I am thinking of selecting a topic on innovative thinkers in history such as Leonardo DaVinci, Archimedes, Einstein and Jules Verne. What inspired them, how were they so ahead of their times and what are some of their innovations that we are just beginning to implement? I am thinking that they were unconventional in their approach to learning and I may connect this topic with the psychology of learning. This topic may be too difficult and too broad to fit into 25 or 15 pages, so I may need to narrow the scope and focus on one particular person.

Another topic that I am considering is what makes a particular movie popular and achieve box office success versus another movie that may achieve critical acclaim from critics, yet is unsuccessful in the box office.

I want to possibly explore how mystery books are written and create a new form of mystery writing where all the clues are presented in the body of the work early on, and revealed to those who have not discovered them during the progression of the story.

How are puzzles created? explore the techniques for creating mazes and puzzles and create a new type of puzzle or maze based on those techniques.

Freemasonry in the development of America and the mysteries of the Freemasons. Part of my research with be to visit the catacombs under Trinity Church and to explore the caves behind Mount Rushmore.  This will be a difficult topic because sources will be limited and much of the research will be speculative with no definitive proof.  It may also be dangerous and I may end up being written about as part of a real life mystery as the target of the Freemasons or U.S. government.  This, however, will provide materials for my mystery novel (see above).

I am thinking that this will be a very interesting project but will require a lot of work. I am somewhat apprehensive, but at the same time very interested in what I might learn or not learn. Or I could not worry and take the easy way out by writing a family cookbook.