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
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• 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
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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
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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
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An invention can even be
something “representational”,
like money
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Can you think of a solution?
Talk at IvP Launch, Sing Poly, 11 Feb 2011 Copyright 2011 © Limsoon Wong
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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
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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
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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
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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
