Would You Like To Get To Know Me Better?

Sometimes I wonder about the views of the people who visit here, so I decided to check it out. You can find an anonymous doodle poll to share your thoughts HERE.

I have no idea how long it will take to gather a sufficient sample for valid results. Or if this attempt will even succeed, but it’s worth trying.

If it works out, I’ll crunch some stats and post them here on the website. To avoid being just a statistician, I’m stepping up to fill out the questionnaire first ;-)

This is Edition #1, of course, because I’ve got a bunch more questions lined up. I just want to see if this method works well for the survey.

Now, shifting gears from philosophy to something a bit less ordinary, I decided to wrap up my journey at MISMaP. Specifically, I focused on some personal development.

What New Interests Came With the New Season?

When you’ve studied three different subjects and only one is left, boredom can creep in. According to Westgate and Wilson (2018), boredom is essentially a signal that your current activity isn’t engaging your attention or sense of meaning.

In fact, this is exactly why it tends to push people toward something new. Initially, I planned to fill this gap with anthropology.

However, since I’m the last of my kind, I signed up on the COME platform instead of USOS. As a result, I missed out on a spot in the class. So, without delay (pun intended), I opted for two online courses: “Globalization Studies” and “Introduction to Macroeconomics.”

The former was more like a hobby for those times I enjoy reading about poverty in Rio de Janeiro. The latter, however, gave me essential knowledge about economic basics. It’s surprising how learning about economics and entrepreneurship had been missing from my education.

According to a systematic review of financial literacy research, many university students graduate with real gaps in financial and entrepreneurial knowledge regardless of their talent. This is because it is rarely integrated into their core curriculum.

Only now, after venturing into this area, did I notice potential sources of significant income. These included the stock market, patent law, and copyrights. According to Thursby and Thursby (2002), patent licensing has become a real and growing revenue stream for universities and their researchers.

This is not just a theoretical possibility. Better late than never.

That’s why I encourage everyone, especially those feeling stuck in their daily routine, to explore different departments. Doing so can help them find fresh life ideas.

According to Acar, Tuncdogan, van Knippenberg and Lakhani (2024), exposure to knowledge and perspectives from outside one’s own field matters. Indeed, it is repeatedly linked to more creative and innovative outcomes.

What Happened to My Good Old Eye-Tracking Idea?

Speaking of patents, one almost slipped through the cracks, and the conclusions are mixed, depending on your perspective. Back in 2008, during an internship focused on eye tracking, I discussed the idea with a psychology professor. This professor was from the University of Warsaw and Warsaw Medical University.

I suggested eye tracking could diagnose pedophilia, a condition the professor was researching. At the time, there was no method that didn’t involve undressing and humiliating the subject. I figured the idea needed testing, validation, and proof.

Recently, as I was gathering info for this, I stumbled upon a patent. This patent was filed in mid-2009 for the exact same concept.

So, my potential millions slipped away temporarily. However, there were two optimistic takeaways:

• Eye-tracking-based human research had been ongoing since 2002-2004, a period when I was reading literature during my internship. In those 7 years, no one globally explored using eye tracking to study sexual preferences (!). So, don’t assume that if you’ve got a great idea, someone’s already patented it. It’s highly possible they haven’t. Check patent databases online for confirmation. If it’s not there, go for it!
• A patent isn’t as complex as I thought. While I was meticulously planning experiments to prove the concept, someone else put forth the idea, without much biological/psychological research. A good lawyer could draft up such a conclusion in a few days.

What Happened Next With the Patent?

By the way, it is pure poetry to describe a human eye-tracking study in such a general way. This description is so general that it is impossible to get around this patent. I’d recommend reading even the first paragraph for pure entertainment.

In any case, the real problem with the patent comes down to clearly writing the idea. Preferably, this writing should be done with the help of someone who knows patent law. And getting some investor’s funds for this project.