I got this email a few days back...

From: Laura Nicholson
Subject: blog entry for wednesday?
Date: July 20, 2007 1:08:15 PM EDT
To: Matt McGann

Hey Matt,

There's an awesome blog entry just waiting to happen, but I'll be away on vacation and unable to post it. I also don't have time to actually write out a nice, thought-out entry, you think you can cover for me?

My UROP advisor is on American Inventor, and next Wednesday is the final show, where the viewers have to call in their votes. It would be totally awesome to write a blog entry that day and encourage people to watch, and hopefully, call in and vote.

Here's ABC's summary of the show:
American Inventor
Wednesday, July 25 at 9/8c
"Episode 207"
Time for America to vote! The judges have chosen the six finalists, and the race is on for these finalists to prove themselves worthy as viewers cast their votes for the one they deem to be the next great American Inventor and recipient of the million dollar prize.

And some relevant info about Craig:
Craig Forest just received his PhD from MIT in Course 2, he works in the BioInstrumentation Lab (where I work for the summer and Melis works during the term). He and his business partner were the New York finalist for their invention "the Claw" for hanging a bicycle from the ceiling. The advantage to the device is that it activates by just pushing the bike up, you don't have to push up and pull over and wrestle with the thing. During their first appearance, David Moeller wore a business suit and Craig wore a lab coat. When they won, Craig was the one jumping around all over the place. He also made a comment on TV about going out and winning it for scientists and engineers, saying "Let's do it for enginerds everywhere."

[...]

Thanks,
-Laura

Craig is working with his friend from undergrad at Georgia Tech, David Moeller, on the invention. Here's the blurb from ABC.com:

Craig Forest & David Moeller, a team of two former Georgia Tech buddies who now attend MIT grad-school and Harvard Business Graduate School, respectively, describe their invention they call The Claw as, "A ceiling or wall-mounted bicycle storage mechanism. Any cyclist who is frustrated with a lack of secure, simple, elegant storage options would use our invention. The bicycle wheel is grasped by opposing hooks when the central plunger is depressed. Re-pressing the central plunger opens and locks the hooks for bicycle wheel removal. The bi-stable plunger relies on an internal rotary mechanism."

I hope you'll watch, and, if their invention is the best, vote for them! It would make Laura (as well as Craig and David, obviously) really happy!

Other MIT people on reality television:

• My old Baker House dormmate, Ed Miller '00 (a.k.a. "Ed Miller, Noted Poker Authority"), was on the Bravo reality television show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."
  
  
• Another of my dormmates, Ankur '03, was on Season 2 of Beauty and the Geek.
  
  
• Matt Herman '06 was a contest in the second season of Beauty and the Geek.
  
  
• My former housemate, Lisa '04, was one of five MIT students featured on the Discovery Channel's "Crop Circles: Mysteries in the Fields."
  
  
• Cameron '04 and Rayna '06 were featured on an episode of TLC's A Makeover Story.
  
  
• Andrea Wong '88 was formerly the executive at ABC responsible for all reality programming, including "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition;" she is now CEO of Lifetime.
  
  
• A bunch of Mechanical Engineering students were on the Archimedes Death Ray episode of MythBusters.
  
  
• Randal Pinkett S.M. '98 M.B.A. '98 Ph.D. '02 was hired on season 4 of NBC's The Apprentice.
  
  
• Jennifer Johnson '98 decided not to sign a contract to appear on MTV's The Real World: Boston (season 6).
  
  
• Chris Vu '04 (a.k.a. Vudoo Soul) was a semifinalist on season 2 of American Idol.
  
  
• Professor Henry Jenkins frequently writes about, among many other things, reality television.
  
  

Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)

This sounds awesome. Good luck Craig and David. I'll be watching (and voting) later tonight.

Posted by: Molly on July 25, 2007

I'll be watching and voting, absolutely!

Posted by: Snively on July 25, 2007

Wow, I didn't realize that so many MIT people get on TV. Cool!

And did anyone see the Harry Potter hacks? They were AWESOME!

Posted by: Wings '11 on July 26, 2007

Was wondering if anybody knows if they are going to still go with there invention and if so when it might be available. I was sad to not see them go to the final three contestants. I really wanted them to win. Hopefully someone can forward the email or blog on to them so they know people out there do want to buy there product.

Posted by: Jeff Taylor on July 26, 2007

Harry Potter hacks? what's that about? sounds cool..

Posted by: anon-nonstop on July 30, 2007

Wings, are you kidding? Every time I see the news or a documentary an expert from MIT is cited!

Wings, are you kidding? Every time I see the news or a documentary an expert from MIT is cited!

<3 MIT

Posted by: Michael on August 2, 2007

I agree with Jeff, could someone pass on to Craig and David that I would LOVE one of their hooks. I was sad they didn't get chosen. Those hooks are an answer to single people everywhere! There is never anyone around to help me hang up my bike.

Posted by: Nancy in Alaska on August 3, 2007

A couple of (somewhat silly) questions:

- When is it too early to take a SAT Subject Test?
- If one takes a SAT Subject Test before senior year (say, about a year before the respective application is available), should one still ask that the scores be reported to MIT?

Any help is appreciated.

Posted by: José P. on August 5, 2007

Heh, by the way, a couple days ago (when this came out) my mom came running to me to tell me that someone from MIT was on American Inventor and I pointed her to this site. It amused me; 'twas pretty awesome :D

Posted by: TheShawn '11 on August 5, 2007

http://cpw2007.blogspot.com

Posted by: 0 on August 6, 2007

Does anyone have any contact information for Craig Forest or David Moeller? I have an invention idea and I would like to involve them.

Cathie

Posted by: cathie on August 7, 2007

Hey Jose,

Not silly questions at all! The only time it's too early to take a Subject Test is when you haven't fully mastered the material. I took mine in May, the same time my AP Chemistry course was finishing up, and that worked very well for me.

As for your second question, most definitely designate MIT as the score recipient! That is the way MIT recommends, actually - and it's free! Plus, once you do formally apply, it's really quite easy to check online and make sure that MIT does indeed have the proper scores.

@ Everyone: Wow, I could really use that invention...too bad they didn't advance!

Posted by: Paul '11 on August 7, 2007

@Paul
Just because they didn't win doesn't mean their invention won't hit the markets . I seem to recall hearing that a lot of companies watch the show and if you make it far/have a very good idea you are quite likely to be contacted by someone who will help you get your product on the market. Let's hope their invention follows such a path.

Posted by: ShawnOfAwesome '11 on August 8, 2007

Ok, thanks, Paul.

(Either way, I'm still planning to take the Bio Subject Test on October, just to get a feel for the exams.)

Posted by: José P. on August 11, 2007

Just fyi, the "Claw" is NOT Craig Forest's idea. I went to Georgia Tech with him and that idea was a part of his Senior Design GROUP's project. So it was a 6-person effort, with guidance from the Senior Design Advisor, who is in fact angry over hearing Forest taking this idea to ABC. The fact that he made America think this was his idea suggests that he is a punk and a loser. Way to go Mr. Ethical.

Posted by: BD on August 15, 2007

Hi Matt

Great to know that you like "Bollywood" movies. Will be big news back here in India that a MITian catches up on our movies. If I may know, what was the last one you saw?

Moving on, can anyone help me to understand the meaning of "50% Middle Range" in the admission Statistics page.

Posted by: Rohit Mishra on August 16, 2007

Hey,I'm a college student in China.I want to make friends with you.My email address is tyj88tcai@163.com .Can you tell me something about your college life?I'm waiting for you.

Posted by: Leon in China on August 18, 2007

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