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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."

58 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. adverts on foreheads? by joe+155 · · Score: 4, Funny
    "whatever you call it when you tattoo an advertisement on your forehead for money."

    ...I think its called being really, really drunk... like all truely stupid ideas, they seemed like a good one at the time

    --
    *''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''
  2. The greatest innovation ever... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    BugMeNot.

    1. Re:The greatest innovation ever... by emptycorp · · Score: 2, Informative

      Also, BugMeNot isn't reliable anymore. I've tried numerous free sites on it and it has been flooded with fake logins.

    2. Re:The greatest innovation ever... by Ex-MislTech · · Score: 3, Informative

      I guess Bugmenot just needs to make a verification script/zombie so the "fakes"
      can be tossed in the bin .

      Ex-MislTech

      --
      google "32 trillion offshore needs IRS attention"
  3. Here's A Shot by MrNonchalant · · Score: 4, Insightful

    well, whatever you call it when you tattoo an advertisement on your forehead for money.

    Materialistic and depraved?

  4. FOREHEAD BILLBOARDS??? by matr0x_x · · Score: 2, Funny

    How the heck is tattooing GoldenPalace.com on your forehead for $25,000 a great idea??????? I'd need atleast $50K lol...

    --
    LINUX ONLINE POKER: Linux Poker
    1. Re:FOREHEAD BILLBOARDS??? by Bastard+of+Subhumani · · Score: 4, Funny

      ... or at least you could afford a hat.

      --
      Only three things are certain; death, taxes, and apocryphal quotations - Ben Franklin.
  5. Celebs by Beuno · · Score: 5, Interesting

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

    1. Re:Celebs by simdan · · Score: 2, Interesting

      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.

    2. Re:Celebs by CyricZ · · Score: 2, Insightful

      But it's a very, very rich segment of the world's population, even if they are few in numbers.

      --
      Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
    3. Re:Celebs by xoip · · Score: 2, Funny

      Toss in one of those Cameera Balls and still get the shots.

    4. Re:Celebs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
      "u're"
      Aren't you going to be late for recess? [Keep all 11 year olds off Slashdot.]
  6. Here's my idea. by Sheetrock · · Score: 5, Funny
    I like peanut butter cups.

    But... why not go one step further and make peanut butter and jelly cups? Strawberry goes well with peanut butter and chocolate, and if you want to go crazy with the concept so does raspberry and orange marmalade.

    Additionally, those apple-cinammon creme-filled cupcakes were pretty good back in the day, but were inexplicably pulled from the market at the same time they replaced the chocolate on the chocolate cupcakes with black wax. They need to bring those back (preferably avoiding the waxy "improvement" to the frosting.)

    --

    Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.
    -- Dr. Spock, stardate 2822-3.




    1. Re:Here's my idea. by Rude+Turnip · · Score: 2, Informative

      Russel Stover makes those. The jelly falls short in freshness vs jelly from a big glass jar, IMO.

    2. Re:Here's my idea. by Saxophonist · · Score: 2, Funny
      But... why not go one step further and make peanut butter and jelly cups?

      I smell a patent!

      Let's see, how to word this one... A patent for the "infusion of processed fruit and plant root material into an edible item shaped similarly to a common household object."

    3. Re:Here's my idea. by Sarisar · · Score: 3, Funny

      No no no, far to narrow. Something like a patent to "infuse two or more flavours together into a shape" THAT would get allowed straight away, then you can sue everyone over their ideas!

    4. Re:Here's my idea. by Atmchicago · · Score: 2, Funny

      Spelling tip: Grammar is a word, grammer is not.

      --

      You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it dissolve.

    5. Re:Here's my idea. by Bazzalisk · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Just a comment on your .sig.

      Although it's rarer one can also effect a retreat (for example), or sport an affect as part of one's mannerisms.

      Isn't English wonderful?

      --
      James P. Barrett
    6. Re:Here's my idea. by TedCheshireAcad · · Score: 2, Informative

      Grammer tip: 'Effect' is used as a noun. 'Affect' is used as a verb.

      Spelling tip: it's spelled 'grammar'.

