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Frank X. Didik aboard
"The Futurist" in New
York Harbor.
Thoughts
by
Frank
Didik
Random
thoughts on science, business and society today.
What
if and what can or might be.
What
if the decay rate of elements varies rather than being a constant? Imagine,
if this is the case, it would mean that all archeological dating is
in question. How old are artifacts? When in fact did the dinosaurs
really die out? Further, consider that ...
read
more ...
What
is the speed of gravity? If it is instantaneous, then what if
gravity can be modulated? Today
most scientists, assume that the speed of gravity is the same as the
speed of light, but what if the speed of gravity is instantaneous?
Further, if gravity can be modulated, it might allow for
instantaneous universal communication. Thus it might be possible to
communicate with space craft instantly, rather than waiting for
minutes for transmissions to reach the craft or earth. Perhaps
computer chips can be made to operate vastly faster. And this is just
the beginning since ...read
more ...
Reason,
Logic and intellect is not reliable.
The late Christopher Hitchens often stated that we should rely on our
logic, reason and intellect to determine the truth. Many people who
pride themselves as educated, intelligent and progressive believe the
same. As reasonable as this seems, Galileo proved over 400 years ago
that our logic, reason and intellect is unreliable and that only
direct experimental data, should be relied upon. Galileo had dropped
two balls of the same material, but different masses, from the
Leaning Tower of Pisa to demonstrate that they would hit the ground
at the same time, rather than the heavier ball hitting the ground
first, as almost everyone, including Aristotle, 2000 years ago, had
assumed. Our logic, reason and intellect is not reliable and should
only be viewed as speculation. Only direct experimentation and
obtaining the same results, over and over again should be relied upon.
What
if time varies along with all things, rather than being a constant? Consider
that...read
more ...
Can
the speed of light vary, even if traveling under the same
conditions, or in other words, is the speed of light really a
constant? According
to Einstein's theory of relativity, the speed of light is a constant
but ...read
more ...
The
1956 Firebird was
to be self driving.
Self
Driving Cars? If
you have an accident with a self driving car, who is at fault? The
car manufacturer, the owner of the car or the occupant
"driver" of the car? I
have enjoyed owning and driving some of the most interesting cars
made and have always enjoyed the freedom of driving without
impediments or restrictions. Nevertheless, if self driving ...read
more ...
 
Bicycles?
What ever happened to jet packs, flying cars and advanced technology
that in the past, was predicted that we would be using by today? Why
are bicycles being pushed by cities world wide?...read
more ...
Question:
Do bicycles and
skate boards represent a more environmentally friendly world or does
it indicate a decline in the standard of living?
I ride my bicycle about 10 miles every day, but only a small
percentage of the population benefit from bike lanes, mostly men
under the age of 50. Further, most people ride bikes in warm,
favorable weather and rarely in the rain, snow or cold weather.
Old
Computer Formats and the longevity of our digitally stored
knowledge. Are
we entering into a "pre-history" era? How can we preserve
our computer written records, books, photographs, video and
knowledge? If you
wanted to, would you be able to read a:
3
1/2" or 5 1/4" or 8" floppy?
cd-rom
or a dvd?
12"
optical disk?
9
track tape?
IBM
punch card?
Paper
punch tape?
If
you can not read these one or two generation old formats today, how
will society be able to read these documents in 200 years from now? I
doubt that the current line up of formats, such as SD cards, USB
drives or others, will be easy to read in 15 years. The longevity of
computer/digital storage before major failure is also an issue ...read
more ...
Euthanasia
to be encouraged?
I was just reading that insurance companies encourage suicide, in
states that permit assisted suicide. Greater profits by less medical
bills and life insurance policies invalidated? I suspect that with a
rapidly aging population, the elderly will be encouraged to end their
lives. Perhaps it will be presented as the patriotic or honorable
thing to do. We are truly entering into an age of barbarism and
abandoning civilization. - June 2018
There
is an alternative to population control. Restricting
and discouraging the formation of families in order to stabilize or
reduce population infringes on the freedom and rights of every human.
