Inventing Is No Longer Optional
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From: Don Stauffer on 4 Feb 2010 09:46 Bret Cahill wrote: > Whenever some idiot on a science or tech tries to bluff he is more > worthwhile than Al Gore in a dust devil, just ask him for his patent > numbers. > > Inventing is no longer optional. > > > Bret Cahill > > One problem for us whose work was largely on DOD contracts, the government automatically owned all the work and discoveries. Ended up with zero patents when I retired. Hope that doesn't mean my work had zero value. On the other hand, another figure of merit is list of published papers. Have a fair number of those, since there are classified journals.
From: Bob Eld on 4 Feb 2010 10:40 "Don Stauffer" <stauffer(a)usfamily.net> wrote in message news:4b6ad34c$0$1336$815e3792(a)news.qwest.net... > Bret Cahill wrote: > > Whenever some idiot on a science or tech tries to bluff he is more > > worthwhile than Al Gore in a dust devil, just ask him for his patent > > numbers. > > > > Inventing is no longer optional. > > > > > > Bret Cahill > > > > > One problem for us whose work was largely on DOD contracts, the > government automatically owned all the work and discoveries. Ended up > with zero patents when I retired. Hope that doesn't mean my work had > zero value. On the other hand, another figure of merit is list of > published papers. Have a fair number of those, since there are > classified journals. I can relate to that. I worked for the Navy and the CIA on various clandestine "gadgets" over the years none of which ever got patented. I have one, count 'em, one patent to my name and that was for a capacitive coupling device that to me seemed totally obvious and unworthy of a patent. You might say I reinvented the capacitor! Yet the patent office granted a patent on it. Many patents are absurd these days, its about money, not invention and even a bent piece of wire may garner a patent depending on the claims. There are several perpetual motion patents as ridiculous as that is. There is no requirement that a patent works.
From: Helpful person on 4 Feb 2010 11:04 On Feb 4, 7:40 am, "Bob Eld" <nsmontas...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > "Don Stauffer" <stauf...(a)usfamily.net> wrote in message > > news:4b6ad34c$0$1336$815e3792(a)news.qwest.net... > > > > > Bret Cahill wrote: > > > Whenever some idiot on a science or tech tries to bluff he is more > > > worthwhile than Al Gore in a dust devil, just ask him for his patent > > > numbers. > > > > Inventing is no longer optional. > > > > Bret Cahill > > > One problem for us whose work was largely on DOD contracts, the > > government automatically owned all the work and discoveries. Ended up > > with zero patents when I retired. Hope that doesn't mean my work had > > zero value. On the other hand, another figure of merit is list of > > published papers. Have a fair number of those, since there are > > classified journals. > > I can relate to that. I worked for the Navy and the CIA on various > clandestine "gadgets" over the years none of which ever got patented. I have > one, count 'em, one patent to my name and that was for a capacitive coupling > device that to me seemed totally obvious and unworthy of a patent. You might > say I reinvented the capacitor! Yet the patent office granted a patent on > it. Many patents are absurd these days, its about money, not invention and > even a bent piece of wire may garner a patent depending on the claims. There > are several perpetual motion patents as ridiculous as that is. There is no > requirement that a patent works. I can top that. I have a patent for the achromatic doublet. True it is for a specific application and included new ideas, but it's still an achromatic doublet. http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=GB&NR=2323679&KC=&FT=E www.richardfisher.com
From: Bret Cahill on 4 Feb 2010 12:22 > > > >Whenever some idiot on a science or tech tries to bluff he is more > > > >worthwhile than Al Gore in a dust devil, just ask him for his patent > > > >numbers. > > > > >Inventing is no longer optional. > > > > >Bret Cahill > > > > Apparently making sense is still optional. > > > Five or 6 years ago some woman on BBC explained the new reality: > > > "Anything less than genius just won't do." > > Then you should throw your computer in the trash, and learn to live > with your sub 70 ID10T quotient while learning basket weaving. When you go to the supermarket put all the ice cream and chips you ordinarily buy into your shopping cart as usual. Then go to the produce section and buy collards. Just before you get to the checkout put the icecream and chips on the discretionary spending display stand. They'll send a clerk to save the icecream before it melts. Bret Cahill
From: Mark Thorson on 4 Feb 2010 17:56
Bob Eld wrote: > > Many patents are absurd these days, its about money, not invention and > even a bent piece of wire may garner a patent depending on the claims. It's not a bent piece of wire, you fool! It's an advanced geosensor for detecting subterranean flows of water! (Also useful for finding lost objects.) |