A piece of software that checks for correlations between the scores of HB ideas and real socio-economic parameters.
For example, check whether there's a statistically significant relationship between the evolution of the value of the Nasdaq and the number of croissants given out over the same period.
Check for a correlation between rising CO2 levels or global surface warming and HB scores.
Global obesity rates versus croissants... :-)
Etcetera. I think there will be some nice correlations with the real world. How does the current global economic crisis affect the mood in the HB?-- django, Aug 06 2008 Questions, always questions... Halfbakery_20Metric_20System [normzone, Aug 06 2008] The halfbakery epochs Half-bakery_20Zeitgeist_20Calendar [theleopard, Aug 07 2008] A diagram of something http://www.phdcomic...ve.php?comicid=1015 [imaginality, Aug 07 2008] An example of correlation: Global Average Temperature vs Number of Pirates http://www.venganza.../about/open-letter/For the graph, scroll about half-way down the page. [zen_tom, Aug 08 2008] So when you find a correlation, how will you know if it really means anything?-- Wrongfellow, Aug 06 2008 Please keep in mind that correlation does not imply causation... especially on the HB ;)-- csea, Aug 07 2008 There was certainly a correlation between the 9/11 attacks and the flurry of "emergency escape" and "airplane security" ideas that followed it. Other events - Mars landings, the Iraq war, etc - probably did too.
Since many ideas are derivative of other ideas, seeing a cluster with a common theme doesn't prove they were all inspired by external events - at least not directly.-- phoenix, Aug 07 2008 I tend to have ideas as a result of what's happening in my life. For instance, "Go Ask Alice" and "Poetic towerblocks" were dreams and "Top-loading Everything" was a response to frustration with a VCR which i had to take to pieces because it was protecting itself from a damp cassette by turning itself off. Other ideas come from here, and others from articles i read. Some are actually years or decades old and have ended up being posted here, such as "Antipodean Mosque" and "Key Frames First."-- nineteenthly, Aug 07 2008 Still have to watch for "bus clumping".-- 4whom, Aug 07 2008 Wasn't that a song by Chumbawumba?-- lostdog, Aug 07 2008 During a period of unemployment, I did a little study and found that the worst time (measured by both number of annos and buns) to post an idea on the HB was roughly late Friday night, US time. The best time was on Tuesday afternoon, western EU.
I have no idea if it's still true.-- lurch, Aug 07 2008 In terms of UT, it seems to be worst on Friday to Sunday evenings, but intuition is telling me that, not conscious evidence. There could also be clumps of users who interact with each other but not beyond so much. I'd be interested in a diagram of - well, something, but i don't know what. It's social and something to do with degrees of separation.-- nineteenthly, Aug 07 2008 Yeah, I'd like to see a diagram of something too. Go on!-- wagster, Aug 07 2008 ************************** * context * * . . . thing - - - other thing * * * ^^^^^^^^^text^^^^^^^ * * singularity * ***********
That doing anything for you, [wagster]?-- pertinax, Aug 08 2008 I wonder if there is any correlation between Ideas with Pirates in them and world economic growth. Seems to be a lack of Pirate Ideas of late.-- Zimmy, Aug 08 2008 Ditto custard.-- nineteenthly, Aug 08 2008 , made with fresh Ditto.-- hippo, Aug 08 2008 I seriously want to have an idea which can be entitled "ditto custard" now, but i can't think of one. Custard that's made out of whatever the last thing you ate was? Not an appealing thought really. Rather like vagina jam. Speaking of which, what sort of socio-economic conditions led to that idea? A sixteen-year old Sherpa got to the top of Everest on that day. So, someone broke a record and a record-breaking idea was submitted here on the same day. Hmm. Could try to do more, but Hullaballoon and Panic PIN are both on boring days.
This is a bit morbid, but on the day Reason2brake was submitted, there was a major rail disaster in Kenya caused by a brake failure.
The HB was started within a day of the last total solar eclipse seen in Britain, so maybe Moon - Crescent - Croissant?
Any of those any good?-- nineteenthly, Aug 08 2008 Zen_Tom, I am a member. And you?
Hail to the mighty FSM!-- django, Aug 10 2008 There is a remarkable amount of olympic ideas being posted of late. Starting with Bo-ing lu (whom I think is a remarkable athlete). Coincidence, [methinksnot]?-- 4whom, Aug 14 2008 Morphic resonance?
I was staying in a cabin in the woods, sleeping next to a chamber pot. While half awake, i considered alternative lavatorial possibilities, of which "Boing Loo" is the second. The first was hovering underwear which could be turned up to provide a hovering skirt a la Jenny Agutter, but i think something similar has already been posted here.
To be honest, there was Olympic stuff on the radio at the time, but i wasn't fully awake. Maybe there was a link with the idea.-- nineteenthly, Aug 14 2008 random, halfbakery