Paradigm Shift Institute

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Comment by Dr. Norman LaFave on August 3, 2008 at 5:28pm

We need to put together a board of directors. I would like to have a banker, businessman, and a lawyer on it if possible. Any ideas on this?

Comment by Dr. Norman LaFave on August 3, 2008 at 5:25pm

Hi all,

The business plan is nearing completion. We are finalizing the budget spreadsheets over the next couple of days. I can then provide the document to anyone who needs it. What we need to do now is to incorporate and apply for nonprofit status. I want to make sure we have that in place so that anyone who donates can get their tax exemption. I am doing some research on the process now. Anyone have any expertise in this area from an administration or legal perspective that might want to help get this done?

Comment by Washington State for Solar, and Wind Power on August 3, 2008 at 3:34pm

Dear James,

Thanks for inviting me to join this group. i look forward to helping in this with my boss's company, and other people we can find to help also.

Thanks again, and good luck,

Kraig

Comment by Luane Todd on August 3, 2008 at 2:42pm

wonder if there is a place in your thinking for a non-scientist in the exact definition of the term.
My skills are more in the applied science direction, self-taught primarily. My main interest is diversity in all forms with a specific interest and experience in CO2 sequestration using plants.
In recent months I have followed the Biomimicry Institute's work with great interest and I think there is definitely a place for this approach as we try to solve many of the problems we face. One of the more interesting books I have read recently was"The World Without Us" which dealt with the way Nature will clean up the messes we have created.
I might be able to provide useful input from the user standpoint and I know I will expand my knowledge base by following what you are doing here.

This should be interesting.

Luane Todd
luanetodd@yahoo.com

Comment by Earl Allen Boek on August 3, 2008 at 8:55am

Sorry Dr..I see the summary and I am previewing it. AlB

Comment by Ian A. Murphy on August 3, 2008 at 8:08am

As clearly stated before by myself and others , the need to have a crash program into all methodologies of energy production is paramount to our very survivial. It is required that all of us in this country take an active stance no matter what silly ideas you may come up with, this group can be the catalyst for science and growth of these important issues. Our politicians have no concept of reality since they are lost in a sea of big money and the facts that clog their minds with crap spoon fed to them by their lackeys. No money will be spent if they continue to not see the reality of the situation right now. Remember that the ideas of cold fusion were proved, but squashed by the scientific community because they thought that such things as part of "accepted" science were not possible. but Louis Pasture was called a nut, so was Edison, and Tesla. The most ingenious thoughts ever come from the minds of those deemed crazy or insane in our closed minded society and are not able to grasp the realities of the dire consequences of he times. The planet is dying because we have pilfered the resources and squandered them to the point of our own self extinction and not able to see the forest for the trees. If there is gas beneath my homer here in florida, then I sw, put a drilling rig in my back yard. I do not like and never have really approved of nuclear power in it's current stage of Boiling water reactors and the fuel rods issue, but that technology was brought to use with the simple promise that it would be too cheap to meter. Well that became a nightmare as the rush to build nuclear plants around this country is becoming the new save all. It is time ot take any form of energy tat we have,process it into workable, clean and able to be domesticated as the country's clean energy source. If you can take new designs of Nuclear reactors and use the "Pebble Bed" design, then you have me sold, but all in all; the fact that this country and other of the west are so dependent upon the middle east is absurd. It stands to reason that we should have solved this the last time when the Arab Oil Embargo occured. But our politicains are too stupid to even see tha way beach then. Thats when this all should have started. I had a collection of solar books dating from the 1970 and 80' that were destroyed due to mold and mildew sitting in a basement. My goals even bacjk then were to find ways to make it and this type of program o occur, but fell on deaf ears.

You or some of you can remeber when gas hit 50 cents a galon and people went nut, then to a buck and the cries howled in the ears of congress and the sitting presidents,but to no avail. it is time that we take activisim to a further point to bring aboutthe changes in modern science and se that science is focused on the needs of the people, not on making war in countries that afffect our dinner tables every night. The entire mess now, with billions of dollars wasted on wars should have gone to research and technology. If they could build a atomic bomb, not thermo-nuclear weapons back in the 40's with a theory that was never realy understood with the world at war in 4 years, then we as the minds of this country can come up with designs or ideas to make this a real reality in the next 2-5 years for all mankind. Screw the war, screw the congress, get rid of anyone who stands in the ways of progress and science and charge forth with your wildest ideas, share them with allof us, let the ideas flow and bring your insanity to the table. Your insanity for and of an idea, just may be the ticket to making the country a bit cleaner. The need for money be damned and get the congress to fund any one of us or al of us. If they can send out 600 dollar bribes to every taxpayer, then every taxpayer should be able to get funding or research and development. Remember it's the little guy with a vision that sees the future and can bring about change.

