idea
playground
ideas for good or just for fun
We're scaling a creative gift economy! Find a Gift Experiment in-person event near you: Experience an Experience Potluck, Speed Friending, Just Free Hot Chocolate, and dozens more consent-centric participatory events.
More ideas in action:
Try these out now!
From homeless advocacy to reforestation to ending dictatorships, we're not boycotting, we're joycotting! Offer direct financial support contingent on the positive developments you name that you want to see.
Join The Great Wellness Experiment, a study of the effectiveness of health products whose claims FDA does not necessarily review. Improve memory and live longer? Only maybe ... but still, maybe ...
The ultimate associate-first org: no NDAs, claim any title you like, do any work you like, participate for any reason you like. Build resumes and projects at Gift Experiment R&D. (Figure out later if we actually ever sell anything...)
If it's ideas we're playing with, here's a fresh take on an afterlife (even) skeptics should expect! It's Scientist's Heaven, including practical ideas what we should do about it just in case.
Ideas to what end, exactly? Weigh in on the vision of a "boring" "basic utopia". Agreeing on the goal lets us work towards it together.
An interesting idea: Hebrew as an invented language, developed and bootstrapped to write the oldest known Hebrew text (the Torah)
Ideas in development
Help build these and more at the Gift Experiment R&D Forum.
Gamified brainstorming incentivizes creativity and constructive criticism, sharing equity in future projects back to brainstorming
playerspartners.Mosquito feeder devices so mosquitoes bite us (feed from us) less, interrupting the cycle of disease transmission without leading to the evolution of resistance to the mechanism of control.
Crypto mined with gifts to independent nonprofits. GlobalChange NFTs display crowdsourced art and true face values matching the inflation-corrected value of the gift. Fungible unique objects like the money in your wallet. Decentralized currency for all & nonprofits get rich like banks.
Votester poll aggregator: Political candidates promise to base in-office actions on polling data (pre-specified votes of conscience excepted). Making representative democracies more like direct democracies.
Profit collectives connect full-time workers across industries to share and redistribute salary amongst themselves, including paying bonuses for group-beneficial activities like resume assistance or spawning startups together. It's a virtual kibbutz!
Design for-profit forests. Trillions of trees have been cut down without replacement. Let's figure out what "new" forests should look like, so we can all benefit!
Universal degrees: Validated tests proving mastery comparable to college and post-graduate degrees at various tieers of schools. "GEDs" for anything open opportunities to more people.
Undermind a Slumlord: help buy houses from landlords threatening to evict tenants at risk of homelessness.Then bring tenants proven resources to assist keeping their home, share some equity in the place to the tenants, and manage the property with compassion and (slightly less) profit.
Have another idea, want more, or something else to say? Let's talk!
Jump to Events
gift
experiment
universal creative gift economy
Consent-centric performances, art, food, lessons, meetups ... appreciate and be appreciated!
All events are free. Any paid ticket is fully refunded if you show up (only pay if you no-show).
Hosts set themes and rules for their events, including confirming expectations around consent.
Prior hosts get more advanced schedule notice for time and place of future events! So do active idea playground participants including joycotters and Gift Experiment R&D contributors.
Safe asynchronous probabilistic indirect reciprocity mitigates freeloading and makes friends!
