The Great(er) Brain Series – Introduction

When I was a kid, I used to read The Great Brain series by John Fitzgerald, which inspired me to always find more innovative ways to do things.  

As an adult  joining one of the most intellectually stimulating environments in America, I am inspired to discover new and improved ways to live life.  Already, in my short time here, I’ve seen more examples of simple function over form, whether with basic ways to carry luggage hands-free on a bicycle or with creating one’s own extended battery phone case modified with coin pouch and privacy flap.  It may be safe to say that many here don’t care how things look.  Just as long as it works.  And it doesn’t hurt anyone.  This thinking drastically opposes the values of those image-conscious, polished urbanites living in sunny Southern California or fast-paced New York City.

I’ve seen quite a few examples, and sometimes, these innovations look horrendous.  I believe if many here really cared about how things looked, the daily inventions would look more like the cool consumer products on Amazon’s New & Interesting Finds, CNN’s 2017 Tech Highlights @ CES, or Ideaing’s Smarter Living.  Yet, you will find this is not the case… most of the time.  Cool somehow is not cool here.

This brings me to my Great(er) Brain Series.

In this collection of blogs, I will document some of the most ingenious ways things are done around the Harvard community and in innovation-centric Boston.  I may include other cities as time progresses.  I’ve travelled through many different areas, states, and countries.  I’ve seen some of the most impressive creations to things that simply make you go “hmmmm…”  Yet, I will start with Boston, since this city tends to have a large assembly of the most mind-boggling modifications to daily living.  Some of my findings will include the awe-inspiringly amazing, the just plain obvious, and the outright ugly.  I hope with this quest for smarter living, we can experience some of the finer inventions in life… to make each day easier, simpler, and more enjoyable for everyone.  Oh, and hopefully look cool and stylish, while we’re at it!