Running a Think Tank is fun and it is hard to keep up with all the new innovations, but it is possible and it is a thrill to discover all the latest stuff and then use the hypersonic mind to thrust those ideas and concepts into future applications. One member of our Think Tank; Joe, mentioned that we needed an assembly line for ideas that we generate.
This is interesting because, well because the other day I talked with a Retired Scientist from ID DOE Labs who was retired and sunning in Sun City and he said he use to walk around to the different departments of the lab to ask expertise to put together projects . He said he is the only person who knew everyone so he was able to do this. If you will recall IBM used this method to streamline paperwork flows and Deming wrote about this.
Bill Gates discussed the paperwork, forms and bureaucracy at Microsoft and reduced the number of forms down to 5 from well over 100, in his book about the Corporate Digital Nervous System. He and others warned the Government to do the same and they started with online IRS filing, E-Government Initiatives and Motor Vehicle paper work and yet they never completed the project. Even today the Environmentalists are complaining about all the trees being cut down causing climate change.
Is there a way to take all these concepts and mush them together for a better way to move ideas along to fruition? An assembly line; requests Joe? I think he is right and let me tell you why? Then the other day I read a paper by Professor Dean Simonton on Genius and another book on Creativity Flow and genius and how Universities often accidently made discoveries due to the fact the everyone ate in the same lunchroom and discussed different domains, collaboration while breaking bread if you will or CBB.
Then the other day I talked to another retired Satellite Guy in Tucson, who told me that one government advanced research project had his company and another company give proposals, but the real reason was so they could watch each other spiels and how they each solved problems that were holding back the other. So both getting missing components, which none of them could figure out, both then went on to do great things within months. Today we see collaboration in the satellite venues with Boeing and Lockheed working together to solve problems, therefore helping the world and bringing technology to application in record time.
An assembly line "idea chain" might be a good idea like a web ring? I had been thinking about that the other day and wrote about Blog Web Rings and concepts. Then I was thinking how Blogs and forums and Wikipedia model might simulate a directory that could be used for setting up a virtual idea assembly line process. I think Joe in our Online Think Tank is onto something here.
Now then what if an artificial intelligent machine, found all the components, players, materials and set up a Finite Capacity Scheduling model and assigned tasks based on the availability of all the scientists, thinkers and researchers in each domain; then shot them an email for verification this might be possible. If the worker likened the project he or she or their team would be put into that supply chain, if not and know the amount of funding available on the sunset and could speculate the rest if future applications were warranted or that they might come up with in the process. If the recipient of the proposal was busy or could not handle it, then the Computer would have picked the next closest match based on the criteria for the project if no reply was received?
An Online Think Tank would set up the outrageous dream technologies that they needed. As the project moved along others could discuss applications and a team could decide if relevant and launch another project all the same methodology. Sharing information and access to key people in various domains along the way, would increase the flow of future projects and really put human minds to work to solve all their own problems and use the technology to the best of its abilities? Well that is the idea we hatched today? What concepts do you have in 2007.