YSK: The Invention Secrecy Act is a US federal law authorizing the government to suppress disclosure of certain inventions for reasons of national security. 6,543 inventions are currently suppressed.
Invention Secrecy Act - Wikipedia
Anyone want to bet that there are inventions that are great but would cost some people serious money and that's why we're not seeing them?
Not taking that bet. From the linked wikipedia page.
According to reporting in Wired and Slate, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has at times considered applying secrecy orders to inventions deemed disruptive to established industries.
You may be sure that there are times when they did more than consider it.
It looks like they fuck over inventors.
Most of these appear to be for government projects such as with the Department of Defense and the NSA.
Sometimes, a regular invention outside of government contacts gets labeled with this and the government don’t pay for it. The inventor isn’t allowed to talk about it so they get fucked out of any income.
Oh good, apparently my late father's Folding Crossbow isn't a restricted patent..
https://patents.google.com/patent/US4926834A/en
I still posess the prototype, albeit a bit damaged now.
that's cool. Seems a bit 'busy' for something that should be foldable
Honestly it is a bit busy, like feature creep.
The lower stock and left bow are unfortunately now broken, but I want to do my best to restore it eventually.
I've already collected feathers and a new rifle scope, I just need an antique Volkswagen leaf spring...
Yeah you think this is a witch stew, but it isn't. These are the parts I need to properly fix my dad's invention.
6543 inventions are currently suppressed.
Like what?
/s
Reticulated splines
Nonsense, Maxis did it for years
I wouldn't be surprised if most of them have to do with rocketry or bioweapons and other things to make them work. I've designed things personally that are not destructive themselves but aid in testing or improving accuracy of hypersonic vehicles. The DOW (formerly DOD) did not allow us to apply for patents due to national security.
Successfully dividing by zero.
lights lighting up on NSA dashboard*
My flying boots, for one.
Probably a really, really good engine that doesn't need gasoline.
Fusion power.
It would upend the petrodollar and basically the entire global economy.
Often it will be a specific new process for making, say an unusual alloy or critical component.
Like an air cooled fiberglass engine that runs on water, man!?
Water? Brother that's 50's tech.
We're on to Cold Fusion reactors the size of your fist, SRO high-entropy alloys, and room temp superconductors.
:D
I mean, if some dude invented a neutron bomb in his garage, how would they know until it's too late? 🤔
They do have networks of radiation sensors and reporters because of the guy who built an atomic device out of smoke detectors, giving himself and others radiation poisoning. Also, there have been some nuclear weapons go a tiny bit permanently missing, and suitcase-size dirty bombs were a huge scare for a hot minute, etc etc.
Honestly it's really shocking we escaped the past century alive.
I always wondered what happened to all the neat reports of cars that ran on old oil or could get 50mpg in the 50s. Guess they were too disruptive. We can't have nice things. 😮💨
Cars that run on old oil are basically just diesel engines. It's also pretty easy to get a vehicle with high fuel efficiency, it's really hard to get one that also meets emission standards and doesn't kill you in a crash.
and the politicians pinky promise they won't use it for market manipulation… pinky promise
Literally does make sense. You don't want the how to for building a good gyroscope out there(too much). Some bits and pieces are really hard to get working well. And when you do you get great ICBMs. Still might want to patent it.
Yes, exactly. I used to design tools to test these and we weren't allowed to patent them, but I think some of the high level concepts were secret patents though I can't know that.
For anyone wondering the thing ICBMs (and jet planes) use is called a gyroscope and gives the same output but it isn't a "spinning top" gyro that you might be thinking of. Rather think super sensitive dynamo, or reversed motor. Tiny rotation turns into voltage signal.
There is an even newer type that uses laser but I don't know anything about it.
Yes this video destroyed me and made me realize that any life-changing awesome invention would surely be suppressed
Patents Granted To Two Formerly Secret Inventions
I have now fallen into a hole and will research this indefinitely.
Here’s a story about a guy who figured out how to track stealth planes: Congratulations, Your Genius Patent Is Now a Military Secret
Also in 2016, there were 5,680 patents according to this site. Yikes. That’s a big increase.
Where's this "Land of the Free" that I keep hearing about?
You can set up a genetic engineering lab for under 5000 bucks in your garage, and I would prefer you not being able to google how to DIY some super-ebola, thank you very much.
Truman’s house and Presidential Library aren’t too far away if I need to egg it.
But also
So if you really do have a society changing invention - one that could upset this capitalist or neoliberal world order - it is your duty to publically release it and not patent it
They'll suppress it unless they can make money off it like crypto or "AI".
Bitcoin was publicly released with full code and no pre-mining. It could not be patented for this reason.
The original creator is still unknown and has never moved their coins.
This strategy is the way.
I suspect the “threatens economic stability” is stuff like printers that can produce dollars and the type of paper/thread/plastic material that makes up modern currency. I think people are looking for a conspiracy here when it’s just a logical choice. Some things people shouldn’t have a playbook on how to create.
This is the plot of The Saint and now I have to watch it again.
Yes that was a really good deed by Dieter Von Cunth.
In which case some rich cunt will patent it and nuke the internet of its details
No.
That is not how the internet works
Good luck scrubbing anything off the internet with even a little social momentum. If people think its good enough to share, then it's never fully getting scrubbed.