Alan Dix - research
and innovation techniques
[silly ideas home] [what
do I mean by a bad idea?] [thinking about
bad ideas] [the groups] [silly
ideas and 'solutions']
| proposing group | idea! | solutions | Alan says | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ian | is.1 | chocolate blow-lamp nozzle | ||
| ian | is.2 | rocket engine in a Volkswagen (and it happened) | ||
| ian | is.3 | cows that fart more methane | ||
| 1 | 1.1 | Glass Hammer | **2 | |
| 1 | 1.2 | Concrete Parachute | ||
| 1 | 1.3 | Peep Toe Wellingtons | ||
| 1 | 1.4 | Chocolate Fireguard | ||
| 1 | 1.5 | ciggarette lighter for a glider | ||
| 1 | 1.6 | laptop with a built in A0 flat bed scanner | group 5 | |
| 1 | 1.7 | scuff rail for a pair of suede shoes | ||
| 1 | 1.8 | office desk which doubles as an ironing board | ||
| 1 | 1.9 | screw driver and combined paint brush | ||
| 1 | 1.10 | inflatable celler | ||
| 1 | 1.11 | combined pencil and lump hammer | ||
| 1 | 1.12 | a dog fitted with wheels | ||
| 1 | 1.13 | fluted waste paper bin with coffee cup holder | ||
| 1 | 1.14 | Goretex water proof filing cabinate carryall for hiking boots, walking stick and rucksack (for those long journies) | ||
| 1 | 1.16 | perspex Venetian blinds | **3 | |
| 1 | 1.17 | Artificially intelligent toilet | ||
| 1 | 1.18 | inflatable radiator | ||
| 2 | 2.1 | Wildebeest Erection System (full description) | BYZANTINE | |
| 3 | 3.1 | A three-way mirror (watching them, watching you, watching them) | **4 | |
| 3 | 3.2 | A multi-ball football game (three balls on the pitch at the same time) | ||
| 3 | 3.3 | A bad ideas generator (nothing else is necessary) | ||
| 4 | 4.1 | Teflon-coated truck tires | ||
| 4 | 4.2 | Un-bouncy ping-pong balls | ||
| 4 | 4.3 | Printer ink that doesn't set fast to the paper | ||
| 4 | 4.4 | Helium-filled space-hopper | ||
| 4 | 4.5 | Metronome with a randomly irregular time between beats | ||
| 4 | 4.6 | 'Noisy telephone' A telephone where you can only hear the person at the other end while you are making sufficient noise at your end | ||
| 4 | 4.7 | Royal mail stamps that are sticky on both sides | ||
| 4 | 4.8 | Water-soluable teabag paper | ||
| 4 | 4.9 | Glow-in-the-dark pillow-cases and bedclothes | ||
| 4 | 4.10 | Porous coffee cup | **group 5 | |
| 4 | 4.11 | soluble swimming costumes | RUDE | |
| 4 | 4.12 | water proof tea strainer | ||
| 4 | 4.13 | heat resistant sauce pan | ||
| 4 | 4.14 | unbreakable plates in a greek restaurant. | ||
| 4 | 4.15 | Helecopter ejector seat (i.e. you eject out and get chopped up by the blades rotating) | ||
| 4 | 4.16 | Clap activated stereo | ||
| 4 | 4.17 | etch-a-sketch chequebook | group 6 | |
| 5 | 5.1 | opaque light blub | ||
| 5 | 5.2 | flameproof firelighters | **group 6 | |
| 6 | 6.1 | 6 foot bonsai tree | ||
| 6 | 6.2 | clockwork car | ||
| 6 | 6.3 | sand-encrusted toilet paper | CRUDE! | |
| 6 | 6.4 | invisible TV | **7 | |
| 7 | 7.1 | tin-can IP use IP protocol over a string tied between two cans for "telephone" communication | ||
| 7 | 7.2 | intelligent shoes shoes with weather forecasts and town maps | **1 | |
| 7 | 7.3 | disposable computers | ||
| 7 | 7.4 | artificial darkness | group 5 | SURREAL |
| 7 | 7.5 | oxygen-powered PCs | ||