There is another much better approach...read
more ...
Questioning
the results of modern science. For
the last 100 years, we have been experiencing the collapse of real
science. Theories, speculation and fantasy is the norm today. By
definition, the scientific method is the ability to test and re-test
and always get the same results, over and over. If an idea or a
theory can not be tested, the idea must be viewed as speculation and
not considered true, till that idea is proven without a doubt.
Scientific theory has moved to areas that are beyond our present
capability of testing and gradually a number of unproven theories
have become accepted as fact without any real proof. Further, new
theories have been developed based on old theories. Thus we have a
situation where science today is largely based on theory upon theory.
If something can not be proven, it falls into the realm of philosophy
rather than science. This has led to...read
more ...
Science
and media hype: Any
sudden "revolutionary" scientific discovery, even if such
discovery is written about in every newspaper and scientific journal,
should be greeted with skepticism. Such a discovery should only be
accepted after the bulk of scientists have have had a chance to
review the discovery and confirm that it is in fact correct. Such
things that come to mind include cold fusion, the so called "God
Particle" and even the recent stated discovery of a
"gravitational wave". All too often such media hype has
come and gone without any real discovery or fundamental change. ..read
more ...
What
percentage of information, contained in science books is accurate
and true? Are we in a post science period? Many
science books today present ...read
more ...
It
is time to retest scientific properties. Verify results. I
suggest that the properties of all materials be re-tested using
modern technology and certify the results. Melting and boiling
points, conductivity, hardness, and all physical properties of
materials should be re-tested ...read
more ...
Honesty
and integrity
in scientific
research is
essential in
order to
advance our knowledge
base. When
a scientist has worked for years to prove a particular theory and
finds out that their work has been in vain, it is difficult to admit
that their original assumptions were wrong. Still it is vitally
important ..read
more ...
This
website displays designs, projects, proposals and innovations
by Frank Didik, but this site has also served to inspire people to
bring their ideas to fruition. All too often, people have great
dreams in high school and college but within a few years after
graduation, these ideas gradually become a distant memory. I
encourage everyone to do what ever you are good at and try to make
your dreams a reality. What people do today represents the future of
our great planet. Go out and do whatever you can do, to the best of
your ability.
Free
diverse, intelligent opinions?
Is
it possible to have truly diverse opinions if everything a person
thinks and understands is told to them in school, tv, movies and the
rest of the media? On-line chat rooms and "news aggregators"
tend to repeat one another, without any truly new information. In
many ways, this is causing a dumbing down of society. Perhaps it has
always been this way. ---Feb 11, 2019
Automation
and robotics will help return businesses to the United States.
With new automation and robotics, which requires less employees, it
is now possible for most American Based companies to return
manufacturing to the United States, with the benefit of lower
production costs, lower shipping costs and a safer business climate,
when compared with outsourced manufacturing. -February
14, 2018
The
Downside of Robotics Robotics will
bring about a fundamental change in society. Millions of jobs will be
lost, but only a few, high end jobs will be created. Most former
employees will not be employable in this new environment. The same
occurred in England in the early 1800's with the industrial
revolution. High end weaving jobs were lost after the introduction of
high speed looms. Another example is the computer revolution from the
late 1960's till the mid 1980's and on till today eliminated the need
for thousands of office clerks. - May
5, 2019
Frank
Didik's
Thoughts
on how the world will change in the future
No one
really knows what the future will be like and rarely have predictions
made in the past, become a reality in the same way that it was
predicted. Nevertheless, certain generalities of what might happen,
can be foreseen based on what is happening today
read
more
1. In the future,
robotics will change society and millions will lose their jobs ...read
more
2. In the future,
robotic friends, including intimate friends will prevail ...read
more
3. In the future,
dating and marriage may greatly decline read
more
4. In the future,
populations may drastically decline ...read
