[extropy-chat] Maximising Human Potential : Education : Toys

[Daniel Matthews]

On Fri, 14 May 2004 02:24 am, extropy-chat-request at lists.extropy.org wrote:
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 09:53:14 +0100
> From: Amara Graps <amara at amara.com>
> Subject: [extropy-chat] Maximising Human Potential : Education : Toys
> To: extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
> Message-ID: <p05100300bcc8e29072e4@[150.146.134.133]>
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>
> >Daniel Matthews <dan at 3-e.net>
> >Given a limited budget and a third world location what forms of patent
> > free "Edutoys" would offer the greatest benefit to the largest number of
> > children in terms of fostering intellectual development?
>
>  From my reading of your requirements-
>
> I think the key idea is that the toy be *simple*.  These are
> very young kids. It should  also be easily transportable
> and yet have the potential to inspire.
>
> My First choice:
>
> A planisphere
> http://skyandtelescope.com/howto/visualobserving/article_75_1.asp
>
> My first one in the 1970s was made of paper (sold by Edmund Scientific).
> I bought a smaller, waterproof one at a telescope shop near my former
> home in Cupertino. The one I use now is also plastic, a bit larger,
> written in Italian. You have to choose the language.
>
> They are simple, easy and cheap to make, and would stimulate
> the youngster's imagination. Of course I still have all of my
> toys in my home to entertain myself :-)
>
> Other ideas for you:
>
> My Second choice
> A magnifying glass (instead of glass, one in plastic could work)
>
> My Third choice:
> A slinky. (I wonder if that would violate someone's patent though.)
>
> My Fourth choice:
> A yo-yo.
>
> My Fifth choice
> Strings. (didn't you play that as a kid?)
>
> My Sixth choice
> A simple Kaleidascope
>
> My Seventh choice
> A compass
>
>
> Also, I suggest to spend some time in a German toy store. I remember
> being overwhelmed with the variety of creative, simple, durable
> (often wooden) toys for kids _and_ adults. I forgot the names
> of all of those games, but I played more than a few while I was
> living there. They were always brought out at parties as the
> standard thing to do after indulging in the party food.
>
>
> Amara
>
> --
>
> ********************************************************************
> Amara Graps, PhD          email: amara at amara.com
> Computational Physics     vita:  ftp://ftp.amara.com/pub/resume.txt
> Multiplex Answers         URL:   http://www.amara.com/
> ********************************************************************
> "It seems like once people grow up, they have no idea what's cool."
> --Calvin

Thanks for your insight Amara, I guess you are a good example of how 
beneficial such toys can be. :)

Simple and durable is definitely the way to go, then the toys can be handed 
down to other children along with any curlure that has evolved from the 
children's interaction with them.

I am going to focus on wood as I feel there are a lot of good designs for 
wooded puzzles and building blocks etc. As you pointed out there are many 
traditional toys of this type in some parts of the world, so all I need to do 
is to select the best of these ideas to propagate globally.

If I was to incorporate any metallic parts I would look at magnetics as there 
is so much you can do with them. Them, as per your suggestion, optics, 
perhaps for the older kids.

As for the patents, I will start looking at all wooden toys and puzzles on the 
patent database that are from more than 20 years ago, between those and the 
public domain "traditional" designs I should have a few very good candidates.

As for the sky maps, I think a separate project that focused on reprographic 
content should look at them. I am also visualising a set of high quality PDF 
files for posters and printable toys, the artwork would be free of copyright. 
Sets of posters could then be distributed to schools and comunity centers. 
Imagine how much knowledge you could convie on just 100 well designed 
posters. Paper flolding is another very cool and mind expanding activity.

In China a medical text was carved into bocks of stone so that the people 
could come and make copies via rubbings onto paper. My ideas are not 
original, the spirit of what I am talking about is very old, people seem to 
have forgoten so many important lessons.

Why do some people talk of transhumanism so much  when they show so very 
little pragmatic knowledge of what it means to be a complete human? :(