Philadelphia
Experience a tactile illusion
Something about your body will feel ... different ... unusual ... just a little ... maybe something you’ve never quite actually consciously experienced before .... Maybe your tongue. Maybe your arm. Maybe your nose. Maybe something else. Gentle platonic touch optional.Philadelphia, PA, USA
Hot Chocolate
Just gifting hot chocolate ... until we run out. Bring your own cup!Philadelphia, PA, USA
Experience Potluck: Open House
Everyone brings something for others to experience. Some potlucks are curated (applications approved in advance), others open. Details are up to each host.Philadelphia, PA, USA
Settle Your Dispute
You and your “friend” bring a question. The person in the corner with the hat will adjudicate. Then go in peace.Whatever you do, don't laugh at the hat.Philadelphia, PA, USA
Speed friending (with benefits)
Meet who else shows up. Find new friends (and/or who knows what else), and move on.Naturally, enthusiastic affirmative consent is expected prior to any non-platonic interaction.Philadelphia, PA, USA
Try Not to Laugh
We all meet in a central location, perhaps a bar, with straight faces. Whoever laughs gets a yellow card. Second time, you’re out! - but you can stay and keep trying to make others laugh. We continue until we find the winner.Winner of each round gets a free drink. Lighten up!Philadelphia, PA, USA
Gatsby/Gadsby
Andy Kaufman returns!? The performer will EITHER conduct a reading of The Great Gatsby OR cover a monologue by Hannah Gadsby. Performer's choice.Philadelphia, PA, USA
A Small Mouth Surprise
A vegan treat will be given to you in a way perhaps no vegan treat has ever been given to you before. Blindfold optional but recommended.Philadelphia, PA, USA
Hackathon: Mosquito Feeders
Let's iterate on hardware to feed mosquitoes artificial meals, reducing bites on people and interrupting the lifecycle of mosquito-vector diseases agents (and without crashing the mosquito population or encouraging the evolution of resistance to control)Philadelphia, PA, USA
Octomassage
Five people per pod. Ten hands. Take turns receiving a (platonic) 8-handed massage! We each describe what we like following all principles of consent.Philadelphia, PA, USA
Gift Exchange
Got something you didn’t want for the holidays? Or just want to trade up? Bring it and we'll all trade following the host's rules. New/unused items only.Philadelphia, PA, USA
Cook/Off
Three contestants will be provided with ingredients and a brief. Everyone else will be the judge. Share and enjoy!Philadelphia, PA, USA
Cuddle Puddle
Platonic and consensual baseline, just snuggle up and talk if you want. Maybe instantly make some new friends.(Naturally, enthusiastic affirmative consent is expected prior to any non-platonic interaction.)Philadelphia, PA, USA
Keep the Balloon in the Air: No Fourth Chances!
We will try to keep the balloon in the air for as long as possible. Please join us, we need people! Once a balloon drops, it’s done. Three balloons per event: Green, Yellow, and Red. After the red drops, NO MORE BALLOONS.Philadelphia, PA, USA
First Class
Get your questions answered about how to travel the world on points. By a professional - in person - at a local cafe. Thanks to Philadelphia-based Award Magic! awardmagic.comPhiladelphia, PA, USA
Advice
Ask your question. Get an answer. From a professional (currently-publishing) advice columnist.Philadelphia, PA, USA
LED Hat Parade
We will gather in a central location and create a simple dance pattern as we promenade wearing LED hats and other articles of clothing. Get your lights ready so we are all ready to meet up!Philadelphia, PA, USA
Give away $20
A street corner with a homeless person will be identified. We will each show up during the time window and give them $20. Because.Philadelphia, PA, USA
about
Hi there!
