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Exactly. There is no real mystery when you look into it. If there was any real value to these "discoveries" they would be kept secret. Just the fact that the pa

Exactly. There is no real mystery when you look into it. If there was any real value to these "discoveries" they would be kept secret. Just the fact that the patents were public were enough to know that it's vaporware. The most surprising thing about the whole story is that some higher ups were helping push through these patents, going so far as to claim that the patents are operable [1]. How any one of them couldn't see this for vaporware is beyond me. [1] - "the inventor Salvatore Pais, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's (NAWCAD) patent attorney Mark O. Glut, and the U.S. Naval Aviation Enterprise's Chief Technology Officer Dr. James Sheehy, all assert that these inventions are not only enabled, but operable." - https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/29232/navys-advanced-aerospace-tech-boss-claims-key-ufo-patent-is-operable https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/29232/navys-advanced-a...

GlenTheMachine 6y ago
"The most surprising thing about the whole story is that some higher ups were helping push through these patents, going so far as to claim that the patents are operable [1]." I agree that the patent thing is a bit weird. It might help to know that DoD scientists receive bonuses for being granted patents. In my org, at least, so do their supervisors.
- saberdancer 6y ago
  If The Drive/War Zone knew this, half the mystery would have been explained months ago. What a crazy system. You get a bonus if you are granted patents (including your superiors) who then back you up against the patent board that the patents are operable (when they clearly couldn't be).
  - GlenTheMachine 6y ago
    Sure, it can lead to poor outcomes. But 1) patents aren't easy things to apply for. The paperwork is exceptional, even if you're used to civil servant paperwork. And nobody is helping you. There's no administrative staff to do the application, so it all falls on the scientist. Therefore, if you want your scientists to patent things there has to be some incentive; 2) the bonus isn't very large.
- bonestamp2 6y ago
  How much is the bonus, or what is the range for those bonuses? I remember when I worked at an automaker in the 90s, one of my colleagues got a check for a little over a million dollars from a cost savings initiative that he suggested. At the time, the company was paying the suggester 10% of any cost savings they would recommend after the first year of savings was accounted. That's pretty significant and motivated a lot of people to implement cost savings.
  - GlenTheMachine 6y ago
    $1000, split between all the patent holders. Like I said, it isn't much. My understanding is that if anything is licensed you can receive a portion of the licensing fees. That's never happened to me.
    - bonestamp2 6y ago
      Ah ok, I guess that's good in a way -- it's low enough that it's not worth any reasonable person's time to write a valid patent just for the bonus.

GlenTheMachine 6y ago

"The most surprising thing about the whole story is that some higher ups were helping push through these patents, going so far as to claim that the patents are operable [1]." I agree that the patent thing is a bit weird. It might help to know that DoD scientists receive bonuses for being granted patents. In my org, at least, so do their supervisors.

saberdancer 6y ago
If The Drive/War Zone knew this, half the mystery would have been explained months ago. What a crazy system. You get a bonus if you are granted patents (including your superiors) who then back you up against the patent board that the patents are operable (when they clearly couldn't be).
- GlenTheMachine 6y ago
  Sure, it can lead to poor outcomes. But 1) patents aren't easy things to apply for. The paperwork is exceptional, even if you're used to civil servant paperwork. And nobody is helping you. There's no administrative staff to do the application, so it all falls on the scientist. Therefore, if you want your scientists to patent things there has to be some incentive; 2) the bonus isn't very large.
bonestamp2 6y ago
How much is the bonus, or what is the range for those bonuses? I remember when I worked at an automaker in the 90s, one of my colleagues got a check for a little over a million dollars from a cost savings initiative that he suggested. At the time, the company was paying the suggester 10% of any cost savings they would recommend after the first year of savings was accounted. That's pretty significant and motivated a lot of people to implement cost savings.
- GlenTheMachine 6y ago
  $1000, split between all the patent holders. Like I said, it isn't much. My understanding is that if anything is licensed you can receive a portion of the licensing fees. That's never happened to me.
  - bonestamp2 6y ago
    Ah ok, I guess that's good in a way -- it's low enough that it's not worth any reasonable person's time to write a valid patent just for the bonus.