Science Friday Recommendations

A few nice Science images I found:

"Science Friday" Recommendations




Image by LollyKnit

I love the NPR show, Science Friday. Love it. Kris and I listen to it each week on the drive home from work, and we learn something new each week.

I also get my best book recommendations from the show -

Science Project 1974




Image by The Rocketeer

In 8th Grade, I invented a safety feature for electrical outlets. It uses an attachable magnet that goes on the male plug (and stays on the plug when you unplug the appliance) and a magnetic reed switch inside the electrical outlet. The current doesn't turn on inside the outlet until a magnetic field is present. That keeps kids with forks or knives poking into the outlet from being electrocuted.

I won 1st place in Physical Science at the school and the Regional Science Fair that year. I didn't get to go to State because I was only in 8th Grade. If I had been a Freshman, I would have been invited to go to State competition.

My Dad commissioned a law firm in 1975 to do a patent search. They found in Argentina (U S Patent 3,868,160), someone had a similar invention that used a magnet and two others (No. 3,846,598 and No. 3,699,285) that used the ground prong to push the circuit into a closed state and one other (No. 3,596,019) that was just like my idea except it used a pin attachment on the plug to turn on the circuit in the outlet. Another similar invention was a power cable coupler (Patent 3,496,500) intended to be used in marine environments that had a sliding collar with a magnet in it that matched a reed switch inside the coupler housing and actuated it after the cable was plugged in and locked. I never saw those items on the market. The lawyer said otherwise it was a perfectly patentable idea.

Other ideas I've had but other people patented first:

Legos with batteries, wires, lights and motors inside and put together to form a circuit. I have a rejection letter from Samsonite (the owner of Lego products at the time). Now Lego is selling my idea.

Dental Floss Picks (I came up with this idea in the mid '70's too, but didn't do anything with it)

GPS Enabled Polaroid Cameras (now Ricoh has announced a GPS Enabled Digital Camera)

Urinal Toy (pee on a sensor and get a high score)

I have a couple more ideas that I haven't seen patented yet... but can't afford the process of getting the patent! It is frustrating waiting too long and seeing your ideas make someone else money.


Are there any other frustrated inventors out there?

The "Science" Section in Borders Oxford Street




Image by adambowie

I stopped into Borders on Oxford Street after work to pick up a copy of New Scientist. When I found the right section in Borders' always impressively large magazine section, I was somewhat disappointed to see another title filed within the science section.

If it's not obvious, check the note on the above photo.