INFOGIFT.INFO

The New York Times in its Magazine section came up with its eights annual “Year in Ideas” issue, where they “have compiled an alphabetical digest of ideas, from A to Z…that helped make the previous 12 months, for better or worse, what they were”. In this article I will write only about a few ideas, which I find interesting.

 
1. Under “A” Air Bags For Elderly
“Elderly people reasonably dread falling: falls are the leading cause of death from injury in adults 65 and older. Japanese company Prop begins selling a wearable set of air bags to protect against falls. The device looks something like a fishing vest with a fanny pack attached. When its built-in motion sensors detect a fall, it inflates two air bags — one around the hips, the other around the neck — in a 10th of a second. Instant Michelin Man. It retails in Japan for approximately $1,400.”

 
2. Birds and Talents “B”
Dancing Bird: Is it Possible?! Yes. See it here: on YouTube, and don’t forget to come back for more interesting things.

 
The idea explored, is that “humans and parrots are two of the few species with brains wired for vocal learning — hearing sounds…then coordinating complex movements (lips, tongues, vocal cords) to reproduce those sounds.” “In theory,”…“they may be able to dance, too. We just don’t know it yet.””.  And here is the link to the article:

 
3. Become an electrical plant. Letter “B”
Many years ago I heard one Russian comedian musing on the stage: “Just look at those 12 big guys playing soccer! Running around for a couple of hours every day! Just imagine, if they could generate electricity! At least they would do some good for the mankind.”
And look what surfaced now in the ideas!
“…become your own electrical plant. A knee-brace-like gadget developed by a Canadian scientist harnesses the power of the human gait, generating enough wattage from your daily walking to power a cellphone or two-way radio and then some.” That’s right, it’s being explored as a viable method to generate electricity.
Read about it  here.

 
4. Bus Dillema
Should you wait for a bus, or should you walk? If the schedule is not posted how could you possibly decide? “…this year three undergraduate students at Harvard and Cal Tech decided to resolve it. ”
Now, the dillema is solved: you should wait. That is unless you enjoy the walk and it’s a short one. Otherwise, wait for the bus: you now have time to do something else, while you are waiting. If you start walking and it arrives, and then drives by you in the middle of your walking journey, you will arrive to your destination mad, tired, and with certain things not done. Meaning, be patient and lazy.
Read about it here:

 
5. The car made of cloth.
Just read for yourself (and see a picture, too) about this invention of BMW: Find it here.

 
6. Dog-Poop DNA Bank
Idea to find out which dog owner failed to scoop their dog’s poop. I think, that so much work and so many people involved, that it really not worth it economically. Just employ a poop scooper. The researches have their own idea on this one. Read about it here.

 
7. Guarrantied Retirement Account
We see the turmoil at the Wall Street. We see the mess with mortgages, home values and 401K.  Now, “Teresa Ghilarducci, an economist at the New School for Social Research, has emerged as the primary exponent of “Guaranteed Retirement Accounts,” or G.R.A.’s. The way they work is simple: workers who don’t have access to a conventional defined-benefit plan would contribute 2.5 percent of their income (with the government seeding the first $600 of that amount). Their employers would then kick in another 2.5 percent. It’s similar to a 401(k), except that the money would be deposited into an individual account with the Social Security Administration, which would pool the money and put it into relatively conservative investments.” For more info read this article.

 
8. New Income Tax Idea
Called “the Rising-Tide Tax System — is an allusion to John F. Kennedy’s claim in 1962 that “a rising tide lifts all boats,” a promise that general economic growth would benefit all members of society.”
“Under the proposal, the tax code would automatically be rewritten at the end of each year to reflect any changes in the relative share. For example, if one year the nation’s top earners saw their share of national income rise while people at the bottom saw their share grow at a slower rate (or decline), the following year’s tax rates would be automatically rewritten to compensate for the new inequality. This would keep everyone’s share of after-tax income at the earlier level.”
Read it under the letter “R”.

 
9. Stock Transfer Tax
To prevent speculation in certain financial transactions: “Here’s a simple but effective cure: impose a small tax on the sale or transfer of stocks, bonds, derivatives and other securities, thereby encouraging people to “buy and hold” rather than to engage in the frenetic transactions typical of a speculative bubble.”

 
In the situation, where you have a few complex transactions, you would end up paying taxes several times. That would become expensive and may prevent certain dealings.
Read about it here.

 
10. Teachers and Teaching
What to do about our education system and how to differentiate between a good and bad teacher. Could “elevated teacher pay” be the answer? Read about it here, under the letter “T”.

 
11. On Women and Wine
Check the “W” letter, which carries a couple of interesting articles about women and wine. No, not together. It’s here.

 
If you wish to see all the ideas, click on this link and starting from the letter “A” continue clicking on the arrow to the following letter. Or randomly hit a large letter displayed for the idea contained within. Each letter holds an idea, or a few.

 
If you like this article, send it to your friends and sign up by RSS or Email for free updates.