Ask YC/HN: What's a problem you'd like to see someone solve?

Post by harpastum » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 5:37 PM UTC

alexandros wrote: post #160

ggrot wrote: post #67

End all fraud. The online version of this is, Spam, Phishing, Spyware, identity theft, etc. Offline: con artists, political bribery, tax evasion, ponzi schemes. I don't believe eliminating all crime is possible, as I can always whack my neighbor over the head with a stick and steal his wallet, but alot of crimes are only possible because the victim has a lack of good information. This is fraud. Eliminate or drastical…

Crime helps point out design flaws (case in point: Email) and can be therefore be thought as a force fostering or even forcing innovation. Not defending crime, just pointing out that eliminationg crime is not a pure win-win situation.

Post by apage43 » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 5:41 PM UTC

dmoney wrote: post #130

lionhearted wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did some research into living forever at one point. Basically, three things kill us: Disease, old age, and trauma. Disease seems beatable. Reversing old age is going to be trickier, especially as things we don't expect to fail start failing after we prolong our vitals for longer. But these both should be doable. The real killer is trauma. I scubadive. Given forever, eventually I'm going to something stupid underwat…

The real killer is trauma. This could be solved by perfect VR and disposable bodies grown in a vat, with a remote control system instead of a brain. Your real body hibernates and your real brain can think its scuba diving, while only having to worry a little about getting eaten by a shark (it would probably hurt).

Post by silentbicycle » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 6:01 PM UTC

Mystalic wrote: post #145

mechanical_fish wrote: post #6

Get people to stop using IE6 to visit sites, by any means necessary. Bonus points if you can take out IE7 as well.

I was just thinking about this one again, and here's a proposed solution: Create an anti IE6 Coalition. Here me out - you'd have one central website stating the purpose and all. If you wanted to join the cause, all you would have to do is place a javscript tag on your website. If it detects IE6, a message appears at the top talking about how IE6 hurts innovation, wastes millions of dollars a year, etc. and links to I…

Post by silentbicycle » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 6:17 PM UTC

silentbicycle wrote: post #116

mrtron wrote: post #21

I got flamed for suggesting this recently, but I'd like to see it: Equal wages/prices for all regardless of geography, brought on by a single world currency and the internet? That would solve world hunger (which is a money issue, not supply issue). edit: Awesome. It's getting downvoted here too? What the hell is wrong with the concept? edit 2: Oh I was completely blind to the obvious here...I mean equal wages in term…

Rather than necessarily setting all wages the same, providing a minimum stipend* may retain many of the same positive effects without eliminating economic rewards for more work, innovation, etc. The first 10k or so can do a lot to help people get people out of the zone where they have to make bad long-term choices just to make ends meet week to week. Of course, the wealth still needs to come from somewhere , but for…

Post by ddemchuk » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 10:20 PM UTC

zack wrote: post #166

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe that's called the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapir-Whorf_hypothesis ), which I generally agree with. A universal language would change the way people think about stuff -- it's a very interesting thought experiment.

There is also a lot of evidence contradicting the Whorf hypothesis. In by Steven Pinker, Pinker suggests that humans think with separate thought-modules and then only express the substance of thoughts through arbitrary languages. That being said, I think there is something to be said for diversity of culture, and perhaps better more fluid translation services are the true solution.