more
5. In the future,
pet ownership will decline read
more
6. In the future,
natural child birth may decline read
more
7. In the future,
Licenses may be required to have children ...read
more
8. In the future,
virtual living will take precedence to real life read
more
9. In the future,
aroma, heat, wind, moisture and taste will all be recorded read
more
10. In the future,
wealth will be concentrated among a tiny group of people read
more
11. In the future,
technological advancement may slow down ...read
more
12. In the future,
planets will not be colonized read
more
13. In the future,
people will travel less in the future ...read
more
14. In the future,
transportation networks will gradually be reduced ..read
more
15. In the future,
there will be a Loss of optimism for their future ...read
more
16. In the future,
people will rarely interact, face to face ...read
more
17. In the future,
microscopic robotic "bacteria" will be injected into the
body to cure diseases and repair or remove internal body issues ..read
more
18. In the future,
robots will perform medical procedures including surgery more
19. In the future,
doctors will be able to operate from anywhere on the planet ...read
more
20. Radically
changed moral values and decline in human dignity awaits us in the
future ...read
more
21. In the future,
society may gradually fall into a stagnant, non advancing epic ...read
more
22. Future crises
in Human Dignity ...read
more
23. In the future,
medicines will be specifically designed for the individual ...read
more
24. In the future,
robots will do most factory work and manual labor, including farming
and cooking, as well as the jobs of professionals such as doctors and
accounting, just to mention a few chores and will cause the loss of
millions of jobs and make large populations unnecessary .. read
more
---Predictions
for the future by Frank X. Didik, December
2, 2016
------------------------------------------
Op-Ed
Cell
Phone Etiquette
Advice for the modern person -
December 9,
2016 read
more
Time
to rethink bike lanes Advice for bicyle based cities
- August
3,
2016 read
more
|
|
 Frank
Didik with NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio and first lady Chirlane McCray,
at Gracy Mansion.
Johns
Hopkins University declared
on September 28, 2020, that 1 million people have died of the said
Covid-19 virus worldwide. This means that of the estimated 7.5
billion people on the planet, the chance of dying from the virus is
about 1 in 7500, or .00013 percent.
"Temporary"
seems to have become the new permanent under the virus hysteria lockdown.
Corona
Virus:
What I have observed regarding the Corona Virus can be
read here. Further, my photographs of empty New York City, can be viewed
here.
Unbiased
News? The "news"
is not a public information service, but rather it is an
entertainment service. Most news outlets tend to say the same thing
so that their audiences come to the same conclusion. All the news
outlets strive to present themselves as an unbiased authority,
complete with their "noted experts", "analysis",
etc. Ultimately their articles are designed to formulate the readers
opinion. It has always been this way. Over 2,000 years ago, Socrates
allegory "The Cave" essentially sums up how a person is led to
believe a particular point of view. In 1825, U.S. President John
Quincy Adams was asked what he thought of the free press. He replied
"It never was, isn't now, but I sure hope it happens in the
future".
Massive
surpluses in society
Industry has produced massive surpluses Since the start of the
Industrial Revolution, 230 years ago, society has gradually managed
to ever increase productivity and surpluses. Today, these surpluses
are so great that I estimate that only 20% of the population can
support themselves and the rest of the population. This assumption
was proven essentially correct with the Covid/Corona lockdowns when
it was estimated that over 50% of the population was not working and
yet society did not experience any shortages in any area. Further,
with the robotic and artificial intelligence revolution just around
the corner, even greater surpluses will be achieved and even less workers/employees
will be needed. This leads to the question of how to deal with the
vast number of people who's work will no longer be needed? If the
present monetary system continues, perhaps a basic, livable income
will necessary, though in general, I am not in favor of the idea,
since I have always felt that everyone should be required to carry
their own weight in society and further, give back to society. There
are some who feel that the population should be reduced by
discouraging the formation of families, encouraging single life,
birth control, abortion, same sex unions encouraging latter age marriage
and other methods. Most non-retail businesses can easily survive with
less than 50% of their work force.
