5 ms·

OK, here's a challenge to you. What has Nathan Myhrvold actually ever created. He didn't make any great contribution to physics or cosmology. His software co

OK, here's a challenge to you. What has Nathan Myhrvold actually ever created. He didn't make any great contribution to physics or cosmology. His software company made a product that was a clone of another product. Microsoft Research has been a money drain since its inception (having never created a revolutionary advance). And now he runs a company that does nothing but file patents.

DuncanIdaho 16y ago
Seems like he read Putt's law and really took maximum out of it.
kenjackson 16y ago
Some say one of the best cookbooks ever created. But also they have done some really cool stuff. Like they have this device that uses laser to shoot down individual mosquitoes, but not just any mosquitoe, but uses technology to see how the blood is flowing in the mosqitoe (as its flying through the air) to decide which mosqitoes are carrying malaria, and only shoot those. He also has built a portable refrigeration unit that can store vaccines (and other meds) for long periods of time with no power. Besides the cookbook though, I don't think he's created anything you'd buy at a store. Most of his work is focused on environmental and 3rd world issues.
rudiger 16y ago
This is a tired argument. Why don't we all go and work the fields? Maybe then we can "actually" create something (whatever that means).
bitwize 16y ago
He's an amazing business-model innovator (though probably all credit goes to Jerome Lemelson for the original implementation; too bad Jerry wasn't aware of business-method patents!). Yes, tongue firmly planted in cheek.
- qohen 16y ago
  Lemelson's story is rather interesting: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2005-08-21-lemelson-fraud_x.htm http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2005-08-21-... Relevant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_patent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_patent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_H._Lemelson#Patents_and_litigation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_H._Lemelson#Patents_and_... (The USA Today link above was a reference from this WP page)
sp332 16y ago
Microsoft Research has been a money drain since its inception (having never created a revolutionary advance). I can only assume you don't know anything about MS Research. They've been producing more published CS papers than anyone else for years now. They conducted the user studies that went into region-specific handwriting recognition on their tablets, and the Office Ribbon. They also developed the vision system in the Kinect. http://research.microsoft.com/ http://research.microsoft.com/ They're doing an amazing amount of research there.
- lukeschlather 16y ago
  Given the amount of money Microsoft has to throw around, I don't think the amount of research is in any way remarkable. Though there are definitely some amazing products coming out of MS research.

DuncanIdaho 16y ago

Seems like he read Putt's law and really took maximum out of it.

kenjackson 16y ago

Some say one of the best cookbooks ever created. But also they have done some really cool stuff. Like they have this device that uses laser to shoot down individual mosquitoes, but not just any mosquitoe, but uses technology to see how the blood is flowing in the mosqitoe (as its flying through the air) to decide which mosqitoes are carrying malaria, and only shoot those. He also has built a portable refrigeration unit that can store vaccines (and other meds) for long periods of time with no power. Besides the cookbook though, I don't think he's created anything you'd buy at a store. Most of his work is focused on environmental and 3rd world issues.

rudiger 16y ago

This is a tired argument. Why don't we all go and work the fields? Maybe then we can "actually" create something (whatever that means).

bitwize 16y ago

He's an amazing business-model innovator (though probably all credit goes to Jerome Lemelson for the original implementation; too bad Jerry wasn't aware of business-method patents!). Yes, tongue firmly planted in cheek.

qohen 16y ago
Lemelson's story is rather interesting: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2005-08-21-lemelson-fraud_x.htm http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2005-08-21-... Relevant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_patent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_patent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_H._Lemelson#Patents_and_litigation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_H._Lemelson#Patents_and_... (The USA Today link above was a reference from this WP page)

sp332 16y ago

Microsoft Research has been a money drain since its inception (having never created a revolutionary advance). I can only assume you don't know anything about MS Research. They've been producing more published CS papers than anyone else for years now. They conducted the user studies that went into region-specific handwriting recognition on their tablets, and the Office Ribbon. They also developed the vision system in the Kinect. http://research.microsoft.com/ http://research.microsoft.com/ They're doing an amazing amount of research there.

lukeschlather 16y ago
Given the amount of money Microsoft has to throw around, I don't think the amount of research is in any way remarkable. Though there are definitely some amazing products coming out of MS research.