The Year in Ideas

Some Anonymous Dude writes "The NYTimes magazine reviews this year's great ideas including the anti-paparazzi flash, forehead billboards, scientific free-throw distraction, and why popcorn doesn't pop." From the intro: "Once we have thrown back all the innovations that don't meet our exacting standards, we find ourselves with the following alphabetical catch: 78 notions, big and small, grand and petty, serious and silly, ingenious and. . . well, whatever you call it when you tattoo an advertisement on your forehead for money."

Comments

Celebs

[Beuno]

You can anti-paparazzi flash be a GREAT idea.
It only applies to 0.00001% of the worlds population...

Re:Celebs

[simdan]

Sure it may apply to a small percentage of the population, but that small percentage would probably be willing to spend big bucks for something like this. Of course that doesn't take into account those without big bank accounts that could make good use of them, like people who are dragged into the lime light by some high-profile court case.

Why read slashdot

[kermitthefrog917]

I could just wait for this article to come out each year instead. Anybody else see that the majority of those have been on slashdot before?

Re:Why read slashdot

[ZachPruckowski]

I could just wait for this article to come out each year instead. Anybody else see that the majority of those have been on slashdot before?

Flip that around. You're hearing about the great ideas of the year months before a New York Times reader is. A great reason to read.

In Vitro Meat

[Errandboy of Doom]

I like how they talk wistfully about that great, stomach churning invention from 2005: "In Vitro Meat."

Ah, yeah, remember In Vitro Meat?

No? Neither did I.

It's because that article was published the same day (Dec. 11th, 2005).

I'm not sure a contemporaneous story could have "helped make 2005 what it was," at best it could be "helping to make 2005 what it is."

IV Meat is still worth a read though, it's a cyberpunk fantasy come true.

In Vitro Meat (free BugMeNot required).

Re:Oddly Enough

[TedCheshireAcad]

But the NYT says it's the 'laptop that will save the world'. Because computers are apparently more important than FOOD and MEDICINE now.

Re:Have you ever missed meals or been hungry?

[complete loony]

There's a couple I know who don't know squat about money. They are on welfare (in AU). My wife is good with money, and financial planning and what not. She sat down with them and showed them how they could live on what they get from the government, how they could have the things they want in moderation, save money, and still have enough for all the bills.

They didn't listen, they still blow all their money. I believe the husband has a gambling problem. The wife moved out for a while, but still couldn't make ends meet and eventually moved back again.

They won $10K once gambling. They moved to a cheaper house, bought some furniture, a computer, and even tried to save some of the money in the bank. But it's all gone now.

There are some people who just can't seem to manage their own finances. They never learn from their mistakes and keep blowing all their money in useless ways.

I've seen it time and time again.

Re:Have you ever missed meals or been hungry?

[Engineer Andy]

it's totally off topic from the main discussion, but i just wanted to put in my $0.02 worth of encouragement. The wrong woman is far far worse than no woman. Alone does suck, but the misery that you could go through with the wrong person is indescribable.

In a month or so, things will proabbly look better.

I'm a christian. you might not be. I had a similar thing happen to me just under a year ago, and for me, getting the signals that this was not the right woman was the best thing that happened to me for a very long time. I count myself blessed for getting that heads up about her.