Hello.I'm Marc Egeth.I made this!I'm an experimental psychologist.Living in Philadelphia for 25 years now.For some time, I've had the opportunity to brainstorm ideas "on the side."Through an MA, Ph.D., postdocs, and medical device research consulting, I kept my default path moving forward, all the while brainstorming what else could be.I've seen a few things!I saw how research worked - and how it didn't. I saw how academia worked - and how it didn't. I saw how nonprofits worked, how consulting worked, how corporations worked - and how they didn't.I saw the people left behind, the people edged out of the hierarchies, the people pulling up the ladders, the people out of work, the people who got rich, the people who got famous, the people who could use some help, and the people who could help but don't see how.Every problem comes with a potential personal opportunity: fix things (and monetize). Sell your fix, one way or another.Fixing without selling can be good too - but fixing with selling gives the effort a dual meaning, is personally beneficial and therefore also potentially more sustainable.I might rather hire a plumber than accept free plumbing help from someone I might never see again.In the context of solving problems worth solving, we might call this the 'selfish ladder': how can solutions be structured so that solving benefits the solver?If we work to build selfish ladders, then problem solvers can enhance their own lives while solving others' problems.If someone solves world hunger, does it really matter exactly why they did?So that was my mindset for some years: sustainable solutions to the problems that matter to people.Maybe we can call it "meta-capitalism," a form of capitalism now aware of the good and bad that capitalism can bring, and therefore responsibly moving forward, still for self-interest and profit, but in those profitable ways that avoid some of the known downsides. Like forming financially successful startups that prosper by advocating for employees of mega-corporations. As an example.But I never dove into any startup 100%. My default career track has been good! Science, research, jobs, improving medical devices, earning a living.So I racked up ideas ... and now here they are!One came from Burning Man - a gift economy where everyone contributes for free, but people with the best contributions get the most access (are "placed" to camp in the center of the event). Burning Man is in the middle of the desert, but what if we could do the same thing in more convenient locations?I already had an "experience potluck" birthday party for myself - it was awesome!Throughout Idea Playground, I've built in a little potential monetization back to myself, just in case ... for selfish motives ... and also as an existence proof that these "do gooder" sort of concepts also all work to selfishly benefit whoever makes them go.Feel free to pitch in, or "steal" ideas and build on your own - it's all good ... Happy to talk!
The Selfish Ladder
basic
utopia
enough for everyone
All people should have at least the following, should they not; and would we not all be better, if we all did have these things?
Freedom from hunger
Clean water, shelter, and sanitation
Medical care available
Education available
Opportunity pathways to contribute in meaningful ways
Transportation and access to resources
Time not working to think and enjoy, in safety and without fear
General concern to resolve whatever ad hoc situations cause people feelings of anguish or deep unfairness
Good wifi, good TV and entertainment, fewer logins to have to remember
This is essentially what we all want for everyone. Some basic rights; no one dying of hunger; no people or groups hopeless to participate in the modern world, or so lacking in essentials that they have nothing to lose and are ready to fight. We have more to learn; so more education is called for than used to be. We’ve always had some holidays, but surely automations must mean we can all have at least some more time like that.It's not a whiz-bang futuristic technodream, it's just the basics for how humanity should and can treat ourselves.After we reach a boring basic utopia, we can figure out from there where we might want to go next.
What would you change or add to our shared vision of a basic utopia?
new
locations!
Gift Experiment started in Philadelphia in 2024.Where are you, and what sort of event would you like to attend - or offer?Would you like to spearhead Gift Experiment starting up in a new city? Funding/funding mechanisms are available.
joycotter
Declarations of support backing the world we want
We're not boycotting ...
we're joycotting!
Join a decentralized #joycott campaign or start your ownJust post on your social media
(and live up to whatever you offer):
I will prefer coffee shops that let homeless people use the bathroom
I will pay 15% more for products that come from new forests planted to counter deforestation
I will newly go out of my way to [buy products from Country X or visit as an overpaying tourist or etc.] after and only after Country X adopts [the policy I name here that I want to see)
In the (sadly, common) case of people who are generally more interested in peaceful compromise than their leaders, this joycott gives internal peaceful politics leverage to truly say: "After we the peaceful majority are represented in government, look at the opportunities that have been offered to us."Unlike boycotts, joycotts do not punish people for the actions of their government, and do not hurt relationships. We can continue building bridges and connections and work with the people - and when the new policies are in place, we can go out of our way to support the people even more!
wellness
research
Do general wellness products actualy work - in real life?
Do general wellness products actually work - in real life?
Improve mental acuity?
Enhance learning capacity?
Live longer?
Reduce stress?
Improve sleep?
FDA might not review their claims, but we can still conduct research to find out!Just click through to buy any oxygen concentrator, red light therapy device, or any other health product. And then use the form to sign up to be contacted about research on actual potential wellness benefits from use of these products.Placebo, placebo plus, or even more?Idea playground gets a commission, you get a health product, and we all contribute to research to understand how these products might work in real life for real people!