xbox (to buy or not to buy...)

[The Dong]

On 20/08/2011 09:05, Jay Vaughan wrote:
>> It's frighteningly actual for 20 years now (written in the 70's)
> If it wasn't for science fiction authors, our civilization wouldn't be nearly as advanced as it is, I think, technologically.

Would a Science Fiction imagining count as prior art in patent or 
intellectual property claims?

If so, pretty much all patents involving tech end products are null and 
void. I don't believe all good, original ideas have been exhausted.

There are some fields that don't, or cannot, be improved so much upon 
that they thankfully defy some of the huge advances. The only one I can 
think of off the top of my head is the bicycle (I'd say the car too). It 
was pretty much nailed in the design side a century ago.

I picked up this book from the library and it's worth a look:

http://www.hetchins.org/review-01.htm

Looking at bicycle innovation around 1920-1940, you will find almost 
_every_ 'new' idea that you see today. Things like monocoque frames, 
single chainstay and fork leg (lefty) designs, all types of brakes. Even 
the weights, for weight weenies, with high tech materials (kevlar, CF, 
titanium, scandium, magnesium) not discovered or even considered back 
then were sub 10kg in some cases, for touring bikes.

Innovation tends to be a reworking of the same wheel, but with bits 
shaved off or stuck on, which get changed by the customer (customised!) 
most times when they get it home ;)