Reduce meeting duration, increase productivity: Bright Idea Thinking Hat has a big lightbulb on the crown and when the wearer's brain activity reaches a creative peak the bulb lights up, just like the lightbulb over the heads of cartoon characters. During meetings anyone whose light is not lit is prohibited from speaking for more than ten seconds at a time. (Actually I suppose people could make their own rules to fit their organization.)

Of course the tiny sensors for detecting neurological activity in regions of the brain would need to be very sensitive, and people with Ted Koppel/Dolly Parton hair might have to wriggle the hat so the electrodes contact their scalps. But these problems are not insurmountable. Controls would fine-tune sensitivity to brain activity indicating various sorts of creativity--artistic, logical, social, amorous, etc. Imagine these hats in use during political debates--everyone could tell when a politician is really thinking and when he/she is just running his/her mouth!

Or is it too much like invasion of the mind?

(New to the halfbakery, hello everyone--Dog Ed.)
-- Dog Ed, Apr 11 2001

Nice one Ed.
-- iuvare, Apr 11 2001


I'd go for lights coming on at the appearance of delta activity across the frontal poles.

A great opportunity to stop the meeting and tie a sleeper's shoelaces together.
-- reensure, Apr 13 2001


Bug. What if the thinker had just figured out a way to steal the company assets/secrets. Then what'll he do/say?
-- thumbwax, Apr 13 2001


Hmmm... good points, Peter and Thumbwax. And when that really H*O*T middle manager is sitting across the table from you and you drop into a creative revery and your light keeps getting brighter and brighter... How do you explain the "bright idea" you are having? Perhaps it would work better as a kind of party favor?
-- Dog Ed, Apr 13 2001


Aack! Paradox inversion! Abort! Abort!
-- StarChaser, Apr 14 2001


Coolio (my new word. It'll catch on. Eventually.). I predict you're going to be a top-class halfbaker. Unfortunately, the hat would always let me down. Darn hat! Still, here's a brightly lit croissant.
-- bookends, Jun 09 2005



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