[tp6626]

I'm sure there are loads, but people have just not considered them important enough to tackle. Let's make a list.

Not looking for inventions or solutions though, just problems that really should have been solved by now.

For example my shaving mirror always steams up when I shave straight out the shower (which is the best time as the heat of the shower softens the face up and gets a closer shave).

Or, I've seen roadworkers manually laying mile after mile of traffic cones at night. Surely they could have a machine which deploys these running at 30-40mph down the highway, rather than about 1mph by person?


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[HackerX]

Both of those problems have been solved btw.

There is an inherent problem with any engineering solution and that is, it's sometimes cheaper to just get a person to do it.

[wardo]

The first problem has been solved: fog free mirrors.

The second one is more complex. Oftentimes, efficient technologies are not implemented. This is often not a result of the failings of science or engineering, but rather humans. For example, in this case, if we devised a machine to do this, what jobs will be left for convicts?

I'm still waiting for teleportation btw.

[Warrior]

I'll go with battery technology. Seems like batteries should be much more advanced than they are, given how ubiquitous they are these days. Smaller, cheaper, and more energy dense batteries would improve many areas of our lives.

RF propagation through air duct systems is another area ripe for a solution. The ones out there stink and a big leap in this area would do wonders for the wireless industry and its customers.

[larkin]

I'd like an lcd screen that doesn't have to be rigid and flat. Has that happened yet? They can kill two Kennedys but they can't give me a flexible laptop?

[Architectonic]

	Originally Posted by tp6626 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Surely they could have a machine which deploys these running at 30-40mph down the highway, rather than about 1mph by person?

Over here I've seen guys on Mini mokes lay them out pretty fast.

Also check out all of the wonderful 'nanotech' coatings for glass if you are interested.
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	Originally Posted by larkin To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I'd like an lcd screen that doesn't have to be rigid and flat. Has that happened yet? They can kill two Kennedys but they can't give me a flexible laptop?

Closest thing is probably the plastic logic eink substrate, but that hasn't even been turned into a retail product yet - and it has extremely slow refresh times, so it will never replace an lcd.

I reckon a flexible lcd will be here within 10 years though.

[Shifter]

	Originally Posted by larkin To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I'd like an lcd screen that doesn't have to be rigid and flat. Has that happened yet? They can kill two Kennedys but they can't give me a flexible laptop?

They can make
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.

[deinotes]

	Originally Posted by wardo To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	The second one is more complex. Oftentimes, efficient technologies are not implemented. This is often not a result of the failings of science or engineering, but rather humans. For example, in this case, if we devised a machine to do this, what jobs will be left for convicts?

You also have to take into account the injuries poeple have when placing these cones.
It's probably also saver to let a machine place the cones.
Job loss never has been the issue with invention if that was the case we would never have gone further in life because there are jobs lost and created with every invention.

[thod]

	Or, I've seen roadworkers manually laying mile after mile of traffic cones at night. Surely they could have a machine which deploys these running at 30-40mph down the highway, rather than about 1mph by person?

I was stuck behind a roadworks truck in France the other day. There was a guy sitting on the open tailgate picking them up and pushing them into the stack as the truck drove along at 30 mph. Health and safety would have a fit if they saw a guy doing that in the UK.

[admittedheretic]

Cold Fusion.

[gestalt]

Batteries too.

[Bobert]

The "problem" with the small technologies is that usually the existing type generates more revenue than creating something better or more efficient.

You have to realize that it's often times about the money.

PS. Fog free mirrors suck, IMO.
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[tp6626]

	Originally Posted by Bobert To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	PS. Fog free mirrors suck, IMO. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Exactly, that was another intended facet to this thread. Things that haven't really been nailed properly yet either.

For example, domestic power generation. This isn't rocket science, so why is it a pain in the ass, not to mention massively expensive, for me to get a small wind turbine for my roof?

( Show Spoiler )

That's kind of a rhetorical question, I'm not looking to argue that here.

The point is, it isn't cutting edge technology. Farmers have had wind generators for decades (even centuries), so why now, would it cost me at least £1500 to get something even bog standard.

Surely that one should be solved now. I don't see technically why a £50-100 device isn't feasible, which hooks up straight into the mains, and earns me a discount off my electricity bill, for everything it pumps back in.

For example.

[Warrior]

Originally Posted by tp6626 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Exactly, that was another intended facet to this thread. Things that haven't really been nailed properly yet either. For example, domestic power generation. This isn't rocket science, so why is it a pain in the ass, not to mention massively expensive, for me to get a small wind turbine for my roof? ( Show Spoiler ) That's kind of a rhetorical question, I'm not looking to argue that here. The point is, it isn't cutting edge technology. Farmers have had wind generators for decades (even centuries), so why now, would it cost me at least £1500 to get something even bog standard. Surely that one should be solved now. I don't see technically why a £50-100 device isn't feasible, which hooks up straight into the mains, and earns me a discount off my electricity bill, for everything it pumps back in. For example.

I'm not a big believer that small scale power generation like this has much of a future, but I will add the opposite . . . .

