simple ideas that made it big wong limsoon 11 february 2011 some inventions
TRANSCRIPT
Simple Ideas That Made It Big
Wong Limsoon
11 February 2011
Some Inventions
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
2
• An invention should be – Novel– Non-obvious– Useful
• It is NOT required to be complicated, technologically sophisticated, etc.
• So inventing should be easy …
• But when there is already a solution to a problem, it is not easy to invent a better one
From ancient time
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
4
An invention is normally a
device like this big stick of the Neanderthal
man
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
5
An invention can also be a
process, like this ancient man
drilling wood to get fire
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
6
An invention can even be
something “representational”,
like money
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
7
An invention can be a composition of all of the above (device, process,
etc) as well
• Inns, from antiquity– Serve travelers
• Restaurants, invented in ~1000AD in the Arab Empire– Serve anyone
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
8
An invention can even be
something “abstract”, like
language
From modern times
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
10
An invention can be a device
• Cat's eye is a safety device marking roads
• Originated in UK in 1933 and is now used all over the world
A key feature of the cat's eye is the flexible rubber dome which is occasionally deformed by the passage of traffic. A fixed rubber wiper cleans the surface of the reflectors as they sink below the surface of the road (the base tends to hold water after a shower of rain, making this process even more efficient). The rubber dome is protected from impact damage by metal 'kerbs' – which also give tactile and audible feedback for wandering drivers.
Image and prose credit: Wikipedia
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
11
An invention can be a process
• Walter Jacobs thought (in 1920’s), “Hmm. If people rented horses, why wouldn't they rent cars, too?”
• He raised enough capital to buy 12 used Model T's and begin renting the cars. A few years later his fleet was up to 565 and annual revenues exceeded $1,000,000
• Jacobs' thriving rental business is now the #1 rental car company in the world (Hertz)
Prose credit: Ezine @rticles ®
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
12
An invention can be a representation
• Machine Language (ATARI)
169 1 160 0 153 0 128 153 0 129 153 130 153 0 131 200 208 241 96
• BASIC
FOR I=1 TO 1000: PRINT "A";: NEXT I
• Programming a computer in the old days
• Programming a computer today
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
13
An invention can be a composition of all of the above (device, process,
etc) as well
• Theme Parks, invented in 1930’s
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
14
Math formula is not an invention, but its use to solve a real problem is• Who is Limsoon?
– ~200,000 webpages contain “limsoon”
– Millions of webpages contain “who” “is”
– None contains all of “who” “is” “limsoon”
• Which webpages to show?
Þ Need to determine which word is key
• Word occurring freq in a doc & also occurs in many docs is not impt
Þ Term frequency-inverse document frequency
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
15
Logical reasoning is not an invention, but its use to solve a problem is• So “who” “is” are
not impt words to look for in a doc, but “limsoon” is
• But there would still be ~200,000 webpages that are found. Which ones to show first?
• A webpage that is ref by more other webpages is more impt
Exercise: Inventing the Internet
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
17
Computer Network
Jack Rose
Network
Long Message
Problem : Data Communication relies essentially on electronic signals which can be unreliable.
This slide came from Anthony Tung
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
18
Computer Network
Jack Rose
Network
Long Message
Problem: Data Communication relies essentially on electronic signals which can be unreliable.
This slide came from Anthony Tung
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
19
Computer Network
Jack Rose
Network
Long Message
Problem: Data Communication relies essentially on electronic signals which can be unreliable.
Breakdown!
This slide came from Anthony Tung
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
20
Computer Network
Jack Rose
Network
Long Message
Problem: Data Communication relies essentially on electronic signals which can be unreliable.
Resend
This slide came from Anthony Tung
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
21
Computer Network
Jack Rose
Network
Long Message
Problem: Data Communication relies essentially on electronic signals which can be unreliable.
Resend
This slide came from Anthony Tung
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
22
Computer Network
Jack Rose
Network
Long Message
Problem: Data Communication relies essentially on electronic signals which can be unreliable.
Resend
This slide came from Anthony Tung
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
23
Can you think of a solution?
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
24
Computer Network
Jack Rose
Network
Short 1
Solution: Break long message to shorter message, have intermediate router
Short 2Short 3
This slide came from Anthony Tung
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
25
Computer Network
Jack Rose
Network
Short 1
Solution: Break long message to shorter message, have intermediate router
Short 2Short 3
This slide came from Anthony Tung
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
26
Computer Network
Jack Rose
Network
Short 1
Solution: Break long message to shorter message, have intermediate router
Short 2
Short 3
This slide came from Anthony Tung
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
27
Computer Network
Jack Rose
Network
Short 1
Solution: Break long message to shorter message, have intermediate router
Short 2Short 3
This slide came from Anthony Tung
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
28
Computer Network
Jack Rose
Network
Short 1
Solution: Break long message to shorter message, have intermediate router
Short 2Short 3
“Short 2” Breakdown!
This slide came from Anthony Tung
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
29
Computer Network
Jack Rose
Network
Short 1
Solution: Break long message to shorter message, have intermediate router
Short 3
Resend “Short 2” from second router!
Short 2
This slide came from Anthony Tung
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
30
Computer Network
Jack Rose
Network
An the Internet was born!
Short 2
Short 3Short 2
Short 3
Short 1
Short 1
This slide came from Anthony Tung
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
31
Summary
• An invention should be – Novel– Non-obvious– Useful
• It is NOT required to be complicated, technologically sophisticated, etc.
• So inventing should be easy …
• But when there is already a solution to a problem, it is not easy to invent a better one