Innovation is about finding a better way of doing something. Like many of the new development buzzwords (which many of them are over-used on many business documents), the concept of innovation originates from the world of business. It refers to the generation of new products through the process of creative entrepreneurship, putting it into production, and diffusing it more widely through increased sales. Innovation can be viewed as t he application of better solutions that meet new requirements, in-articulated needs, or existing market needs. This is accomplished through more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that are readily available to markets, governments and society. The term innovation can be defined as something original and, as a consequence, new, that “breaks into” the market or society.
Innoveracy: Misunderstanding Innovation article points out that there is a form of ignorance which seems to be universal: the inability to understand the concept and role of innovation. The way this is exhibited is in the misuse of the term and the inability to discern the difference between novelty, creation, invention and innovation. The result is a failure to understand the causes of success and failure in business and hence the conditions that lead to economic growth. The definition of innovation is easy to find but it seems to be hard to understand. Here is a simple taxonomy of related activities that put innovation in context:
- Novelty: Something new
- Creation: Something new and valuable
- Invention: Something new, having potential value through utility
- Innovation: Something new and uniquely useful
The taxonomy is illustrated with the following diagram.
The differences are also evident in the mechanisms that exist to protect the works: Novelties are usually not protectable, Creations are protected by copyright or trademark, Inventions can be protected for a limited time through patents (or kept secret) and Innovations can be protected through market competition but are not defensible through legal means.
Innovation is a lot of talked about nowdays as essential to businesses to do. Is innovation essential for development work? article tells that innovation has become central to the way development organisations go about their work. In November 2011, Bill Gates told the G20 that innovation was the key to development. Donors increasingly stress innovation as a key condition for funding, and many civil society organisations emphasise that innovation is central to the work they do.
Some innovation ideas are pretty simple, and some are much more complicated and even sound crazy when heard first. The is place for crazy sounding ideas: venture capitalists are gravely concerned that the tech startups they’re investing in just aren’t crazy enough:
Not all development problems require new solutions, sometimes you just need to use old things in a slightly new way. Development innovations may involve devising technology (such as a nanotech water treatment kit), creating a new approach (such as microfinance), finding a better way of delivering public services (such as one-stop egovernment service centres), identifying ways of working with communities (such as participation), or generating a management technique (such as organisation learning).
Theorists of innovation identify innovation itself as a brief moment of creativity, to be followed by the main routine work of producing and selling the innovation. When it comes to development, things are more complicated. Innovation needs to be viewed as tool, not master. Innovation is a process, not a one time event. Genuine innovation is valuable but rare.
There are many views on the innovation and innvation process. I try to collect together there some views I have found on-line. Hopefully they help you more than confuze. Managing complexity and reducing risk article has this drawing which I think pretty well describes innovation as done in product development:
8 essential practices of successful innovation from The Innovator’s Way shows essential practices in innovation process. Those practices are all integrated into a non-sequential, coherent whole and style in the person of the innovator.
In the IT work there is lots of work where a little thinking can be a source of innovation. Automating IT processes can be a huge time saver or it can fail depending on situation. XKCD comic strip Automation as illustrates this:
System integration is a critical element in project design article has an interesting project cost influence graphic. The recommendation is to involve a system integrator early in project design to help ensure high-quality projects that satisfy project requirements. Of course this article tries to market system integration services, but has also valid points to consider.
Core Contributor Loop (CTTDC) from Art Journal blog posting Blog Is The New Black tries to link inventing an idea to theory of entrepreneurship. It is essential to tune the engine by making improvements in product, marketing, code, design and operations.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
The Myth of the Secret Genius
https://www.forkingpaths.co/p/the-myth-of-the-secret-genius
From Elon Musk to Elizabeth Holmes and Donald Trump, many very rich people are effective at convincing us of a myth: they’re secretly a genius, and you’re just too dumb to understand. Are they right?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Then, there’s overconfidence and over-promising. For whatever reason, we almost never punish rich people who over-promise and under-deliver.
https://www.forkingpaths.co/p/the-myth-of-the-secret-genius
Tomi Engdahl says:
Even if someone time travels, they may not remember or capture it: Study
In general relativity, a closed timelike curve (CTC) is a loop in spacetime that could allow travel back in time.
