Generational Cycles – Political Impressionability

Darrell Mann

This from the Greg Lukianoff, Jonathan Haidt book, ‘The Coddling Of The American Mind’ (the one referenced earlier in the ezine in the second article):

“Here’s a quirk about American politics: the majority of white Americans … Read More

Safety & Safetyism

Darrell Mann

Last month I felt inspired to write something (Reference 1) in defence of the ‘Nanny-State’ accusations increasingly being thrown at, usually, individuals who appeared to be offering up advice over-protecting others. For example, people like celebrity chef, Jamie … Read More

Patent of the Month – Hysteresis Bearing-less Motor

Darrell Mann

It was a close-run thing for our Patent of the Month award this month. We nearly gave the honour to US10,177,688 from a joint university/industry foundation in Korea. It offers the world the potential for a really simple, … Read More

ICSI & GCSI – Call for Submissions and Participation. Liverpool

The 10th International Conference on Systematic Innovation (ICSI) & Global Competition on Systematic Innovation (GCSI) CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS & PARTICIPATION

Date: July 08-11, 2019, Liverpool, UK

Web: http://www.i-sim.org/icsi2019

E-mail: icsi2019@i-sim.org

Co-Organizers:

• Read More

Mediocrity Rules

Darrell Mann

Does anyone remember Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy story of the Golgafrinchans and ‘Ark B’? Just in case you’re not a British person growing up in the 1970s, the Golgafrinchans were a race that got sick … Read More

Biology – Cat Tongue

Darrell Mann

Cats love to groom themselves almost as much as they love to sleep, spending up to one-quarter of their waking hours cleaning their fur.

The secret to their self-cleaning success? The spines on their tongues are curved and … Read More

The Zero-Variation-Manufacture Contradiction

Darrell Mann

I spoke at a Robust Design conference last month. One of the other speakers was extolling the virtues of ‘zero-variation’ manufacture (Reference 1). The concept immediately struck me as one of those naïve, ill-conceived motivational posters the manufacture … Read More

Generational Cycles – Irony

Darrell Mann

I’m a sucker for Generation Cycles books. Part attempt to find evidence to (one day!) negate the Strauss & Howe model, part smug self-satisfaction. The most recent venture was Tiffanie Darke’s ‘Now We Are 40’ romp. A great … Read More

Patent of the Month – High Refractive Index Nanocomposite

Darrell Mann

A rare trip to Maryland for our patent of the month this month. US10,144,482 was granted to a trio of inventors at Pixelligent Technologies (pixelligent.com) on December 4. Here’s what they have to say about the problem addressed … Read More

Kano & Intangibles

Darrell Mann

I’m never sure whether the Kano Diagram (above) has fallen from favour and disappeared, or whether it has become so ubiquitous that no-one feels a need to talk about it anymore. If I had to … Read More

Biology – Polka-dot Tree Frog

Darrell Mann

Under normal light, the South American polka dot tree frog (Hypsiboas punctatus) sports a muted palette of greens, yellows and reds. But dim the lights and switch on ultraviolet illumination, and this little amphibian gives off a bright … Read More

Patent of the Month – Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma

Darrell Mann

Our Patent of the Month this month takes us to Taiwan, and a quartet of inventors at the National Chiao Tung University. US 10,121,638 was granted on November 6. In a wonderfully succinct write-up (5 pages of narrative), … Read More

Breakthrough Game Design

Darrell Mann

Since the launch of TRIZmeta last month, we’ve been embarked on a tour of the game industry. Main conclusion: there are a lot of games. And the industry is a lot like every other one in that most … Read More

Generational Cycles – Joy

Darrell Mann

Baby Boomer (Prophets)   -           The Joy Of Sex

Generation X (Nomads)     -           The Joy Of Sucks

Generation Y (Heroes)       -           The Joy Of Shots

Generation Z (Artists)         -           The … Read More

Robust Design: Macro & Meta Contradictions

Darrell Mann

I’m speaking at a Robust Design conference this month and I think my job is to shake things up a bit. It shouldn’t be too difficult. The Robust Design world is still thinking it’s a good idea to … Read More

Patent of the Month – Robotic Bouncing Ball

Darrell Mann

Well, I never expected to be featuring a patent assigned to Disney in this section of the ezine, but here we are. Never say never. I suppose, too, the presence of California Institute of Technology has a bearing … Read More

Biology – Australasian Grebe

Darrell Mann

Like most grebes, the Australasian grebe is a poor flier and even worse on land due to its short wings and its legs being placed far back on its body. Grebes have large feet with flat rounded “lobate” … Read More

Generational Cycles – Reservoir Dogs

Darrell Mann

Published in 2002, The Cinema of Generation X by Peter Hanson, is an early study of the youthful voices who defined American movies in the 1990s. Each chapter analyzes various themes in Generation X cinema and the creators … Read More

Case Study: Friction And No-Friction

Darrell Mann

Anyone that follows me on Twitter may have noticed that I’m not very good at following other people. It’s nothing personal, just that my brain is not capable of tuning in to fast moving streams of information/noise. That … Read More

TRIZCON2019

Max Sherer

The Altshuller Institute for TRIZ Studies will be holding our 21st annual international conference, TRIZCON2019, at Purdue University from 20th-22nd May, 2019, under the theme “TRIZ in Science, Education, Creativity and Industry”.

Who should attend? Anyone involved in … Read More