Category Archives: Uncategorized

Obscure Creators of the World #3 – Jack Ryan

Posted on June 5, 2024 by jlredford

And now for something completely different! Jack Ryan did not create fundamental innovations like Federico Faggin and the self-aligned FET, or Robert Dennard and the DRAM. He did not have a long, successful career with a strong and supportive family. … Continue reading →

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A Better Heat Pump Scheme: Networked Geothermal

Posted on May 8, 2024 by jlredford

A lot of the green energy transition is already well underway. PV solar and wind are already cheaper than gas, and electric vehicles are at near cost parity with ICE and much more fun to drive. Major countries like Germany … Continue reading →

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Innovations of the Big Dig 3 – Scheme-Z => Zakim Bridge, Conclusion

Posted on February 12, 2024 by jlredford

Here’s the last of the major innovations described in the WGBH podcast, The Big Dig, along with my take on how it all turned out. Along with the straight construction challenges of the Dig, described in the previous posts, Fred … Continue reading →

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Innovations of the Big Dig 2 – Slurry, Jacking, Freezing

Posted on January 17, 2024 by jlredford

Let me again recommend the WGBH podcast, The Big Dig, which was the inspiration for these posts. It’s full of great stories, but I’d like to concentrate on the innovations that made this vast project possible. Last time I talked about a … Continue reading →

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Innovations of The Big Dig 1 – the Concept

Posted on December 23, 2023 by jlredford

WGBH, the main Boston public radio station, has just done a great series on The Big Dig. You can find the podcast here: The Big Dig, and the start of the series on Youtube here: The Big Dig began with … Continue reading →

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Obscure Creators of the World #2: Robert Dennard

Posted on November 19, 2023 by jlredford

Many people have heard of Moore’s Law, that the number of transistors that can be put on a chip doubles every two years. Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel, noticed this in 1965, and it’s held true pretty much ever … Continue reading →

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The Invention of Lawn Inflatables

Posted on October 30, 2023 by jlredford

So it’s getting dark, it’s getting cold, and it’s getting wet. It’s a dreary time of year, so it’s just the right time to put something cheerfully garish out on your lawn: These are ideal lawn decorations! They’re big and … Continue reading →

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Where is Nobel-Winning Science Done?

Posted on October 15, 2023 by jlredford

The 2023 Nobels were recently announced, marking 123 years of the most prestigious science prizes in the world. This is now a big enough dataset to do some statistics on. So let’s ask – what are the countries, institutions, and … Continue reading →

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Tech Crime Seems On the Rise

Posted on September 10, 2023 by jlredford

In the 2000s I was the CTO of a startup that quickly ran into trouble. Our CEO wildly over-promised in order to keep funding flowing, and he then got fired by the board. They appointed a new CEO, and he … Continue reading →

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“Oppenheimer” and the Limits of Scientific Influence

Posted on August 19, 2023 by jlredford

One of the favorite tropes of SF is the mad scientist. He (always he) represents the disruptive power of modern science to old beliefs, and of modern technology to old ways of life. He becomes crazed with this power, and … Continue reading →

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