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njwilson2012
 USA
Open Source Auto Industry Printer Friendly Version
The auto industry today has some major flaws. You buy a new car for a large sum of money, after 10 or 12 years, the repair costs are more than the value of the car, so you toss it into a junkyard and buy a brand new car. The car companies are rewarded for making a car that is difficult to repair. In some cases, it seems like they are intentionally designed so that customers cannot work on them themselves. The cars must be taken to the dealer and the repair costs are outrageous.
Here's the solution: in the aeronautics industry, aircraft are designed for ease of maintenance. Many aircraft are designed to last 100 years and to have parts that are easily replaceable. The concept of designing products for a maximum life and ease of maintenance and repair is known as sustainment.
In the arms industry, many firearms are designed to maximize the compatibility of their parts. Parts for a Colt 1911 made in 2015 will be compatible with parts made in the 1930s. An AR-15 upper receiver made by Smith & Wesson is compatible with a lower receiver made by Bushmaster. Compatibility.
Last, in the world of open source software, the intellectual property is built by volunteers all around the world who wish to create a better product for themselves and everyone else. Also, projects like the Adruino have created open source hardware and have dramatically driven down the costs of custom circuit boards by opening their designs to the free market. This is the beauty of open source information.
What I want to do is to create a car company that uses the best of all of these worlds. Cars that are designed to last a lifetime because they are designed for ease of maintenance. Parts that will fit your car today, and in 50 years you will still be able to buy parts that fit. Last, all intellectual property will be open source. This means people from all over the world will be able to propose design improvements and create new 3D models using open source software. Also, this will open the door to the free market so manufacturers from all over the world will be able to manufacture parts that fit together. You can buy an engine from Honda and a transmission from Toyota and they will be compatible in the same car. Designing cars for sustainment and compatibility with open source information will revolutionize the auto industry. It will make cheap and reliable transportation available to everyone on the planet.
Reward: To change the world
 

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Steve
 Austria
Improved Democracy Printer Friendly Version
The concept of democracy is a great idea, but recent trends have shown that it is a vulnerable one, too. It seems that all a leader has to do is cut the education and social security budgets and create a large mass of people that are poor and illiterate. Spend all the money you didn't spend for the sake of the people to finance a huge propaganda campaign instead, and once you have brainwashed the gullible 51% with your "new world" views, it doesn't matter at all what the other 49% say.
Here's the fix: I propose to put several other questions on the ballots as well, questions that should be fairly easy to answer for the average adult - a mathematical one, a geographical one, an economical one, and so on. The last question on the list should be the one for the President/Party/Prime Minister you want empowered, but your vote should only count if you got the previous questions correct.
With the new system, we can even do away with age restrictions. If you're 14 and educated enough to understand the world we live in, go and vote! If you're 90 and have trouble remembering your own name, chances are your vote won't count. This may sound tough, but remember that voting is an extremely important process, and you should definitely possess a sound mind on election day. So why not prove it?
See your vote as a weapon. Careless voting can kill. Protect a gun from abuse by storing it in a safe place, and protect your vote by safeguarding it with a minimum amount of education. Doing so is your own responsibility as a voter. Basically, if someone wants to manipulate you to get your vote, I'd say that's fine. But to do that, they'd first have to spend money on your education so you can pass that test. That in return makes it harder to brainwash you. If they still manage to do it, good for them - now you at least got something in return!


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bored
 USA
Electrify your workout Printer Friendly Version
A at-home multi-purpose fitness machine that generates electricity from the person using it. Every time you apply your energy to the exercise machine, the machine will generate power to a power supply. It gives people some incentive on trying harder and saving some money from the electricity bill.
Reward: recognition
 

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