https://interestingengineering.com/science/someone-time-travels-may-not-remember?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=article&fbclid=IwY2xjawHU-9xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXTE1NFa1nkCakIDsS90-afCihdPajsWmzefM1XO5BY_L_MdKJ-NvHNIxg_aem_iIetE8WKLggRYd1L2GXOfw
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jos joulupukki kävisi joka kodissa, koko maailma sulaisi laavamereksi: Joka sekunti 50 000x kaikki ydinpommit kylmästä sodasta koko päivän ajan – Tai vielä pahempaa
https://www.tekniikkatalous.fi/uutiset/tt/e87cb744-8d0c-4975-99cc-580310d225bb?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3swzepMS1dBUxeU_EJu-mE1txLPxLzZe8rKeG-jK-BAirJCC8bCvVhNbk_aem_uoEr1Djj04ctkKv3saR5fg#Echobox=1734894805
Jos joulupukki kävisi joka kodissa, koko maailma tuhoutuisi, vaikka pukille oletettaisiin valonnopea kiihdytys. Jos hän joutuisi käyttämään rakettia, pukki tuhoaisi miljoonien rekursiotasojen syvyisen multiversumikompleksin. Vanha huumoritarina pukista on todella rajua aliarviointia.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Scientist Says Humans Will Go Backwards in Time Within Just 5 Years
It’ll certainly take some work.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a62990579/humans-backwards-in-time/?utm_campaign=trueanthemFBPOP&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3zkQn58pzUlrZksBrvenSoYrBigINNHYaPhkE0RR6V3_dukiMxun_o8BE_aem_GK4plPO0MVaXkpfUPLA3XQ
Tomi Engdahl says:
Computer scientist and futurist Ray Kurzweil believes humanity will achieve “longevity escape velocity” in just five years.
The concept basically states that due to medical and technological advances, we will soon reach a point where our life expectancies lengthen by more than one year per year, effectively giving us time back on the clock.
This is a very controversial concept, and one that—even if possible—would require widespread access to cutting edge medical technology.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a62990579/humans-backwards-in-time/?utm_campaign=trueanthemFBPOP&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3zkQn58pzUlrZksBrvenSoYrBigINNHYaPhkE0RR6V3_dukiMxun_o8BE_aem_GK4plPO0MVaXkpfUPLA3XQ
Tomi Engdahl says:
Engineers achieve quantum teleportation over active internet cables
“This is incredibly exciting because nobody thought it was possible”
https://www.techspot.com/news/106066-engineers-achieve-quantum-teleportation-over-active-internet-cables.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1hHXasNI8ig64NGV0K0RKux5A2C9xRfH9hhMed-HMsSp6qCqs1JGuU18E_aem_3xNWQwLJKIHt7dWaImt4pg
What just happened? An engineering team at Northwestern University has achieved a breakthrough in quantum teleportation, demonstrating the feasibility of transmitting quantum information alongside classic internet traffic. As research advances, we could enter a new era in communication technology, where quantum and traditional networks can coexist to offer unprecedented levels of security and speed.
Engineers at Northwestern University have demonstrated quantum teleportation over a fiber optic cable already carrying Internet traffic.
“By performing a destructive measurement on two photons – one carrying a quantum state and one entangled with another photon – the quantum state is transferred onto the remaining photon, which can be very far away,” said Jordan Thomas, a Ph.D. candidate in Kumar’s laboratory and the paper’s first author. “The photon itself does not have to be sent over long distances, but its state still ends up encoded onto the distant photon.”
To validate their method, the team set up a 30-kilometer-long (18.6 miles) fiber optic cable with a photon at each end. They simultaneously transmitted quantum information and high-speed Internet traffic through the cable.
Tomi Engdahl says:
From microcircuits to quantum computers, semi-Dirac fermions could change it all.
These Particles Only Move in One Direction. Scientists Think They Could Revolutionize Computing.
From microcircuits to quantum computers, semi-Dirac fermions could change it all.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a63228235/one-direction-computing-particles/?utm_campaign=trueanthemFBPOP&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2ofE_GT2ljEJB5WY0Z3JfMED0tQUYC5Wqxykf4us3fIWZT6DkmAdd5K8k_aem_w_WhQCVpPLDXCjPPPzeK5A
Scientists have observed a unique particle that moves easily one way, yet resists at 90 degrees.
These semi-Dirac fermions were observed using their energy signature in a topological metal.
Particles with contextual behaviors are of interest for quantum computing and superconductors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Seemingly impossible events can happen all the time – and we do not need to reach for supernatural explanations to explain why, says mathematician Sarah Hart.
The surprising maths that explains why coincidences are so common
From repeat lightning strikes to identical lottery draws, mathematician Sarah Hart explains why incredibly unlikely events happen all the time
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26435212-900-the-surprising-maths-that-explains-why-coincidences-are-so-common/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=echobox&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2KzFHFmuJRoyBBj6BZAoXoGntO6nb9eegryz4eLCfG4XwB1yrbj98dMTs_aem_MWk2fUVJYlT3WWElIdf8eA#Echobox=1735038922-1
Tomi Engdahl says:
Occasionally, we are faced with events that seem so improbable we can’t help but feel the universe is sending us a message. As a mathematician, I know that coincidences are often far more likely to occur than we think – and this fact can have serious consequences everywhere from the science lab to lottery kiosks and the law courts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Did someone finally see one of the —14 year old RE-uploads—— of Qualia Soup? “It could just be coincidence.” Which explains in great detail the maths and factors that go into making the most astounding coincidences very common? https://youtu.be/WH-VGQueGl8?si=NO2HPav-iIpH0Tzy