'Extreme Reduction,' an invention from curio-creator Oskar van Deventer, is a machine with a gear ratio of over 11 million to 1 -- 11,373,076 : 1, to be exact.
A higher gear ratio is like a low gear on a bicycle: it allows people to use less energy to move a load. However, as a gear ratio rises, the distance that it can move a load decreases. The Extreme Reduction gear system is far from a technological advancement in mechanics, though. With such a high ratio, this gag gift is essentially useless, since it would take an absurdly long time spent cranking the gear for any noticeable movement to take place on the load.
As van Deventer notes, though, "a patient person could use it to move a heavy locomotive train with a dental drill." So saboteur dentists might have a practical use for this widget, at least.
Absurdist Gear Systems
'Extreme Reduction' is a Gag Gift That Could Theoretically Move a Train
Trend Themes
1. Absurdist Gear Systems - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Exploring alternative applications for high gear ratio systems.
2. Extreme Reduction - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Designing interactive and entertaining gag gifts with absurdly high gear ratios.
3. Curio-creation - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Merging art and mechanics to create novel and quirky inventions.
Industry Implications
1. Mechanical Engineering - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing new gear systems for specific niche applications.
2. Gift and Novelty - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporating interactive and unconventional elements into the gag gift market.
3. Dental Equipment - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Exploring unique dental tools and devices for specialized use cases.