Blog
Innovative Balloon Technology
Winnie the Pooh said "Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon". And many of Pooh's adventures involved balloons. Simple latex party balloons, which haven't really changed that much over the years. But there is more to balloons and balloon technology if you include...
Can Creativity Be Automated?
The topic of artificial intelligence taking over the world has been something fiction writers have been talking about for years. But should we be worried about robots taking over our jobs? I mean, they are already capable of cleaning our floors, like the Roomba, and...
Women Inventors – Marie Van Brittan Brown
In keeping with Women's History Month, I wanted to highlight women inventors who exemplify the phrase "Necessity is the Mother of Invention". Marie Van Brittan Brown is one of those inventors. Marie was a nurse who didn't keep regular hours. While her husband,...
Valentine’s Day – Innovating Within a Tradition
The basis of innovation is about making a connection that didn't exist before. But what about innovating within a tradition? The real history of Valentine's Day isn't completely clear, but the underlying theme is one of love, fertility, and marriage. Like all...
Innovators Embrace Uncertainty
Uncertainty isn't a comfortable place. In fact, it triggers a flight or fight response in the amygdala part of the brain. And most people choose flight. But innovators embrace uncertainty because we venture into uncharted territory every day. I was talking to a...
How a Bird Inspired a Bullet Train Engineer to Innovate
Inspiration for innovation is literally all around us. Mother nature has supplied us with billions of years of natural R&D. If you ever think that everything that could have been invented has been invented, think again. If you only got your inspiration from...
What Type of Innovator Are You?
In 1962 the book "Diffusions of Innovations" came out. It was a phrase coined by communications professor Everett Rogers to explain how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology is spread through cultures. Rogers explained in his book that four main elements are...
Inventor Spotlight – Ann Moore
Inventor and pediatric nurse Ann Moore proved that you can make an old idea new again. It was during her time in the Peace Corps in West Africa that she first saw mothers carrying their babies around on their backs in fabric harnesses. The babies seemed very content...
The Value of Incremental Innovation
A good portion of my day is spent working with small businesses, especially bricks and mortar stores, on how to compete and stay ahead of the curve in a time when change is so rapid. But there is a lot of resistance to being the first to jump off the cliff and try...