Ray’s Obit

Abstract

Ray Solomonoff was always inventive. As a child, he had a lab in his parent's cellar in Cleveland and a secret air hole to vent the smoke from his experiments. He gave his friend Marvin Minsky a so-called "Hurry" clock — a clock labeled "HURRY" that ran very fast. Helped by a friend, he built a year round house in N.H. He put in thick insulation, enabling him to heat the house with two rows of light bulbs along the ceiling. I met Ray shortly after he finished this house, in 1969. I knew about foraging, so I showed him edible plants like Indian Cucumber Root. He was so happy: it was as if we found a fountain of champagne. [...]