    7. Re:Here's my idea. by pboulang · · Score: 2

      even worse, the statement isn't even correct! GP should pick up a dictionary.

      --

      This comment is guaranteed*

      *not guaranteed

    8. Re:Here's my idea. by Demerara · · Score: 2, Funny

      Grammer tip: 'Effect' is used as a noun. 'Affect' is used as a verb.

      Spelling Tip: Its "Grammar"

      --
      Backward%20compatibility%20is%20over-rated
    9. Re:Here's my idea. by Werkhaus · · Score: 5, Funny

      >>Grammer tip: 'Effect' is used as a noun. 'Affect' is used as a verb.

      >Spelling Tip: Its "Grammar"

      Punctuation Tip: It's "It's".

    10. Re:Here's my idea. by Macgrrl · · Score: 3, Funny

      How long do you suppose this thread can keep going?

      Is that a hypothetical question?

      --
      Sara
      Designer, Gamer, Macgrrl in an XP World
    11. Re:Here's my idea. by Pneuma+ROCKS · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Is that a hypothetical question?

      I believe you mean rethorical.

      --
      Favorite quote: "
    12. Re:Here's my idea. by Locke03 · · Score: 2, Funny

      ;)

      Non-standard use of punctuation.

      --
      I don't care what youre doing so much as the idiotic way you're doing it.
    13. Re:Here's my idea. by boojum.cat · · Score: 2, Funny
      Grammer tip: 'Effect' is used as a noun. 'Affect' is used as a verb.
      Spelling tip: it's spelled 'grammar'.
      --

      All the world seems in tune on a spring afternoon when we're poisoning pigeons in the park.
      Etiquette tip: When quoting somebody, cite your source. Give Mr. Lehrer credit for your sig.
      --
      Lost: one sig, witty, 120 chars, sentimental value. Reward offered.
  7. Why read slashdot by kermitthefrog917 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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?

    --
    I may be wrong but you're downright ugly!
    1. Re:Why read slashdot by ZachPruckowski · · Score: 3, Interesting

      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.

  8. Re:One thing is sure by kermitthefrog917 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Or a lot of BugMeNot accounts will be discovered and disactivated...

    --
    I may be wrong but you're downright ugly!
  9. Oddly Enough by Cherita+Chen · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Surprise, Surprise, the "$100 Laptop" is on the list

    http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/14/ 2119209&from=rss

    --
    I'm not fat, just big boned...
    1. Re:Oddly Enough by TedCheshireAcad · · Score: 2, Interesting

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

    2. Re:Oddly Enough by ozmanjusri · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Because computers are apparently more important than FOOD and MEDICINE now.

      My computer lets me do things that earn money. With money, I buy FOOD and MEDICINE, not just now, but whenever I need them. Maybe other people can do the same, then they will not be hungry and sick. If those people are not hungry and sick, we will stop having to send aid money to their countries. If we don't have to keep ending donations to their countries, we will be able to spend the money on large clue-by-fours to sort out people who don't understand that a sustainable income is always better than charity.

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
    3. Re:Oddly Enough by Brendor · · Score: 2, Insightful
      "My computer lets me do things that earn money"

      How can a person without access to reliable drinking water earn money with a computer?

      How can a person who lives on barren land use a computer to get food?

    4. Re:Oddly Enough by narcc · · Score: 2, Informative
      My computer lets me do things that earn money.

      115 ways to earn money with your computer.

      Does not include: Gold Farming or Fishing

      Remember that old saying -- [Give a man a fish: he eats for a day. Teach a man to phish: he eats for a lifetime.]
       
  10. Re:Missing an important one by CyricZ · · Score: 3, Informative

    That's an idea that has been around for ages. It's just that its proponents are far more organized now than they were years ago.

    Sure, they are getting a lot of publicity and having some effect in certain areas, but then you have to consider which areas those are. Kansas isn't known as a hub of scientific discovery, for instance. It really doesn't matter what they want to believe. The world as a whole, including most Christians, see ID for the nonsense that it is.

    --
    Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
  11. Article? by LadyLucky · · Score: 4, Insightful
    There is an introduction, which points to the article, which isn't the article but points back to the introduction.

    Am I the only one that can't find any article? What gives?

