Posted on 11/30/2001 10:07:42 AM PST by Leroy S. Mort
It" is back. But the invention known as Ginger still remains shrouded in mystery.
The elusive gizmo, first touted early this year as an invention that will somehow revolutionize the world, will be formally unveiled Monday on ABC's Good Morning America show, a spokeswoman for the show confirmed.
Ginger is the work of lauded New Hampshire inventor Dean Kamen, who made millions inventing a portable kidney-dialysis machine and a versatile wheelchair that climbs stairs and stands on two wheels.
Despite a clamor of interest from media outlets, which have written and speculated about Ginger since it was first mentioned, there are few clues as to what Kamen's invention will be. Discussion boards on the Web offer guesses ranging from a hovering transport device to the more agreed-upon conclusion: a personal scooter powered by a clean-running engine called the Sterling.
Kamen's invention has won over some Silicon Valley bigwigs who have seen Ginger and reportedly thrown money behind it, according to initial reports in January on the news Web site Inside.com. Investing icon John Doerr has called Kamen a blend of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Apple Computer Corp.'s Steve Jobs was quoted as saying that people will erect entire cities around It. And Amazon.com Inc. founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has taken a special liking to the invention, featuring it on Amazon's Web site.
News of Ginger first emerged when it was revealed that Harvard Business School Press had offered Kamen $250,000, with the help of a writer, to chronicle the making of Ginger in a book. That was the first and only bit of reality to be revealed about Kamen, whose work is based in a Manchester, N.H., research and development lab called DEKA Research & Development Corp.
Calls to the lab on Thursday weren't returned.
However, the secrecy isn't unexpected. In a February interview with CBS's 60 Minutes news show, Kamen kept his mouth shut about the invention, focusing attention on other projects. He offered a tour of his home off the shore of Long Island, which he visits using a modified helicopter he invented.
Among other notable facts, the inventor told the Christian Science Monitor in March that he declared that his island, dubbed North Dumpling, had seceded from the U.S. after flack from New York officials over his building a windmill there.
I said 'it'!
I said 'it' again!
I guess it all depends on what the meaning of "It" is!
Mary Ann was resourceful and smart. Mary Ann could do anything, except fix a wrecked boat, of course.
Accurate reporting..shouldn't Sterling be Stirling? I know if I developed a practical form of this engine I would put it in a personal scooter instead of something relatively useless like an...oh, I don't know...automobile thingie. "IT" must be a Stirling powered, anti-gravity cheese cutter.
I have a device called a bicycle. Only bi-product is better physical condition. I think this thing better have a huge hydrogen tank on a trailer as I can find only a couple sources of hydrogen in our area and it don't come by the gallon. I understand "IT" comes packed in backpacks. Thats good thinking, gives you something to put the groceries in for the return trip. But then, I also couldn't see the need for a home computer...until FreeRepublic.
Ah, NYC! Gotta love NYC. My wife was a NYC gal. I'll never forget the sight of all those classy business chicks dressed up for work running around in tennis shoes! I agree about it being tough to ride a bike to work. Some of the bravest or craziest souls I seen are those daredevil bikers that pedal around town delivering messages, etc.
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