Today’s invention is a jet engine casing which can unfold as shown and lock into position, forming a significant extra wing area.

In such an emergency, the engine could be jettisoned through the bottom of the nacelle so that a rapid glide back to the runway could be achieved with maximal control.

Rather than the traditional set of three wheels, a single tractor unit is centrally mounted.

This emerges from the belly of the plane when preparing to land. A pilot then controls the landing process from within this vehicle, which is large enough to support the aircraft, once landed, on its own.

Having parked, the vehicle can then be driven off, leaving the plane standing on the central pillar.

The undercarriage vehicle can be stocked with food, fuel etc elsewhere, then return with these supplies and replenish the plane via a lift in the support column.

When the saddle is removed from the bike, two small posts fold out, forming a tripod.

This allows the bike seat to act as a stable seat…so you can watch as the Tour speeds by.

Every odd-shaped electronic connector with graunched pins is evidence of that crappy practice (or snapped-off battery clip…I’m looking at you, Lenovo).

Today’s invention is an advance in the area of electronic cooling.

Instead of having up to five fans per desktop machine, the idea is to create a motherboard in the shape of a fan. Power would be fed in via a set of central slip rings.

Twisting the blades would cause throughflow (the thermal advantage being that, unlike spot cooling, there would be no stagnation points).

Today’s invention is an alternative.

Such cars would have an aftermarket module available containing one, adult-sized seat and designed to drop into the vehicle, facing sideways, as shown.

This would contain several airbags, so that the travelling position need not pose an extra risk in an accident.

If we are serious about sending people to Mars, we need to think much more about how to counteract the physical effects of low gravity.

Today’s invention is to design a long-range spacecraft around the idea of a permanently simulated gravitational field…at least for people.

Each of the Mars-bound travelers would wear an aluminium exoskeleton, sewn into their overalls.

This would have a belt attached to a strap which could slide along, a groove in the floor -under a tension equal to the wearer’s Earth weight.

The exoskeleton joints would all be capable of detecting their orientation and when a limb moved ‘upwards’, the joint would resist that motion more than when moving downwards.

This results in a more normal environment and maintains fitness via ambient exercise of the muscles.

If, for example, occupants of a vehicle have not put on their seatbelts when the engine is started, a beefed-up windscreen washer spray operates, whilst disabling the wipers.

Water is sprayed from the top edge of the screen and collected in a trough at the bottom…so that the water for this purpose never runs out.

The screen is thus impossible to see through and stops anyone driving away until the belts are properly attached.

A modified version of this approach would spray just enough water on the screen to force the driver to slow down greatly or stop, even with the wipers operating.

This might be deployed if a camera in the driver’s headrest spotted unfamiliar alphanumerics or other graphics in its image, which would be indicative of either texting or reading whilst driving.

This is also important, so that the machine is safely rideable.

Today’s invention is a balance for the parcel rack on a bicycle.

This has a fulcrum and a lever arm.

The panniers can be filled and the arm slid from one side towards the other until the bags exert equal turning effects clockwise and anticlockwise.

The arm is then locked in place before cycling off.

In the left diagram, a section through a runner’s calf is shown.

Ginger hair is left in the concavities of the calf muscle and the shin.

On the right, a pair of running tights is shown with extra, internal padding at these locations.

The natural running motion allows these to do a good job of smoothing anyone’s lower limbs.

This means that it’s hard to sit comfortably, let alone fall asleep.

Today’s invention is for restive and ill-fitting passengers such as me.

It takes the form of a padded loop wrapped around a variable-geometry frame, the legs of which curve around so that they can be pinned in position by one’s thighs.

This allows a passenger to select a number of comfortable, forward-leaning positions in the course of a long journey.