Stop an Oil Gusher a Mile Underwater

I have an easy solution to plugging a deep ocean Oil Gusher:

When I worked in Landscaping Construction in Phoenix in 1999, I had to fix a lot of underground water leaks. If we couldn't turn off the water from a valve, we could use a small inflatable rubber balloon. We inserted the balloon into the pipe and connected a bottle of compressed air. The balloon would expand and stop the leak.

Doctors use very much the same technique to insert a stint into the heart of a heart patient.

Every time I see BP fail at shutting down the well, this thought comes into my mind, "How easy it would be to just feed a heavy duty balloon into the head of the pipe and expand it. "

Added bonus: the well could probably be saved. Once the leak is stopped, the pipe could be repaired.

Make Taxes Fair

Every year, I have a whole bunch of things I could write off on my taxes if I was to itemize them. But, in order to itemize, I would have to give up my standard personal deduction which usually trumps the total of my itemizations. I frequently get tricked by people telling me I can write such and such purchase off on my taxes. So, I go for it only to find out at the end of the year I won't get the deduction unless I itemize. Come on, Uncle Sam, give me a break hear. This system stinks.

Ultra Easy to Play Guitar

There is definitely a need for a guitar that is really easy to play. I would like to see one that had about 100 cellanoids on it that would make the chords for you. All you would have to do is press a button on a control, similar to the buttons on a RockBand guitar, and strum. The chords could be customized with a small pda-type screen and a midi interface. Go to a website to find the chords for your favorite songs and play away.

Super Smart Humans

I believe we are getting close the the age of Cyborgization. I'm coining that term, now. I think we will be able to:

1. Put a computer chip in our frontal lobe that records all memories and allows us to play them back.

2. Put a computer chip in our brain's communication center that will allow us to instant message or Tweet with a thought.

3. Put a computer chip in our brain that allows us to do a Google query with a thought. Never be caught without an answer again.

4. Put a chip in our brain with Google Translate so we can speak any language.

5. Put a chip in our brain with High Def video so we can play movies and games - mostly games - in our brain. There will need to be a no gaming while driving law passed for this one.

Tourism Site for Volunteers and Activists

There is a need for a web business that plans Social Activism, Volunteer, and Relief group events and packages them as vacation plans. People could sign up for the event, whether it be Haitian Earthquake relief, Gulf Coast Oil Spill Relief, or other event. The trip might include lodging, travel, a work schedule, food, etc. The trips might cost money, be free, or pay money depending on the cause and funding.

Fly to Mars With Almost Zero Energy

It should be simple to build a space elevator on Earth and Mars. The elevator cable could be long enough that an object released from its end could slingshot away from the Earth and reach Mars. The Martian elevator could catch the object and lower it to the Martian surface. The return trip could be just as simple.

Let's practice by building a space elevator on the Moon. An elevator in the low gravity area between the Earth facing side of the Moon and a Earth Orbit tether could get us to the Moon cheaply. Once there, an elevator off the Dark Side of the Moon could get us some serious Solar Escape velocity. I'd be interested in seeing the size of the Lightning Bolt when that Moon-Earth cable gets close to our atmosphere. Ouch.

High Altitude Elevator as a Tether for a Space Elevator

Physicists are trying to create a material that has a tensile strength great enough to create a cable to haul an object into space. The problem is, no material exists that is strong enough to support its own weight over such a great distance.

Here is the problem: Each length of cable must support the weight of all the length of cable below it. Scientists have been worrying over trying to create a cable array that can support its own weight as well as cargo over the entire distance.

My contribution: We need to support the weight of the cable in the lower 90kilometers of cable with high altitude balloons. At varying distances below that point (the 90km section), there will be a series of high altitude balloons supporting the cable.

Magic Green Energy Flying Machine

A solar powered hot air balloon can easily be created that uses mirrors to reflect the sun onto a black surface.

Cheap, Limitless Energy Generator

A hot air balloon can lift a lot of weight. But, can it lift it far enough to compensate for the amount of energy it takes to heat it? Not sure if Conservation of Energy applies here or not.

But, what about balloons under water? There would be a much greater energy return from a balloon filled with air and hydrogen under water. How do we get the air and hydrogen to magically appear under water without having huge pumps that use all our energy? Simple, use electricity to seperate the two.

We can recover the electrical energy by harnessing the balloons lift ( tether a cable to a generator or something ) and be using the hydrogen in a generator once it has reached the surface.

NOTE: The deeper the water, the more energy returned.

How to Make Fast Food Even Faster

Supermarkets have self-checkout, so why not McDonalds? Cut the rush hour long lines in half. McDonalds could reward customers who use the self-checkout kiosks by giving them the same priority as Drive-Thru customers.

If drive thru feels threatened by this, make drive thru even faster if they use a drive thru self-check.

How to Save the American Job Market

Companies should be given tax incentives for spending more on salaries this year than last year, and tax penalties for spending less.

This should either get companies to hire more employees of pay them better wages.

NOTE: This should not cost the government any money. Sure, there would be an upfront cost. But, in the long run, the gov would get that money back in increased annual revenue from income taxes on the new salary dollars.

How to Save the American Auto Company

Auto companies should have factory outlets near their manufacturing facilities. People should be able to buy cars fresh off the assembly lines without having to pay all the middle men, shipping charges, car lot charges, salesman charges, etc. The cost savings would get a lot more people buying American made cars from these outlets. More cars bought in America = less cars imported from oversees = lower trade deficit, etc.

Bright Idea.com

There needs to be a website where people can go and publish their great ideas. Anyone else can go there and read all the good ideas. People can use any of the ideas if they want to. The site would blend especially well to Delicious.com and Digg.com.

Seasonal Store

There is a need for a store that is open all year round as a retail space for seasonal stores. It should specialize in renting the space to existing seasonal businesses ( fireworks, halloween, christmas, easter, etc.) The store should offer a permanent storefront with cash registers and a storage space for these seasonal companies to keep their product off season.

Image File Format for Backgrounds

I would like there to be a file format that gives really small file size for really big pictures of a certain type -- background images that have lots of solid color with a small image in only one quadrant of the image. It seems to me that the file format could assign a background color or pattern and then overlay a small image in one part of it.

Making Better Adults

There is a need for a mentor/trainer who teaches 18 year olds how to be adults. Basically, everything school and parents don't teach. ie. Managing credit, finding a mate, not going to jail.. and more.

Wind up String Faster

There needs to be a rotary spindle you could attach to a rechargeable drill for winding up lines of string ( kites and etc. )