    --
    dominionrd.blogspot.com - Restaurants on
    1. Re:Article? by BushCheney08 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Did you try following the half dozen links on the linked page? Or the 'Go to the Issue' link? On that page there are some 50 or 60 links under the 'Year in Ideas' heading. Honestly, I can't believe you can miss a huge list like that...

      --
      Be a real patriot: Question authority. Think for yourself. Formulate your own conclusions.
  12. In Vitro Meat by Errandboy+of+Doom · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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).

    1. Re:In Vitro Meat by natrius · · Score: 2, Informative

      Ah, yeah, remember In Vitro Meat? No? Neither did I. It's because that article was published the same day (Dec. 11th, 2005).

      From the article: In July, scientists at the University of Maryland announced the development of bioengineering techniques that could be used to mass-produce a new food for public consumption: meat that is grown in incubators.

      All of the "Year in Ideas" articles are dated today.

  13. This year's greatest idea... by Stormwatch · · Score: 4, Funny

    Adding malware to music CDs.

  14. Have you ever missed meals or been hungry? by ATeamMrT · · Score: 4, Insightful
    How the heck is tattooing GoldenPalace.com on your forehead for $25,000 a great idea???????

    $25,000 is a LOT of money for someone who's never had more than the $121.45 which food stamps pays per month. To someone in IT, $25,000 might be a 2 month contract, and not very much money. Buy a top notch digital camera to play with, maybe a new plasma TV, eat at a fancy restaurant all month, and your $25K is gone. But for someone who is poor, that $25K might last 2 or 3 years. It is enough to buy a 7 year old Honda Civic with 110,000 miles for $1700. That should be solid transportation for another 5 years. That 25K will buy lots of chicken at the grocery store at $0.79 cents a pound. Add the 10 pound bag of potatoes that is $1.99, and that will last a month. For someone who has been poor, you would be surprised how easy it is to stretch $25 into a weeks worth of good eats. There isn't any steaks, but there is plenty of roasted chicken, rice, oven baked potatoe wedges, and hearty soups made from the left over bones of the chicken with some veggies. I sometimes get a kick out of fancy resturants that use peasant recipes to make meals they charge $40 per plate. The original purpose of these recipes was to conserve and be frugal. For example, there is an Italian resturant near my home that has a $7 soup which is made from olive oil, garlic, basil, water, and lots of day old crusty bread cut in cubes. It is a creamy soup, very tastey, and something that $1 could make a big pot with 20 servings. The bread breaks apart and thickens the flavorfull water.

    For someone who is poor, that $25,000 extra cash might be reason enough to buy a case of two buck chuck and stock the wine cabinet.

    I know we all live in the USA, but there is a gap growing between the rich and the poor. $25,000 is a lot of money no matter who you are! Those guys who box are often poor, and come from homes where the needs were far greater than the wants.

    Having said all that, I hate the blatant advertising. People should not use their body or uniform to advertise. It is a shame, because that $25,000 might be more money than the boxer could make any other way. It is one guaranteed payout.

    1. Re:Have you ever missed meals or been hungry? by JWSmythe · · Score: 3, Insightful


          You haven't known many people without money, have you?

          Ideally, yes, they would live within their means, and use the $25k to help with their standard of living.

          In the real world, that $25k would be gone in a week, but probably less. It may go to pay back bills, but more than likely it will put the biggest TV they can fit in their house (usually not well), some new furnature, a couple nice dinners, and maybe the down payment on a new car. Unfortunately, they'll still be living in a crappy place in a bad part of town. The car will get repossessed within months, and their 'nice' stuff that they just bought will end up as crappy as the stuff they already have. Generally, they treat their stuff just as badly as they treat themselves, which is why they're usually in that situation.

          I won't say everyone who is down on their luck is like that. Hell, I've been there. But, most people wouldn't use cash like that to ensure that they will thrive in the future.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    2. Re:Have you ever missed meals or been hungry? by JWSmythe · · Score: 5, Insightful


          I suppose that my comment was marked as troll, because I hit a nerve with someone.