Large scale solar power generation. A hundred square miles of desert covered in solar arrays, or making use of CSP, is something I'd like to see. A new geenration of photovoltaic cells are really needed to get it going.

[wardo]

	Originally Posted by deinotes To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	You also have to take into account the injuries poeple have when placing these cones. It's probably also saver to let a machine place the cones. Job loss never has been the issue with invention if that was the case we would never have gone further in life because there are jobs lost and created with every invention.

First, when was the last time you heard of "convict safety".

And job loss is a HUGE impediment to technology development. What kind of person will agree to a technology which will put them out of a job? No car assembly line worker wants more sophisticated robot technology, who will do the mindless repetitive labour?

[Shifter]

	Originally Posted by wardo To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	who will do the mindless repetitive labour?

The robots.

[wardo]

	Originally Posted by Shifter To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	The robots.

Thanks for clarifying that, I wasn't sure what the correct answer was until you helped me out there.

[larkin]

Speaking of which, how far away are we from robot servants? How much time do we have between reasonable servitude and when they become self-aware and destroy the earth?

[phej]

	Originally Posted by tp6626 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	The point is, it isn't cutting edge technology. Farmers have had wind generators for decades (even centuries), so why now, would it cost me at least £1500 to get something even bog standard.

The price seems reasonable. According to
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, a central air conditioning unit is on the order of thousands of dollars. So why would a relatively low-volume item like a portable wind generator cost less?

[wardo]

This isn't really my area of expertise but I think we are getting there, albeit slower than hoped. I think some of the challenges are that:
Robots are inflexible. Humans can easily adapt to a new type or shape or cup, but robots have more difficulty at this.
Feedback. I wouldn't trust a robot to shake my hand for instance. Most humans can tell when they are gripping something too hard, when they accidentally bump into someone, or catch a piece of clothing with a limb - robots need good feedback systems.
As always cost. Significant new technologies (see automobiles) are only accessible to the rich initially, but eventually may find its way to your sink as well.


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[alrightgame]

I thought they were working on hydrogenized batteries that could last my current gaming laptop for about 20 hours before going down?

The only problem is the batteries are expensive and you would have to pay like a 10 dollar fee recycle the canister.

Still, cool as hell.... would they even allow that on airplanes?

[deinotes]

	Originally Posted by wardo To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	First, when was the last time you heard of "convict safety".

Safety is a huge invisible benefit, how much poeple are killed or injured a year when working on the road.
It's a huge cost to society when a member is dead or when you have to take care of him the rest of his live.

	Originally Posted by wardo To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	And job loss is a HUGE impediment to technology development. What kind of person will agree to a technology which will put them out of a job? No car assembly line worker wants more sophisticated robot technology, who will do the mindless repetitive labour?

How much jobs did the steam engine costed ?
It was probably a huge strain on everyone who worked with horses.
How much jobs did the diesel engine costed ?
There where probably a lot of job lost since now there was now only 1 person needed to drive a train.

etc,etc

Every advancement takes jobs in one area and creates jobs in a other area.
Yes poeple who work in the area are upset but luckily they have a small say in it, otherwise we would still be living in the stone age technology wise .

[wardo]

Originally Posted by deinotes To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Safety is a huge invisible benefit, how much poeple are killed or injured a year when working on the road. It's a huge cost to society when a member is dead or when you have to take care of him the rest of his live. How much jobs did the steam engine costed ? It was probably a huge strain on everyone who worked with horses. How much jobs did the diesel engine costed ? There where probably a lot of job lost since now there was now only 1 person needed to drive a train. etc,etc Every advancement takes jobs in one area and creates jobs in a other area. Yes poeple who work in the area are upset but luckily they have a small say in it, otherwise we would still be living in the stone age technology wise .

Here's the thinig about convicts, they are not regular citizens. Convicts are a drain on society. It costs money to guard, incarcerate and feed these people who provide little or no benefit to society. They certainly do not work off their debt to society. So from an efficiency stand point, all convicts should be killed. However, the flower-children of this world will not allow us to kill convicts because of a word they made up called "ethics". So why not kill them on the road accidentally? At least someone has the right idea.

Sure, trains put some people out of jobs, but they also put a lot of people in jobs. Someone needs to mine the coal, someone needs to lay railroads, someone need to maintain trains, someone needs to build trains, someone need to schedule train routes, someone needs to load and unload trains, someone needs to advertise train trips, someone needs to paint and decorate trains the list goes on ad nauseum. What I can guarantee you is that the people who were still using horses to transport goods were not happy when the trains arrived.

Read:
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[Doppelbock]

I really expected flying cars and robot servants by this point in history.

[DewFuel]

	Originally Posted by Warrior To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	A hundred square miles of desert covered in solar arrays, or making use of CSP, is something I'd like to see. A new geenration of photovoltaic cells are really needed to get it going.

We have 'good enough' voltaics, with efficiencies up to 30% (actually i think closer to 28% for mono-crystalline silica).

the main reason why we aren't covering the mojave with silica arrays is that it is pointless to pump blood where there aren't any arteries:
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