When I began Public Invention six years ago on my 50th birthday, I wanted to create a movement. Creating the non-profit also called Public Invention was a tool for doing that, but I always imagined it would be much smaller than a global movement to create open source hardware inventions by “Inventing in the public, …
I recently read the Global Open Science Hardware Roadmap published by the Gathering for Open Science Hardware (GOSH). It lays out a real program for promoting Open Science Hardware (that is, roughly speaking, lab equipment and field instruments.) I strongly support it, and have signed the manifesto petition. As it states, if we can make …
Comments on the Global Open Science Hardware Roadmap Read More »
Disaster relief is different than the steady work of research, whether the disaster is natural or caused by human folly and greed. It is bursty and uncertain, urgent and unclear. When Russia invaded Ukraine, I thought the war would be over before Public Invention could possibly do anything. I was traveling to Auburn Alabama, in …
Why we started and then froze a software effort for Ukraine Read More »
Public Invention generally does not pay its volunteers (there are rare exceptions.) In general, we try to maintain the policy of “no out-of-pocket expenses” (NOOPE) which is that we pay for materials, supplies, and equipment, but do not directly compensate volunteers. It is therefore essential that we recognize volunteers for their hard work. Sometimes this …
The COVID-19 pandemic has cost five million lives so far with the real death toll likely five times higher. It has exposed an urgent need for effective global action while highlighting our collective lack of preparedness to respond to acute global health crises. Humanity must learn from this experience and be better prepared for future …
Rich firms and persons in a America pay too little in taxes, and yet at the same time they get too few thanks. It is perfectly consistent to believe both of these things. I personally suspect the more they are thanked, the less they will resist paying higher taxes. Whether you believe this or not, …
Let’s Thank These Firms for Contributing to the Low Carbon Patent Pledge Read More »
Public Invention, Inc., (this non-profit) encourages student groups to create clubs at their schools devoted to the ideas of Public Invention and Humanitarian Engineering. In fact, we’ve written a article explaining how and why to do this, which we would be happy for you to share. However, to use the name “Public Invention”, which is …
Register your Student Public Invention Club with Us! Read More »
Public Invention’s motto is “Invent in the public, for the Public.” Inventing in the public means working “in the light”—letting everyone see the work product as you go along. In a sense, working in the light is a form of mentoring that is available to all for free. But people need one-on-one, personal mentoring as …
— Robert L. Read, PhD, Founder Public Invention — Joshua M. Pearce, John M. Thompson Chair in Information Technology and Innovation Thompson Centre for Engineering Leadership & Innovation, Ivey Business School Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Western University — Avinash Baskaran, PhD candidate, Robotics, Auburn University — Megan Cadena, Biomedical Engineer, UT Austin
Dear Friend of Public Invention, As you probably know, there is a terrible humanitarian crisis in India right now. The COVID-19 disease is rampant, the medical system is overwhelmed, it appears that the infections may actually be increasing, and deaths and infections are almost certainly being undercounted. I would like to tell you that Public …
