Remember the 1984 David Lynch film version of Frank Herbet's "Dune"? There was a scene that featured a hovering lamp that following the characters as they walked down the corridor. It provided illumination as needed and (presumably) saved energy. I suggest that when we perfect anti-gravity technology, we develop ashtrays that similarly follow you around at a party. This way, smokers will not be forced to deposit ashes in innapropriate places. Needless to say they would be self-emptying.
-- tourist, May 02 2005

Floating Ashtrays Floating_20Ashtray
on water [zen_tom, May 02 2005]

Adolescent Ash-Hat Nibbly_20Hat
what to do with children at cocktail parties? [benfrost, May 03 2005]

//when we perfect anti-gravity technology//

erm....nice thought, but on developing anti-gravity technology, we might be interested in things more exciting than ashtrays.

More critically, despite the nice image of an ashtray that follows you around, you've not explained how it's going to be able to negotiate ambassadors carrying round platters full of Ferrero Rocher, or waiters doling out flutes of champagne, canapes etc.

It smells a little like bad science, magic and 'a cool thing in a movie' to me. I'll withold my mfd for the moment, because I'm in a reasonable mood.
-- zen_tom, May 02 2005


Fair enough. In the absence of true anti-gravity, this device could be implemented (albeit crudely) with current technology, specifically via personal dirigibles. I'm refering to those mylar toys that often hover inside convention halls during trade shows. They could be modified to carry an ashtray payload. Software could make minor course corrections and proximity sensors could alert catering staff to their presence. An added bonus of this would be that smokers would know exactly where the other smokers are congregating, simply by looking for the airship. If the payload capacity was made large enough, carbon air scrubbers could be attached to the underside of the baloon to clean up offending smoke as well.
-- tourist, May 02 2005


Now I like that - dirigible ashtrays have a definite ring to them. We need to be confident that we can simply drop our cigarettes into them and that they wont start a fire, since a determined stubbing action might cause them to loose height. They might even be autonomous, sniffing out smoke and drifting over to wherever the smell is strongest.
-- zen_tom, May 02 2005


[+] for the dirigible ashtray, recommend editing the body of the idea.
-- contracts, May 02 2005


Now wait just a gosh dern moment. What in tarnation is going on around here?

When I posted an idea for my eyeglasses to hover around my ankles wherever I went, jutta burst my bubble in 2 seconds flat. (She also smashed my glasses in the process.)

//I suggest that when we perfect anti-gravity technology// Simply reeks of WIBNI. I resent those buns...(Should have said that in the Ass Museum, but too late now.)
-- blissmiss, May 02 2005


[Bliss] I was bunning this, from his annotation (hence my recommendation for him to update the text of the idea to reflect the anno:

//specifically via personal dirigibles. I'm refering to those mylar toys that often hover inside convention halls during trade shows. They could be modified to carry an ashtray payload.//
-- contracts, May 02 2005


So couldn't my glasses sit in the ashtray, since I don't smoke?
-- blissmiss, May 02 2005


[bliss] you could try dirigible glasses - or perhaps a dirigibly suspended lens that can be suspended at one's convenience between onself and the thing one is looking at.

OR even, a super-sized series of gyroscopically and magnetically oriented dirigible lenses suspended around the world, allowing telegraph operators to flash lights at one another over vast distances in a pre-satelite alternative 'steam-punk' style universe.
-- zen_tom, May 02 2005


What are you smoking? When/if we perfect anti-gravity, floating things like ashtrays and trashcans will be fairly obvious, so fishbone for lack of originality. You are leaving out the sensor, propulsion and control aspects of this idea, anyhow.

If we perfect anti-gravity, we can make the ashes, smoke and butts float upwards, and won't need ashtrays at all.
-- baconbrain, May 02 2005


Wasn't that cool, that lamp I saw in the movie? Wouldn't it be neat if it were real?

Lamp, ashtray, whatever.
-- DrCurry, May 03 2005


Bah, I like this one. Strikes me as better than our usual Zombie ideas; + for a nearly valueless use of antigravity technology.
-- RayfordSteele, May 03 2005


A REAL "Dune Style" ashtray should have little worms moving around inside the ash/sand.

The worms could be battery operated.
-- sophocles, May 03 2005



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