I wish I could explain, even if just to myself, why I find crackpots so deeply fascinating. I think it's the thrill of danger. When I start reading their stuff, I can feel the gentle tug of the void opening up, ready to receive me. Yes, tell me more. Yes, I would like to discuss … Continue reading Infinitymatrix and Infinityscrew
I figure a big part of this blog is going to be holidays. They are a stimulant for the creative mind--a framework to drape a blog post around, or an invention. So, on this the sixth day of Hanukkah: https://patents.google.com/patent/US6053622A USP 6,053,622, FIG. 1 Is it uncouth of me to post this after sundown on … Continue reading The Wand-Operated Menorah
I have been having a problem: Every time I find a funny patent, I find a whole set of related patents and it leads me down a rabbit hole. I never know where to stop. Prudence dictates that I should spread them out, so that I have content for years to come. But I can't … Continue reading Kick-ass Machines
I thought it would be nice to do something Thanksgivingy for Thanksgiving. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, so I just started my search with the word "turkey." I figured I'd get some bonkers frying apparatus and that would be that. Friends, I underestimated how deep the turkeyhole goes. There are so many … Continue reading Getting Gobblers
If an inventor's life is dominated by their children's social calendar, they can end up taking the road most traveled. That's why the cake spit shield has been patented so many times.
I say that I love all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum equally, but let's be honest: Microwaves are clearly the best waves. Visible light is great and all, and my fellow radio nerds will all have their favorites, but microwaves run our WiFi and cook our food. What more could you ask for in a … Continue reading The Mole Death Ray
Revel in the absurdity of the human intellect, the joy of creation, and the intersection of artistic vision with the grinding machinery of law.
I started writing a post about homeopathy patents, but it made me so angry that I had to put it down. So we'll leave that for when I've cooled down. In the meantime, here's this "gem" I found while researching that. I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn what side of the crystal healing … Continue reading The Homeopathic Therapy Crystal
There was an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, where our plucky heroes encounter a planet with crystalline life. Besides being part of a poorly studied arc across the Star Trek franchises that explores the limits of humans' ability to make friends with sassy rocks, the episode used this post's title to describe human … Continue reading Ugly Bags of Mostly Water
But it is valuable to remember that the Zahir is a sickness of the human mind, and will latch itself onto any system. For the practically minded obsessed, who at once want to share their vision and to jealously protect it, the patent system is a natural outlet.
Patenting the odd, the impossible, and the unnerving 