Biology – Sea Slug (Elysia chlorotica)

Darrell Mann

In an amazing achievement akin to adding solar panels to your body, a Northeast sea slug sucks raw materials from algae to provide its lifetime supply of solar-powered energy, according to a study recently published by scientists at … Read More

Investments – 3D-Printed Skin Sensors

Darrell Mann

In a groundbreaking new study, researchers at the University of Minnesota used a customized, low-cost 3D printer to print electronics on a real hand for the first time. The technology could be used by soldiers on the battlefield … Read More

Wow In Music – Wow In Music – Boogie Wonderland

Darrell Mann

Disco music is one of the most denigrated of all the popular genres. For the most part there is good reason for the criticism. The cream, however, always rises given time, and Earth, Wind & Fire’s massive hit, … Read More

DSRP vs LoSC

Darrell Mann

A good friend told me I had to take a look at Derek & Laura Cabrera’s book, ‘Systems Thinking Made Simple’ (Reference 1) a few weeks ago. My intrigue was brought to a critical level when I saw … Read More

Best of the Month – Synchronicity

Darrell Mann

To be honest, I’ve put off reading this book for a long time. It’s sat in my library, next to The Fifth Discipline since I found a copy in a junk shop several years ago. The reason I … Read More

Generational Cycles – Spot The Year?

Darrell Mann

Let’s keep things simple this month. Here’s a poster from the Whitney Museum.

Can you guess the year?

Answer:

And here’s the point….

Related posts:

1. Welcome to the August 2008 Issue of The TRIZ Journal!

… Read More

TRIZmeta the triz game that breaks all the rules.

Kobus Cilliers

Strategy games have always been popular and essential. They prepare us for life and help us to try out risky options in a fictional situation. Now we can take the strategy game a step further.

TRIZmeta is a … Read More

Playing TRIZ

Christian Thurnes, Claudia Hentschel and Frank Zeihsel

Playing TRIZ (Volume 1) Games and Cases for Learning and Teaching Inventiveness

Learning and teaching inventiveness often hands us situations in which we fear completely unjustified leaps just as much as … Read More

Patent of the Month – Graduated Auxetic Foam

Darrell Mann

Our patent of the month this month sticks to the world of ‘keep-it-simple’, and also manages to stay local. My old haunt, Rolls-Royce in Bristol to be precise, and a pair of inventors who had US9,956,729 granted … Read More

Patient Compliance Big Picture

Darrell Mann

We first wrote about patient compliance via a very specific case study some time ago (Reference 1). Reading Jordan Peterson’s book, ‘12 Rules For Life’ (Reference 2), recently triggered thoughts about the bigger compliance issue. Specifically, his second … Read More

Not So Funny – Principle 8, Counterbalance

Darrell Mann

“Where the weight of an object or system causes problems, combine it with something that provides lift.”

Or:

“When an entity or system deviates from a desired path, introduce protocols or forces that provide a re-stabilising … Read More

Short Thort

Darrell Mann

“Empathy is a hand thick with scars offering you a bandage.” Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons

“If only you’d remember before ever you sit down to write that you’ve been a reader … Read More

Investments – Piezoelectric Textiles

Darrell Mann

Working up a sweat from carrying a heavy load? That is when the textile works at its best. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a fabric that converts kinetic energy into electric power, in cooperation with … Read More

Patent of the Month – Microfluidic Desalination

Darrell Mann

Patent of the month this month takes us to a trio of inventors at the University of Texas. US9,932,251 was granted on April 3. The wonderfully succinct background description describes the motivation for the invention as follows:

Read More

Short Thort

Darrell Mann

Whenever we experience a pair of potentially conflicting attributes – creativity and patience, say, or resourcefulness and naivety, or X and Y – its always possible to construct a 2×2 matrix. When we solve the conflict and get … Read More

Biology – Sleeping Chironomid (Polypedilum vanderplanki)

Darrell Mann

Polypedilum vanderplanki or the sleeping chironomid, is a dipteran in the family Chironomidae (non-biting midges). It occurs in the semi-arid regions of the African continent (e.g. northern Nigeria and Uganda). Its larvae are found in small tubular nests … Read More

Wow In Music – Strawberry Fields Forever

Darrell Mann

One of the greatest singles of all time. An enduring classic that it is difficult to tire of listening to. Why is that?

Let’s start the investigation somewhere else. Somewhere a long way from the Beatles… The Pearl … Read More

Paradoxical Thinking & Breakthrough Oxymorons

Darrell Mann

Here’s my new favourite delegate exercise in team-building workshops. The inspiration comes from a twenty-year old book, Paradoxical Thinking, that I found in a junk shop last year (Reference 1). Ultimately it’s yet another book in the category … Read More

Best of the Month – The Innovation Illusion

Darrell Mann

Here’s one of those best-of choices that comes with a health-warning: This book might cause prospective innovators to believe that all of their innovation efforts are futile. This is a depressing book. Mainly because, rather than our SI … Read More

Campaign to destroy Patent Trolls and break the patent stranglehold

The patent system was created to support entrepreneurs and encourage innovation – now it does the opposite stifling both innovators and new ideas. Now patent trolls are using the system to rip off manufacturing companies and large corporations are registering … Read More