…Because we’d rather not put words in your mouth…

President Bush can throw as many teachers as he likes into the pot, but it will solve nothing. The problem with American innovation and competitive edge has nothing to do with an imaginary lack of skilled labor. The problem is with American corporate executives whose only concern is with profit margins […]

-Stan Snyder, on The State of U.S. Innovation

[…] Nowadays, U.S. Government is “helping” manufacturing by paving the way to China, India even North Vietnam (go figure). I think that we all have to realize that these countries have no system to protect intellectual property, and they have a very low (nonexistent) level of respect for patents, and are famous for copying our technology. We are investing in R&D here, and the product Made in China knocks at our doors one year later […]

- Nick Sevastian, on The State of U.S. Innovation

[…] With mass customization, we eliminate the key reason for mfg jobs going offshore – cheap labor. Nano and fuel cells are great, but mass customization is how we retain wealth creating mfg in this country.

- Neil Chaudhry, on Mass Customization: A Leading Paradigm In Future Manufacturing

I think Paccar Inc. with its Peterbilt and Kenworth divisions is a direct embodiment of what you are discussing here. A high percentage of the trucks they build are built-to-order for a specific customer…

- Pat Howard, on Mass Customization: A Leading Paradigm In Future Manufacturing

Two (of the many) major problems affecting innovation acceptance and success in the United States are: 1) not starting with the foundational pain that consumers are experiencing; and 2) top management not buying in and evangelizing the innovation effort [...]

- Larry MacDonald, on Transform Fresh Ideas Into Groundbreaking Products

What about the clean air. Soon we are going to wear gas-masks.

-Mark, on Rockets In the Sky, With Drivers

The small rural schools and communities of yesteryear involved most young males in sports, neighborhood physical play, and outdoor physical labor […] Not only do we have a dumbing down in our society, but also a wimping down. We are supposed to protect the lazy, the unfit for anything, the young people who have never developed the most elemental coordination. Long live OSHA in their quest to wimp it down.

- Tom Geantil, on Pro Footballers Pay with Pain, OSHA Pays Pain Little Mind.

While we invest in education, R&D, innovate and create, others in the world (especially China) simply take our IP and use our own hard work and creativity to compete with us. It makes no sense for U.S. taxpayers to subsidize creativity and innovation while others simply take our ideas and use them without regard to ownership [...]

- Drew Horn, on Burning Question: What more can be done to improve the state of U.S. innovation?

I think we should encourage model making (plastic and balsa wood), pinewood derbys, building forts (inside and outside), radio kits, building and launching model rockets, playing with blocks and Legos at a young age. Scouting. Cooking is also important. All these things force the young mind to create, invent and solve problems. Innovation starts with grooming innovative minds.

-Bruce Armenante, on Burning Question: What more can be done to improve the state of U.S. innovation?

Hear and watch the outer world. Meaning, do not commit the error that the Chinese made 3000 years ago.

- Henry Cuevas, on Burning Question: What more can be done to improve the state of U.S. innovation?

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