Dumbing
down of Society
With the knowledge of all humankind at ones fingertips, as a result
of the internet and Google and other search engines, one would expect
that far greater numbers of people would be able to drive society to
new heights. Surprisingly, this has not happened to the degree that
one might expect. Essentially societal progress is still made by less
than 2% of the population, with the balance of the population, simply
working in the industries created by those 2%. The bulk of the people
amuse themselves though social media, games and different
distractions. This brings up the issue of if everyone should attend
university since most will not do much with their degree and such
education will not necessarily enhance society or for that matter,
themselves. Some say that the distractions are organized for a
purpose, but I don't believe it. People tend to be perfectly
satisfied with their existing station in life.
Pent
up Demand
caused by Covid-19 lockdown? Unlikely. People are used to staying
home, have developed new habits, and after being out of work, will
probably want to save money.
Forced
vaccinations? But Why? read
more
Do
more people die because of the Corona Virus or because of the lockdown? read
more
Hysterical
Fears pushed in the media and other sources:
What ever happened to Y2K, the Ozone hole, nuclear winter, missile
gap, read
more
Is
Covid-19 as widespread as suggested? read
more
Restaurants
and Bars will spring back? Very
unlikely. People go to these places not only to eat and drink but
primarily to socialize. If people are social distanced, why go out?
Corona
Virus "Experts"?
Who is to say who is an expert when the entire virus is a new event
and nobody has any real understanding what is going on. This is like
the transition period of Eastern Europe from 1989 to 1992, when so
many "leading experts" came from nowhere and gave the
public their speculation with truly disastrous results, causing
massive inflation and economic failure in countries who followed
their "advice".
Remote
workers and salary protection read
more
Internet
free speech and censorship read
more
People
should be responsible for themselves and carry their own weight in society read
more
Liberal
Governments verses Conservative Governments read
more
Career
first and family later? read
more
Question
If you can live for a thousand years, but have to live in a 12x12
foot (3x3 meter) room without ever leaving, would you do it? I prefer
to live life to its fullest and accept the risks. Everything in life
entails a certain risk.
Subway
Safety-Subway Gate Every year hundreds of people are
killed or severely injured when they fall onto the tracks of trains
and subways. The prevention is cost efficient and greatly reduces liability ...
read
more ...
Greatly
reduce train noise A significant
amount of train noise is caused by the train wheels rolling over the
expansion joint of the tracks. This vibration creates noise,
vibrations, an less pleasant ride and also reduces the life cycle of
the train. The solution is relatively simple and cost effective ...
read
more ...
----
Oposition vs False Oposition read
more
Best
Governments offer a balance between private ownership and public ownership read
more
Should all citizens be allowed to vote? read
more
Gradual Control read
more
Equal
does not mean identical but are all people are equal?
read more
Cashless
Society; good or bad? read
more
----
Our
thoughts are not our own. We are
influence constantly by TV, the internet, radio, newspapers,
magazines, movies, television shows, advertisements, in school and
other places. Almost everything we think, do and say, what we eat,
wear, how we act and even our goals and moral perspective, is
hammered into us so is our thoughts, really our own? We certainly
have the capability to think on our own and in fact, we do have a
free will to ultimately choose our direction, but nevertheless, our
outside influence is massive. When I interact with people, I often
hear the same argument parreted over and over again, and often times
the people do not realize that they are simply repeating what they
had recently heard or read. Often times outside discussions have
little new information to offer since it is so repetative or in on
such a basic level. Perhaps the person who can think the most for
themselves are people who live in isolated areas, with little
interaction with others. Centuries ago, hermits and monks withdrew
from the world to be surrounded by their thougths. I do not advocate
this, but their action is for sure one way of limiting outside influence.
Knowledge obtained
from human interaction, reading and learning is essential to move
forward, but how does one use this knowledge while at the same time
not being overly influenced by others? Human existence and progress
is rapid, but still there are obsticles that slow us down.
