How New Things Come Into The World

Abstract

How New Things Come Into The World! From the hand axe to the automobile; from the idea that the Earth rotates around the Sun to self-cleaning surfaces; from bronze via iron and steel through to innovative composites—brilliant ideas, ground-breaking inventions, unprecedented techniques, and new materials have determined human life from time immemorial. However, while the hand axe was the universal tool 1.8 million to 50,000 years ago, nowadays a new tool is required every two to three years, say a new operating system, to ensure we can work efficiently: See Windows 8. Product cycles have become shorter, too. A new cell phone every year, and new car models are released every three to four years, or at least completely overhauled versions. Developers today are under enormous pressure in terms of innovation. But is there some common ground, something uniting, which can be extracted from the history of innovation? This presentation tries to find an answer to that very question, focusing on the development of the car and its current challenges, with bionics offering numerous solutions. With amusing and illuminating examples from history, psychology, art and literature the secret of fantasy, creativity and hence of innovation will be unravelled.