The Engineering Innovation Newsletter. Every piece in this newsletter shares a common goal: to propose concrete ways forward for those looking to help shape the future of technological research and innovation.
I love your focused list of targets for research labs to improve the human condition. But is that really what research labs are best at? Electricity and electrification were a failure of science. Tesla (the guy) and Edison did far more to advance our understanding of ⚡️ than the academy. Antibiotics, sure, but even that was more of a happy mistake than a directed effort. I’m not discounting the role of science to create a platform for innovation, but perhaps it’s the capital allocation (what do people want to fund), the problem set (what do nerds want to work on), and the population (what do people pay for). We need better translation of science into value for humanity, not more science.
Interesting analysis and a differentiated take on the emerging field of Progress Studies, I look forward to more posts
I love your focused list of targets for research labs to improve the human condition. But is that really what research labs are best at? Electricity and electrification were a failure of science. Tesla (the guy) and Edison did far more to advance our understanding of ⚡️ than the academy. Antibiotics, sure, but even that was more of a happy mistake than a directed effort. I’m not discounting the role of science to create a platform for innovation, but perhaps it’s the capital allocation (what do people want to fund), the problem set (what do nerds want to work on), and the population (what do people pay for). We need better translation of science into value for humanity, not more science.