Polorizer Stereoscopy
A fairly simple 3D idea, at least when compared to powered shuttered glasses.
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Prototype solution is around for this problem
While I can't say that this is a solved problem, it does appear to be a common one, particularly where it's cold / snowy. I'm betting not too many people from Arizona are in on a solution.
This person has prototyped a solution for LED vehicle lights as well as traffic lights (makes sense as they suffer from the same problem) - heated traffic light lens
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Re:Anonymous Coward
Hell you could probably power the entire south with the revolutions that man is turning in his grave.
May he rest in peace.
References to jokes:
- Flubu (search for "spinning")
- Half Bakery
I like the "wrap wires on body" idea better - it probably results in higher revolutions.
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First Prior Art
Wonder if they applied for a patent before April 22, 2004 ?
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Re:Tailgating to the max
Sounds a lot like this idea: Train-of-cars that was posted more than 4 years ago. Note that means certain elements are therefore in the Public Domain and cannot be patented.
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Lets expand on that.
Why is it that we haven't built datacenters in places with natural cooling. gives a new meaning to the phrase, sent to siberia.
I know I am not the only one with this obvious Idea. -
Re:Finally
Why not "Finally"? The idea has been around for some time, at least.
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regenerative braking
Want to hijack this trollfest and see if I can get some useful information - the thing city bikes REALLY need is regenerative breaking - compared to cars, bikes suck at acceleration, and trying to conserve precious momentum makes breaking traffic laws way too tempting - some regenerative breaking would solve both problems and more.
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Regenerative_20Brake_20Bike here are some http://www.physicsforums.com/archive/index.php/t-206514.htmllinks but it seems while everyone agrees 'it's tricky but can be done' no one has actually done it.
Not sure why that is, any additional info/ideas would be welcome. I think it would really transform the urban environment if it could be worked out. And I have fantasies of keeping peddling at stoplights then shooting off @ proper street speeds.
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Re:Cite please
You need one of these
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My related halbakery Idea.
The list of features mentioned is strikingly similar to one mentioned in my halfbakery idea.
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Re:No surprise
I've been expecting something like that for years. Here's a proposed solution.
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Half-baked 2 years ago
The Halfbakery has been all over this and many other microgeneration techniques for years. Call in the lawyers!
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Illogical choices
Study participants liked best the cars scoring high in the so-called power traits â" the most mature, masculine, arrogant, and angry-looking ones
This explain why so many people likes SUVs despite them being more insecure, inefficient and illogical choices: they choose like animals driven by istinct instead of logic. (EG: idiots)
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Re:But does it run Vinyl-ROM?
Make sure to provide support for this!
Reminds me of a conversation prompted by the University of Leeds computing staff passing round a *really* old department brochure in the pub. One of the IS mature students looked at the big square box in the middle of the room, and queried "is that a CD-ROM drive?"
"CD-ROM that early in the 80's?" said I, "nah. That'd be an LP-ROM drive".
The look on my face spoiled it
... eventually! -
But does it run Vinyl-ROM?
Make sure to provide support for this!
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Re:Correlation != Causation
I wonder if they got the idea from here?
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Re:Researchers!
"Most of research is simply discovering new problems for others to solve." -- A very important point. In fact, research that uncovers a problem but not a solution is an exciting opportunity for all related researchers in the field, because there is now one more problem to study.
"Nobody told me I had to find a solution as well." Hmm. If you look at research into pure math, it would be an unfortunate situation indeed if you could not publish until you had worked out a complete solution. Consider the age-old problem of the distribution of the primes...
unrelated notes:
"Parents came to visit and brought a full bottle of single-malt whiskey" -- umm, so, when are your parents going to visit my apartment? give me an e-mail address and I'll send a list of what I like ;)
"Classical gas simplified for beginners [youtube.com]" -- What kind of 'classical gas' are we talking about? You know, even 'ideal gas' has pitfalls as an ambiguous phrase... -
Re:Backups, backups, backups!
This is why I always thought that cloud computing based on servers would be disastrous. What if the server goes down? Well, here's a case in point. You lose everything.
I proposed an idea like a P2P backup. Say you have some 20 GB you want to back up. You make 20 GB available on your system, and fire up a P2P backup program. You partner with people who want to backup also, trade backup space, and voila! You have a distributed backup system. It's all encrypted, so you can't get into other people's stuff on your system, and vice-versa. Periodically, the app checks to make sure that all your backup partners are available. If not, it starts negotiating a backup with a new partner.
Of course, you don't want to lose your stuff to a single host going down, you would have a ratio of 3:1 or 4:1 to make sure that you have high availability. -
Re:Unlikely
Yes, the idea sounds pretty half-baked to me.