So it seems the incandescent bulb is being legislated away, in favor of an astonishingly dangerous mercury-fill fluorescent light. Patents assured that the light bulb stayed a static item from its time of invention... Since you had to pay Edison for any version you made, there was no point in tweaking and ever improving on the idea. Not for innovators, not for Edison. So having ruined progress in lighting, the govt steps in and makes things worse.
Now people are hoarding incandescent lights, with good reason. But be careful. If and when incandescent lights are banned, there will be no new production. No market to speak of. Just dangerous, awful fluorescent bulbs. Into this void may come a new invention, that leapfrogs incandescent, and is even better. Let's hope so, fluorescent light bulbs are that bad.
Govt rules say an auto manufacturer may not sell his goods from a factory, they must be sold through a dealer. This has retarded any new auto making company from forming, since a dealer network is an expensive proposition. Plus the big three pooled their patents so most auto parts are royalty free to to the big three, but onerous to any new start-up. All govt rules inhibiting progress.
The zippers has not changed much since its invention, because it too is patented. Instead of dozens of kinds of zippers, for example zippers where the teeth stretch too, we have essentially one kind with 80% of the sales with one company. The only other fastener innovation in the last 100 years was a giant leap away: Velcro.
In a free market there would be many innovations in zippers, some good, some bad... there would be specialty for a small market, and then whatever became universally good would become a commodity item and the price would fall to practically nothing as big biz worked economies of scale magic on the item. Division of labor, full employment, wide options, low prices.
Free the markets, country'll grow.
Now people are hoarding incandescent lights, with good reason. But be careful. If and when incandescent lights are banned, there will be no new production. No market to speak of. Just dangerous, awful fluorescent bulbs. Into this void may come a new invention, that leapfrogs incandescent, and is even better. Let's hope so, fluorescent light bulbs are that bad.
| Wikipedia |
The zippers has not changed much since its invention, because it too is patented. Instead of dozens of kinds of zippers, for example zippers where the teeth stretch too, we have essentially one kind with 80% of the sales with one company. The only other fastener innovation in the last 100 years was a giant leap away: Velcro.
In a free market there would be many innovations in zippers, some good, some bad... there would be specialty for a small market, and then whatever became universally good would become a commodity item and the price would fall to practically nothing as big biz worked economies of scale magic on the item. Division of labor, full employment, wide options, low prices.
Free the markets, country'll grow.
1 comments:
I had no idea about the zippers, but now that I think of it, zippers are pretty boring.. It's always interesting to hear about things like this, because most people don't really ever think about it. Thanks!
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