Author Topic: Reinventing the wheel

Reinventing the wheel
« on: April 01, 2022 »
As all is quiet in the workshop, today I set myself the task of reinventing the wheel. Surely it can be improved upon with a serious application of thought.

"Don't fix what isn't broken," say the unimaginative. It stands to reason that if whoever invented the wheel in the first place had listened to such advice, we wouldn't have enjoyed thousands of years of its blessings. But we must move on or risk stagnation.

I find that the best ideas come to me while cycling, which is only possible thanks to the wheel. Or is it? We've all seen videos of bikes with square and triangular shaped wheels and shook our heads in bemused wonder. I'll admit that I was grateful for the familiar round shape during the course of the ride.

It was time for some serious research. Having never examined the problem I figured to be a good thing, as I'd be approaching this with a fresh of eyes. Why dwell on other people's mistakes?

Still, warming up the noodle with the kindling of YouTube couldn't hurt.


Oh how people laughed at that groundbreaking documentary. Like War of the Worlds but with pasta.

The algorithm then served up the following:


All very interesting, but it was time to buckle down. One more video to aid in that regard then it was off to the mental races.


Unfortunately it turned out that I was youtubed out at this point and didn't make it all the way through, but I got the gist. A restless mind moves swiftly along.

It struck me that the main thing to be overcome was the general public's resistance to hindered motion; I had rediscovered as much on my recent ride. We all feel the need to GO! GO! GO!, fast as possible. This is the fundamental problem. It's not just about stopping and smelling the roses, which are overrated anyway: it's about freeing the mind to examine all the angles, so many of which go unexamined. In fact, if I hadn't been so seduced by the wheel, I probably would have solved this by now.

It suddenly struck me that attempting to complete this task this in a mere day was yet another symptom of the need for speed. Thoroughly invigorated by this fresh insight, I've decided to put it on the "back burner" until the solution pops into my head, as I'm certain it will, probably when I least expect it. Doubtless it will help to distract my mind so that it may enter the state of optimum receptivity, so please excuse me while I do just that.


Reminds me of someone