Outré
Posted: August 2nd, 2010 | Author: Brad | Filed under: People | Tags: outré | 2 Comments »
Nakamatsu claims patent to the floppy disk, CD, and digital watch
Inventor Yoshiro Nakamatsu is the world record holder for the most patents, currently numbering over 3,000. However, he is characterized as much by his outré habits as he is by his inventiveness. He has photographed and analyzed every meal he has eaten over the past 34 years, and with the help of a specially formulated snack, expects to live for 144 years—no more, no less. When asked how he he triggers his ideas, he responded that “A lack of oxygen is very important”; he submerges himself underwater until he gets a “flash” only “0.5 seconds before death”, and scribbles it onto a plexiglass writing pad.
Outré (pronounced “ooh-TRAY”)
Highly unconventional; eccentric or bizarre: “outré and affected stage antics”
Etymology
Appeared in English in early 1700s, from French outré, present participle of outrer, meaning to “to carry to excess, overdo, or exaggerate”.
Synonyms
eccentric, idiosyncratic, outlandish
Source
Yoshiro Nakamatsu, We Salute You | Photo by: blakespot
As interesting as Yoshiro Nakamatsu is, I’m more impressed with Kenji Kawakami – the father of Chindogu. The greatest inventions ever created are those which make people pause for thought… There isn’t much else you can do when confronted with something as mind-blowing as the Alarm Fork.
Chindogu – because anything less is a disappointment.
Oh man, there is some great stuff there.
“…a not-quite-usable idea for a new
gadget or product could nonetheless be enjoyable if
one were to create a prototype and take delight in the
way it misses its mark.”
I would like to have all of these things at my disposal, but I think my favorite is the chicken eye-protector.