Best invention in 2007

Today's Science Week question is "In your opinion what was the best invention in 2007".

I've been looking in to this, partly to see what exactly was invented in 2007. The US Patent search revealed a few things ( like this completely not work safe item), ah. No.

With 20/20 hindsight we might declare Bruce Crower's improved engine design the eventual winner. Or given the popularity of Lego as the best invention of people's childhood the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT software as the best.

Given my data loss, I'm tempted to award the linkable USB hard disk as the winner, but no.

As Conor asked "How many people are going to plump for the jesusphone in their posts?" Well no. The iPhone simply has one of the best user interfaces on a touch screen created. However the phone itself , without Bluetooth, may make it illegal to use on the Irish roads (I remember that a wired earpiece is not permitted), so it looses out for legal reasons. But Nokia went one better, and offered something that should be in the next iPhone... touch feedback’ touch screen as reported by Red Ferret.

So there you go, a tiny touch that lets you know you've made a tiny touch.

take care,
Will

tags : Science Week, best invention, 2007, Bruce Crower, Lego, NXT, Apple, iPhone, Bluetooth, Nokia, HAPTIC, touch, feedback, touch screen, Red Ferret

It's all brown

Memory. It's one of those thing which make us what we are.

As per usual I'm going through my backlog of podcasts when of all things the Tubridy Show talked about memory, loosing it and the earliest memories.

My earliest memory is colourful. White Lego and brown, lots of brown. Well it was the 70's. The Lego (tm etc) was curved, probably from some kind of rocket, but I was making a well and for some reason I was in the very dark brown kitchen of someones house. I would describe it as a sort of pre-school set up in someone house before all the legislation for creches came in. I suspect I had gone looking for a lego piece that had rolled off on me when in walks the "teacher". Big glasses, straight centre parted brown hair, long brown dress.... let's just say she dresses to match her kitchen.

That's it. If you think back your earliest memory will be a disconnected detail. You might remember why you were there. You might remember what you were doing and who yo were with, but you won't remember what followed. It's not our most vivid memory, or the 10 seconds we'd be willing to live over and over (which are probably intense and enjoyable).

Why does memory do this? I suspect its a survival technique, after all most of life is too boring to bother remembering. The years of going to school, walking past the playground, yet you'll remember the day the dog showed up in the playground during classes.

So what is your earliest memory? And do you have follow-through with what happened next?

take care,
Will

tags : memory first memory earliest memory Lego 70s pre-school creche brown Tubridy legislation