What is the Department of Questionable Ideas? 

The department of questionable ideas is a public notebook for unusual ideas, curious questions, and "why don't we...?" thoughts that probably ought to exist.

 

Some ideas are serious. Some are strange. Some already exist, and some will never work but that's not a problem. 

 

The aim is simple: explore ideas properly, research them as much as possible, and share what I learn. The DQI is where i check the assumptions and see how they uphold against the real world. If some things are worth building we'll look at how, if not we'll learn why not. Either way the thinking is the point!

 

This isn't a company and its not a product road map nor a promise of perfection. It's a place for open minded, rigorous curiosity and for anyone who believes that a good question can be more valuable than a quick answer!

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AND WHO AM I? 

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I am Daniel. I am not an engineer, scientist, economist, farmer, naval architect or most of the other things I'll inevitably end up writing about here. I am simply extremely curious, and prone to asking "why can't we....?". 

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I certainly do not know how to build everything but I do know what the ideas should do. Now let's find out whether they make any sense (which might well not be the case for some of them!)