Is
it possible to have truly diverse opinions if everything a person
thinks and understands is told to them in school, tv, movies and the
rest of the media? On-line chat rooms and "news aggregators"
tend to repeat one another, without any truly new information. In
many ways, this is causing a dumbing down of society. Perhaps it has
always been this way. ---Feb 11, 2019
Where
have all the insects and birds gone?
Just a few years ago, when I would drive in the country, my
windshield would be covered with insects that had hit the car. This
simply does not happen anymore. Has the insect population somehow
died out? No one seems to talk about this. Has insecticides or
plastics or radio transmissions somehow effected them? Further, I
have noticed a large drop in the number of birds that we have in the
cities as well as in the countryside. It seems that we are headed
towards, a silent spring.
Frank
Didik's opinion
On
Education
Rethinking
school and our education system
Should
everyone attend college or university?
... read
more ...
Wisdom:
I believe that wisdom can not be taught, but rather wisdom is a
unique gift of understanding that a person is born with.
Can
a
college or a university
really teach a person to be a businessman
or an artist or good in any particular field? ...
read
more ...
How
come all college undergraduate degree's
require four years?
Should some degrees require only one
year while others perhaps six years? ...
read
more ...
Weak
Students:
I have long believed that in a classroom environment, the weak
student holds the better students back. The idea of putting a weak
student with better students is a disservice to both the weak as well
as the better students. It should also be recognized that not all
people have the same ability and potential in every field. Two
individuals completing the same university program and having the
same grades and degree, does not make them equal in ability and
potential. Students should not be told that they can succeed at
anything that they try to do.
What
courses should and should not be taught at college or university? Can
college or a university teach a person how to be a good business
person, or how to be creative? ...
read
more ...
-------------------------------
Teaching: I
feel that it is not possible to teach a person to be creative or a
good businessman and the same applies to many other fields. You can
only expose that person to what has already been done and the current
understanding of the tools and materials of the trade and perhaps
with this understanding, the student can expand upon this knowledge.
-------------------------------
Learning: My
view is that almost all learning is through observation and
questioning. This underscores the importance of parents to teach
their children and expose their children to the parents daily lives.
In today's society, most parents are forced to work and thus the
child has only limited exposure to the richness of the parents
understanding of things. I would also argue that when a parent is
walking with a child, that the parent should not be using their cell
phone or texting and instead be devoting their full attention to the
child. Schools, as they exist today, have a limited ability to truly train/educate
a student and most of what is taught to the student is repeated over
and over with little practical use for the student after graduation.
So many students today study for years and yet after graduation,
never use what they have learned or what they have learned is of
little relevance to their lives.
The
playgrounds are empty but
the dog runs are full. No
children, only dogs. I
have noticed that in New York City, the playgrounds are empty but the
dog runs are full. People are no longer getting married, and having
families. Where will this all lead to? When I
was a child growing up in NYC, there were children everywhere and the
stores catered to families, rather than individual single people. The
best boutiques along Madison Avenue on Manhattan's upper east side,
always had play areas for the children, so that the children could
play, while the mothers shopped. We children knew which stores had
the best toys and demanded to go to those stores, which in most
cases, were the most expensive stores!
Where
have all the twenty something year olds gone?
Strolling
down fashionable Fifth Avenue recently, it struck me how the average
age of the crowded streets seems older than in the past. I would
guess that the average age of the people I saw was around 35 years
old. Twenty years ago, the average age would have been probably
around 25 years old. Why? I will further guess that the answer is
that many people are postponing marriage and having far fewer
children. Perhaps the high student debt or perhaps women seeking
careers over family or perhaps the hook-up culture is the culprit.
Regardless, this does not bode well for the future and increasing
family commitments is a must for a healthy society. --- Feb 11, 2019
The
aging population is a sad, worldwide industrial nation phenomenon.