          Myself, I did the trade school route. I took a year (two 6 month classes) on HVAC repair with a friend of mine. I never got hired, but he did. He spent the next year crawling under mobile homes, and in attics to run duct work. I had an old Apple IIe at home, that I was becoming very proficient on.

          I ended up getting a job in a WalMart ware house, making crap money and long hours. I was driving a $300 car with a leaky radiator that I couldn't afford to replace.

          I ended up going back to trade school for law enforcement. I started with corrections (i.e., prison guard), and then law enforcement, both of which I got certified in by the state. I worked for roughly 3 months there, where I found out it's a really shitty job deeply rooted in the good ol' boy system. I wasn't one of the good ol' boys, so I didn't have a chance.

          I ended up with a tech job at a crappy computer store in a bad part of town. They sold the worst hardware, and the customers were always unhappy. Last I heard, the owner was on the run for tax evasion. I learned a lot about PC hardware, and how to make absolute crap work.

          All the while, I was living in some pretty crappy places. I was very happy eating a $0.49 McDonalds hamburger and water for lunch, and maybe a bowl of rice or spaghetti for dinner.

          I knew people who lived in rusted out mobile homes, that would get some quick cash somehow, and waste it. They'd have a huge TV, newer car, or whatever, and a couple weeks later, be bitching that their welfare check didn't buy them enough food to eat.

          I ended up at an Internet company for a year, making not quite as crappy money. I think my take-home check was roughly $200.

          I kept trying, had a bit of dumb luck, and have ended up where I am now. I have nice things, and live in a nice place.

          But, money doesn't buy happiness. My girlfriend left me yesterday, because I don't take her out enough, and I don't pay enough attention to her. She doesn't like that my pager goes off at odd hours, and that I get phone calls from 9am until sometime after 1am, depending on where the clients are. She doesn't like that I work a lot, and lately have frequently been out of town for work for between a week and two months at a time.

          So, what do you do? Beats me. Right now, I'd get a tattoo on my head, if I knew it would earn me happiness. Screw the cash.

          For them, yes, go to a trade school, learn to do something. Anything. Work a hard day, get a crappy paycheck, and when the better job comes along, grab it. It's better than putting a tattoo on your forehead, grabbing the quick cash, and squandering it all.

          In my own situation, I'm being humbled. I'm going to sell virtually everything I have, move in with a friend, save every penny I have, and maybe when I come out of it, I'll have savings in the bank to keep me financially stable for the rest of my life, and still have my friends. All the nice stuff that I could possibly own (and do), and as much as I've tried to please girlfriends I've been with have done be absolutely no good. If I know I can buy a $0.49 hamburger for lunch every day, a bowl of rice every night, and be around my friends, I'll continue to be happy. I'll still have my skills, and I will continue to work until I'm too old to type or to think.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    3. Re:Have you ever missed meals or been hungry? by complete+loony · · Score: 4, Interesting
      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.

      --
      09F91102 no, 455FE104 nope, F190A1E8 uh-uh, 7A5F8A09 that's not it, C87294CE no. Ah! 452F6E403CDF10714E41DFAA257D313F.
    4. Re:Have you ever missed meals or been hungry? by JWSmythe · · Score: 2, Insightful


          There is no god, no matter what religion you are. I've searched. No one has found 'god'. They've found in religion something to make them feel safe from what they don't understand.

          Religion is the early man's way of explaining what he didn't understand.

          Surely you have grown beyond that by now.

          Some have told me that we are 'god'. That is the best explanation. We are in control of our own destiny. Leaving it up to a mythical being to save yourself is leading your life to ruin through inaction.

          But hey, if it works for you, go to church, give your 'donation', and pray all that you'd like.

          I don't claim to understand everything, but I know that I shouldn't. Some people believe I do. Some people know I don't. The rest of you don't know me at all.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    5. Re:Have you ever missed meals or been hungry? by LegendLength · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I suppose that my comment was marked as troll, because I hit a nerve with someone.

      I would say it was this:

      "Generally, they treat their stuff just as badly as they treat themselves, which is why they're usually in that situation."

    6. Re:Have you ever missed meals or been hungry? by TapeCutter · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Spot on, nobody understands what "it is all about" for anybody except themselves. Those that would force their beliefs on others through violent means are responsible for most of the carnage of human history including the carnage that is happening now. Accepting that "it" is unkowable gives the same sense of awe and liberation found in more conventional religions.