Comment by Donna Dvorak on August 2, 2008 at 10:55pm

Hi Everyone:

I have accepted the invitation to join this group and thought I'd send out a quick hello to everyone!

Let me know how I can assist!

Warm regards,

Donna

Comment by Donna Dvorak on August 2, 2008 at 10:43pm

Hello!

I've joined PSI! :)

Comment by Dr. Norman LaFave on August 2, 2008 at 9:43pm

Hello,

My name is Dr. Norman LaFave. I am a teacher, engineering consultant, and physicist. My goal with this comment is to provide some motivation behind the Paradigm Shift conception. You can read the description of the institute in the last comment.
Paradigm Shift grew out of three observations:
1.) Good ideas were dying on the vine for lack of venture capital. It seemed to me that a good idea should at least be prototyped before a decision to market it is made. I watched too many creative people floundering to find any kind of capital for their idea. Even worse, I saw some lose their proprietary ownership of their own idea to unscrupulous investors.
2.) With so many critical challenges out there, from global warming to severe gas price hikes, it astounded me that a more concerted effort wasn't being made to meet those challenges.
3.) It always amazed and frustrated me that the same student that I couldn't motivate in my physics class was Picasso in their art class or Nureyev in thei dance class, or Beverly Sills in their Choir class. What was desperately needed in the science and math classes was an avenue of inspiration through creativity. In other words, a chance for students to apply math and science toward a creative project.

Thus was born the idea for Paradigm Shift, a non-profit laboratory that would bring experienced engineers and business professionals together to:
1. Assist inventors in prototying and marketing their ideas.
2. Tackle some of the critical challenges, both national and globle, with new innovative products and technologies.
3. Inspire high school students to become the next generation of innovative engineering entrepeneurs.

It is my hope that some of you will join me in the effort to find sponsors for this project. It is my plan to prototype the institute in Houston, Texas and then help it spread to other areas where it can provide assistance and inspiration to other communities.

Comment by Dr. Norman LaFave on August 2, 2008 at 9:25pm

Executive Summary for Paradigm Shift Institute (PSI)

Paradigm Shift Institute is a proposed non-profit laboratory promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and education. The institute will be managed and lead by a staff of highly experienced and accomplished science, engineering and business professionals representing all of the major science/engineering/business areas (chemistry/biochemistry, physics, civil engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, management, finance and marketing). The institute will be dedicated toward:

Ø Educating and inspiring young people to pursue science and engineering careers through invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship,

Ø Developing the next great technologies and innovations to bolster the U.S. economy, and

Ø Solving critical problems occurring in our world (i.e. pollution, poverty, and renewable energy) through the formulation and application of cutting-edge technologies and products.

The institute will be:

1. An integrated, cooperative engineering laboratory dedicated to the conception, research and development (short and long term) of cutting-edge products and technologies targeting critical economic and environmental issues. The institute will bring products and technologies from initial conception through design, engineering analysis, prototyping, testing and marketing (licensing). The major areas of focus will be:

-- Materials and Structures – Development of technologies to a.) Produce better strength to weight ratio materials and structures, b.) Improve reliability and durability of complex structures, c.) Improve the performance of materials/structures in adverse environments (thermal, vibration, corrosive, etc.) and d.) Improve the reliability, cost and speed of producing complex structures from a variety of materials.

-- Propulsion/Energy Systems and Subsystems – Development of system and subsystem technologies to improve the performance, cost, environmental compatibility, efficiency, reliability, maintainability and durability of propulsion and energy systems for home, automotive, aviation and aerospace applications.

-- Renewable and Alternative Fuels and Energy Systems – Development and promotion of a.) Technologies to improve the production and application of alternative fuels such as hydrogen, cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel, b.) Improved technologies for geothermal, wind, tidal, and solar-based energy production and c.) Improved technology for energy storage devices such as batteries and flywheels.

-- Environmental Remediation – Development of products and technologies for the remediation of environmental damage, including the remediation of global warming and land pollution.

-- Control Systems – Development of cutting-edge control systems for the operation of complex machinery and devices that improve efficiency, maintainability and reliability and lower cost. Special emphasis will be given to control systems that can learn and adapt.

The developed technologies and products will be licensed to U. S. companies to cover the operation and growth costs of the institute.

2. An incubator for the promotion of product development and entrepreneurship skills by young high school students who are brought to the institute as paid interns/apprentices. The staff will then work with the interns to conceive product ideas, refine the product conception, produce the design, build a prototype, test the prototype, and market it for licensing. Special consideration will be given to potential interns who come from low-income communities. Income from licensing will be used for institute operations and scholarships.

3. An incubator for young entrepreneurs to propose product ideas to be developed, prototyped, tested, and marketed at the laboratory facility with licensing shared between the concept originator and the institute to cover the development costs.

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