I am in Tokyo for a few days and have been here many times before. In
2002, I would guess that the average age on the street was about 24
years old. Today, I would guess the average age is about 35 years
old. --- Feb 26, 2019
Immigration:
Almost all countries consider what perspective immigrants can do for
their country and if those immigrants will contribute or be a burden
on their society and also evaluate if the potential immigrant will
blend in with their existing culture. Perhaps the United States
should take the same approach. ---Feb 11, 2019
Life
forever? It is
interesting that life never really dies in that life continues,
uninterrupted with the offspring. Science has never observed life
emerging from minerals or non living elements. ---Feb 11, 2019
Investing
in Startups. Good idea or bad? Is
investing in a Startup, that has never proven itself in the market
place, a good idea or a waste of money (and talent)? Historically,
investors invested in companies that were swamped with orders and
making money, but needed additional money to ...
read
more ...
Most
efficient brain-storming method and
how to make morning office meetings more productive and interesting ...
read
more ...
BITCOIN:
Bitcoins are backed by nothing more than the gullibility and wishful
thinking of the Bitcoin holder.
I believe that the
Bitcoin rise in value is akin to the Dutch Tulip craze in the early
1600's and that a massive decline in value is imminent.
Foreign
manufactured products versus American manufactured products:
American's will never buy an American made product if the same or
similar foreign products is sold at a lower price. This means that
manufacturing jobs will never return to the United States, unless
there is an import tax, however import taxes will violate most of
America's NAFTA and GAT treaties. Any talk of manufacturing jobs
returning to America without import taxes is simply idle banter.
The
Safety of Plastics.
Over the past 30 years, there has been a massive increase in the
number of human ailments such as Alzheimer's, breast cancer, prostate
cancer, autism, declining fertility, and other ailments. Some people
say that the cause is actually better diagnosis, while others blame
processed foods, GMO foods, pesticides, wifi, cell phones,
vaccinations and other outside influences. During this period, there
has been a rapid increase of various plastic packaging for food,
water and even clothing made out of polyester and other plastics,
with a decline in 100% natural fibers such as cotton and wool.
Studies should be conducted regarding the safety of these new
materials, as well as the fabric dyes and determine if such chemicals
can be absorbed by the skin and if they have any type of long range
human effect. -February
14, 2018
Good
Citizenship
and
respect for our fellow human beings.
Important
quotes from my friends from around the world, that I completely agree
with and I am sure that most people would as well:
"Do
not generalize, but rather individualize." --Daniela
D. in Germany, who works for the German diplomatic Chancellery.
"Never
get angry with anyone. Who knows, perhaps one day that person will
save the world!" --Yuka
S., who works for Aoyama University in Tokyo (and Kanagawa).
"It
is important to always remember that
every person you encounter has their own goals and aspirations,
trails and tribulations and deserves equal respect." --Sue
Ann M. in Durham, North Carolina.
------------------------------------
"It's
all good" ... is wrong. All is
not good. There is an absolute right and an absolute wrong and this
is not culturally or time dependent. If you see someone going down
the wrong path in life, it is essential that you vocalize your
concerns and offer to help that individual. I am a moral absolutist
and not a moral relativist.
Producing
the very best and most effective TV commercials
The single purpose of a television commercial is to sell the product
or service. The fact that an advertisement might be interesting,
funny, informative or well produced is secondary to the main purpose,
which is to sell the product or service. One should never leave the
creation of the television commercial to the television producer or
the video editor. ...
read
more ...
Building
the most effective business websites Never
let a "web designer" develop the website for you. A web
designer should be produce the website under the supervision of an on
line marketing master, usually working with ...
read
more ...
Twitter
Frank Didik Twitter
feed (www.Twitter.com/FrankDidik).
I am not a particular fan of Twitter, though I can see that Twitter
has had more impact than I first imagined, particularly in areas of
politics, fashion and press releases. Frank Didik's archived twitter
blog can be found at www.didik.com/FrankDidikBlog.htm
|
Isolation
Chamber to transport a sick person and to prevent pathogenic
microorganisms from spreading to other people. Unique and advanced.
Patent pending