      Yes, I have missed meals and been hungry.
      Yes, I, my ex and two kids, were classed as "working-poor" for ~10yrs.
      Yes, I get well above the average wage now.
      Yes, I have "wasted" money I didn't have on "frivolus" things like a weekend in a 3 star hotel. I can only assume the posts that think this is a bad thing have a "religion" based on money.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    7. Re:Have you ever missed meals or been hungry? by syousef · · Score: 2, Insightful

      But, money doesn't buy happiness. My girlfriend left me yesterday, because I don't take her out enough, and I don't pay enough attention to her. She doesn't like that my pager goes off at odd hours, and that I get phone calls from 9am until sometime after 1am, depending on where the clients are. She doesn't like that I work a lot, and lately have frequently been out of town for work for between a week and two months at a time.

      Trust me. If she's like that, it's good news. You'll appreciate it soon enough. Alone sux. With the wrong person sux worse. Find someone who'll treat you better and you'll be a lot happier.

      --
      These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
    8. Re:Have you ever missed meals or been hungry? by Engineer+Andy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      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.

      --
      "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the World" 1 John 4:14
  15. If there are only 78 innovative ideas by Flyboy+Connor · · Score: 2, Insightful
    If there are only 78 innovative ideas, why is it that tens of thousands of patents were awarded?

    Furthermore: tattooing a slogan on your forehead -- why does that fall under the category "Science"?

  16. 2003 in ideas by Leontes · · Score: 2, Informative

    "Started in August 2003"

    -wikipedia

  17. cyberpunk fantasy? by commodoresloat · · Score: 2, Funny
    it's a cyberpunk fantasy come true.

    you misspelled "gourmand's nightmare."

    What I do love, though, is anything that prompts the New York Times to publish a joke about "tube steak."

  18. Re:One thing is sure by magefile · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's a hassle to me (takes time). BugMeNot takes less time, especially with the extension or bookmarklet installed, and I feel no guilt because the NYT would'nt've gotten real information anyway.

  19. Slashdot Says: by 246o1 · · Score: 2, Informative

    It's 'Grammar.'

    And both things you say are wrong, as those words are both both verb and noun.

    And, last but not least, everyone around here loves to pick on people who post about grammar and spelling.

    Perhaps you're a grammar troll?

    --
    Although the moon is smaller than the earth, it is farther away.
  20. Is it.. by StikyPad · · Score: 2, Funny

    whatever you call it when you tattoo an advertisement on your forehead for money.

    Slashdot?

  21. Conspiracy theorists, pay attention! by Stickerboy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I found this tidbit interesting:

    Under "Making Global Warming Work For You", there was "Millions of acres of ice may soon become suitable for nautical traffic and oil exploration. An estimated quarter of the world's undiscovered oil and gas resources are in the Arctic."

    And people wonder why the energy industry/US government is doing all it can to drag their heels on climate control...

    --
    Light a fire for a man and he'll be warm for a day. Light a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
  22. The Real Big Ideas for 2005 by dexter+riley · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I read the list of innovative ideas...they mostly seemed like Sharper Image catalog entries. An infrared pet dryer? Robot jockeys? Singing toothbrushes? How grand.

    So, I say we start a list of what the REAL big ideas of 2005 were. I'll start. This is the first year I recall where it was widely expressed in the media that there are major global cities, even some in the United States (ye gads!), that are unmaintainable over the next hundred years, and can be expected to be abandoned to the elements. Whether it's New Orleans being returned to swamp, or the cities of the Southwest that could dwindle as energy and water costs rise, the notion of the likely failure of many of our great cities seems significant. At least, it seems more important than the "Snap-On Celebrity Smiles" that made the list.

    Anyone else have any other real ideas that came from 2005 that are worth commenting on?

    Rock on with your bad selves,
    dex

  23. Re:Missing an important one by Gibsnag · · Score: 3, Funny

    Oh yes, I can't wait for society to accept the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Ahh, what a blissful day that will be when the Church of the FSM is recognised as a world religion.