3 ms·

This is a great question. I think you're right that we need some new social institutions to make it easier for outsiders to propose ideas for other industries.

• jacquesm 16y ago
  That social institution is already here, it's called the comment section on just about every blog. BP has a problem with their well at a mile under water ? Let's send divers there! And so on. Outsiders will very rarely have a 'great idea' for some other field, but the cost of processing all the junk probably far outweighs the benefits. A more likely course is that someone is able to take an idea from a non-related field and apply it to their own. For instance, I have an 'idea' (more of a sketch of an implementation) about a solar powered Stirling engine coupled with a Stirling engine driven in reverse to provide air conditioning driven by renewables. I probably have the gear required to make a proto type and I might just be able to find the time to do it. But heating and cooling is not 'my field' (not by a long shot), so instead of sitting on the idea or trying to mint it (very very hard, for just an idea) I've thrown it out often enough that it would be fairly hard for someone else to come along and patent an implementation. So even if I won't derive direct value from the idea I may one day be able to buy the device. And I even doubt that my 'idea' is an original one, it's a pretty obvious combination of elements.