On Dec 19, 3:54 pm, FoggyTown wrote:
On Dec 19, 8:46�pm, Dave Hall wrote:



On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:19:53 -0800 (PST), FoggyTown

wrote:
On Dec 18, 5:55?pm, "Colin B."
wrote:
FoggyTown wrote:
A few years ago I attended a marketing lecture given by a very
respected designer. ?One element of his presentation was his assertion
that there are many, many items which have been invented and even
perfected BUT which will not see the market - either because (1) the
average person couldn't handle them, or (2) their sale would ruin
other established markets.

(1) knife blades so sharp that you only have to rest the knife on a
tomato and it would slice through with no pressure (goodbye fingers)

Well, there obviously IS pressure--the pressure from the weight of the
knife. Give me a machete and I'll be able to grind a low-angle razor edge
on it to do just the above mentioned. (Of course, it'll be useless as a
machete with an edge that fine.) If you need sharper than that, go buy a
neurosurgeon's glass scalpel.
Sharpness isn't magic, but too fine of an edge will not be resilient
enough for general use. It'll either break, wear, or bend.

(2) an ointment that safely kills hair follicles and eliminates the
need for ever shaving again (goodbye electric razor, blade and cream
sales)

What's wrong with electrolysis? It's here, it's permanent, and it's
fairly inexpensive. Apparently painful as hell, though. Honestly, it's
not something that most guys want--even if they _do_ shave daily.
An ointment to do the same without bad side effects is possible, but
not all that beneficial.

I don't think he was spouting urban myths and I have no doubt that
crass corporate self-interests would support his cynicism. ?I just
wonder what's out there waiting to be sprung when someone thinks the
time is right?

Lots of things out there. I used to work for a small drug design company.
We had several interesting candidates for drugs, but the synthesis or
work-up was too hard to pursue further. Someday, someone is going to
start selling a gold-based anti-inflammatory that's easily absorbed. It
might be based on the work I did, or it might be based on some other
company's old research that's sitting on the shelf.

The problem with conspiracy theories in general is that there's enough
going on in terms of market forces, economics, and even overt evil, that
there's no NEED for companies to resort to ridiculous and implausible
extents.

Colin

What conspiracy theory? �If I invent a compound that can be made into
tires that will last 100,000 miles and I sell it to, say, Firestone
who buys it just to keep it from some other manufacturer - that isn't
a conspiracy. �It may be a shame but it isn't a conspiracy. �It's
called protecting your market. �Firestone can't use it because either
they will have to sell each new-compound tire for 5 times more than
the present ones OR they will have to sell five times more tires than
they do now - maybe more.

Like I say, we have no way of knowing what's been invented but
withheld for economic or safety reasons.

FoggyTown

Or they sell 3 times as many tires (since they would corner the market
for the term of the patent) at twice the price (since the tires last 5
times as long) and make many times more profit while driving all
competitors into bankruptcy. Yet another reason these silly stories
have no legs.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Then get slammed for operating a monopoly?

FoggyTown

These days?