As we have brought forth some radical ideas over the last month or two, I (Jim) have been amused by many of your comments.

Last week, for instance, when we talked about headboxes, one respondent went into a long dissertation on the history of headboxes and their development.

That is not what we are about nor are we interested in such things. 

This industry is not going to move ahead by tweaking old ideas.  Our history is our constraint.

We are confusing basic science with historical technological developments.

For instance, it would be an interesting exercise to take a group of classically trained engineers and scientists with no pulp and paper industry experience and ask them to take a tree and make it into paper, without the benefit of any prior knowledge.

That would be real innovation, not tweaking tired old ideas.

Of course, this has already been done.  Well, I guess there is some prior knowledge, in this case passed down genetically:  the lowly hornet.  The epiphany of making paper from trees occurred when a Frenchman noticed the hornet's accomplishments.

And, you might note, the hornet does not have any of the equipment we would find in the "modern" pulp and paper mill.

Are we so stupid we can't even duplicate what a hornet does?

Think!  Create!

We will be announcing our 2014 LGMI Conference details soon.  We have chosen a great location.  You may want to come and share your wisdom or absorb the wisdoms of others.  Watch for details.