There Are No New Inventions

By | May 1, 2007
7 Comments

…only improvements. Or so says TechRivet’s friend, “M”:

There have been only a few true scientific breakthroughs since WWII that truly have been impactful on our lives. I include true new technology, not improvements on existing technology.

My candidates include:

* Transistor
* Integrated circuit (although this could be argued as an improvement on the transistor)
* Laser
* Some medicines, particularly the pill
* Human (and others) genome work

I can’t think of any others. There certainly have been improvements on existing technology galore, but little new science that has made a difference.

Well, but wasn’t the transistor just an improvement over some previous analog technology — tubes and so forth? The pill was just an improvement over the rhythm method, wasn’t it? I think there may be a definitional issue, here. What’s an improvement vs. a wholly new invention?

I think there’s a notion of discontinuity that makes an invention a true invention, rather than just an change over something that came before. These folks had some interesting thoughts about that.

Anyhow, TechRivet goes on to issue a kind of intriguing challenge:

Excluding the list above, what new inventions have had an impact on society? Since WW2? Since 1960? Since 1995?

Make it new and make it impactful. I’ll be doing a follow up post or two on this subject because it is fascinating. What if there has been no new inventions? Does it matter? Do we still need them? Does the law of accellerating returns require new inventions? Are new scientists and engineers and entrepreneurs still looking for anything truly “new”?

So what do you think, folks? Have there been any new inventions? Are any on their way? I can think of one or two, but I’d be interested to see what others come up with first.

  • MattShultz

    Well, here’s my list, just off the top of my head. Couldn’t think of any others.

    Fabbers: the tool that can make any other tool, including (just over the horizon), itself. I doubt we’ve had that since we used stone hand axes to make more hand axes.

    Evolutionary Algorithms: okay, so you could make the case that technically nature designed this before humans, but almost anything could be disqualified on those grounds. What is not new and revolutionary about building systems that can design other systems (mechanical, logistical…) with almost no human oversight?

    Satellites: did not exist before WWII, and really are game changing in a number of ways. For the first time, it becomes possible to see everything that happens, everywhere around the world.

  • Karl Hallowell

    A couple of entries, might kick up a few more later:

    The fast Fourier transform algorithm (or FFT) used on computers,

    Quantum computing, theory and so far vastly limited application.

    The Black-Scholes financial valuation model for stock derivatives and similar securities.

  • Phil Bowermaster

    The Internet comes to mind — I don’t know if it’s an “invention” in the strict sense, but it’s certainly an instance of discontinuous change.

    How about the pacemaker? The artificial heart?

    Jet packs, of course.

    Coming soon: the Space Elevator, utility fog, and (not that they will matter all that much once we have utility fog) flying cars.

  • http://www.speculist.com Stephen Gordon

    Okay here we go:

    Internet, cell phones, GPS, night vision googles, orbital telescopes, nonlethal weapons like tasers, genetic engineering, nuclear power, personal computers and their killer aps like word processing and spread sheets, video games, CD Players, MP3 players, AI, microwave ovens, artificial fibers like nylon, and lasers.

    So, obviously I disagree with “M.” But, I understand where this thinking is coming from. Back when Phil was launching The Speculist, he had an exercise called “The Seven Questions.” The last question was:

    Why is it that in the year 2003 I still don’t have a flying car? When do you think I’ll be able to get one?

    My answer was “2006.”

    Just kidding. This was my answer:

    “While we’ve made remarkable strides in small scale technology – circuitry, the human genome, nanotech, it seems like we’ve lost ground with the big macho stuff. We haven’t been to the Moon in 30 years; we can’t buy tickets to fly supersonic anymore.

    “While we’re discovering inner space and creating cyberspace, we’ve done so little with outer space. Maybe this is a necessary retreat – a pause to let technology catch up with our aspirations. But I’m inclined to believe rather that its a lack of aspiration…”

    The small-scale stuff often just gets incorporated in the the big stuff that we already had. But this doesn’t mean it doesn’t impact our lives. I’m reminded of those commercials for BASF:

    “We don’t make a lot of the products you buy; we make a lot of the products you buy better!”

  • http://triticale.mu.nu triticale

    The transistor was a functional replacement for the vacuum tube, but different in ways which opened up entire new possibilities. Not only the integrated circuit. Remember that vacuum tube computers used to need tubes replaced on a daily basis. Early computers with no more marbles than the processor embedded in your PC’s keyboard used to need to be water cooled.

  • doctorpat

    Sorry Stephen, but a lot of those aren’t as new as you think:

    Internet,

    obviously

    cell phones,

    newish, but there were radio phones in ww2

    GPS, night vision googles,

    Not fundamental, there was low light photography back in the 1930s

    orbital telescopes, nonlethal weapons like tasers,

    The taser tech was available to edison, and described as a weapon by Mark Twain

    genetic engineering,

    totally new

    nuclear power,

    Actually developed during WWII

    personal computers and their killer aps like word processing and spread sheets,

    yes, the software apps are exactly the sort of new invention that is totally new, nothing like that before

    video games, CD Players, MP3 players,

    agreed

    AI,

    Not yet

    microwave ovens,

    just an application of the microwave generator, from WW2

    artificial fibers like nylon,

    1938

    I would also say that there are probably dozens of chemistry inventions, especially in drugs, that are totally new.

    There’s not a huge amount compared to what you’d think though.

    It gets back to my theory that the greatest rate of change was in the 60 years from 1890 to 1950. That was much faster than what we’ve experienced since then.

  • http://www.compactmicrowaveovens.net/Microwave-Toaster-Oven.html Fernande Kmatz

    My original microwave was 23 years old when it ceased working. I hope my new Sharp compact microwave oven will last that long but that is probably wishful thinking.