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:
When light flashes for a quintillionth of a second, things get weird
The shortest light pulses in the world come in pairs, and scientists can now control them.
https://www.popsci.com/science/ultrashort-light-pulse-pair/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Companies Already Have the Ability to Decode Your Brainwaves
It won’t be long before your boss knows exactly what you’re thinking.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/a42626684/artificial-intelligence-can-decode-your-braninwaves/
Artificial intelligence is now able to decode brain activity to unlock emotions, productivity, and even pre-conscious thought, according to a futurist.
Wearable technology that’s already available is assisting the brainwave-monitoring technology.
This new world of surveillance has multiple avenues for good or bad.
Tomi Engdahl says:
”Järisyttävä tutkimus: Maapallon ydin on alkanut pyöriä vastakkaiseen suuntaan” – Uutiset kirkuvat näin BBC:tä myöten, mutta se ei ole totta vaan 1 000 000-kertaista liioittelua
https://www.tekniikkatalous.fi/uutiset/jarisyttava-tutkimus-maapallon-ydin-on-alkanut-pyoria-vastakkaiseen-suuntaan-uutiset-kirkuvat-nain-bbcta-myoten-mutta-se-ei-ole-totta-vaan-1000000-kertaista-liioittelua/9b85870b-6589-4496-be81-ca16b53dd367
Maan ydin pyörii 99,9999 % tarkkuudella samaa vauhtia kuin Maan pinta. Tämä asia ei käy ilmi uutisista.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Too many cooks? The challenges and benefits of working with multiple teams
https://www.taiste.fi/post/too-many-cooks-the-challenges-and-benefits-of-working-with-multiple-teams?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=promotedpost&utm_campaign=website&utm_content=toomanycooks&fbclid=IwAR0tsu4xteO-T94ar3F3rcffkeYdWgtZILWgPsS9MGvpFelMRtMMx1mNOwE
The bigger the digital project, the more common it is to have multiple teams from different companies working together. In this article, UX Designer Tiina Viljakainen shares her experiences with such situations – using the work we did for Suomen Kuvalehti as an example.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Invisibility cloaks are not just possible, but are becoming reality
Long a staple of science-fiction and fantasy, the ability to become invisible would be a revolutionary technological development.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/invisibility-cloak-183582/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mari Valonmerellä on supervoima, jota tämän päivän työelämä kipeästi kaipaa
https://yle.fi/a/74-20013424
Mari Valonmeri on entinen toimittaja ja nykyinen yritysvalmentaja ja tietokirjailija. Hän on erityisherkkä, ja niin on joka viides tai kuudes meistä muistakin. Valonmeren mukaan herkkyys ei ole häpeä vaan voimavara.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Humanity May Reach Singularity Within Just 7 Years, Trend Shows
By one major metric, artificial general intelligence is much closer than you think.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/robots/a42612745/singularity-when-will-it-happen/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Aivot laulavat riemusta, kun teet käsitöitä.
https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2019/12/27/hyva-sina-joka-neulot-nikkaroit-tai-askartelet-kasityot-ovat-herkkua-aivoille
Aina kun värkkäät jotakin käsilläsi, kehität ja virkistät aivojasi.
Tomi Engdahl says:
“If internet explorer is brave enough to ask you to make it your default browser, then you are brave enough to ask your crush out.”
Will Daab
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Radio Transmission Technology Requires No Power at All
A team of engineers developed a new radio transmission technique that seemingly doesn’t require any power.
https://www.hackster.io/news/new-radio-transmission-technology-requires-no-power-at-all-82f422d47106
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://futurism.com/the-byte/shape-shifting-robot-melt-through-prison-bars
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/29/4377892/motorola-shows-electronic-tattoo-and-vitamin-authentication-prototypes
Tomi Engdahl says:
1.2-Million-Year-Old Obsidian Axe Factory Found In Ethiopia
An unknown species of human apparently mastered obsidian, something it had been thought only occurred in the Stone Age.
https://www.iflscience.com/1-2-million-year-old-obsidian-axe-factory-found-in-ethiopia-67232
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://80.lv/articles/creating-holograms-with-blender-voxon-s-volumetric-display/?fbclid=IwAR2yNt2mPEeT2wR7F_KnOMYyb7PQs8Yu9leUvqT3A6JrfT6sPQwi-d1g1-M
Tomi Engdahl says:
FEATURE
THE INNER BEAUTY OF BASIC ELECTRONICS
Open Circuits showcases the surprising complexity of passive components
https://spectrum.ieee.org/open-circuits
Tomi Engdahl says:
I Edited Human DNA at Home With a DIY CRISPR Kit
Genetic engineering using CRISPR from the comfort of home might seem futuristic, but you can do it right now.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjkykx/diy-crispr-gene-editing-kit-human-dna
Tomi Engdahl says:
Maailmankuulu järjestelijäguru Marie Kondo lopetti ”konmarittamisen”– tässä syy https://www.is.fi/viihde/art-2000009358328.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2023/01/27/kevytrobotti-lentaa-pelkan-tuulen-ja-valon-voimalla/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2023/01/27/kasvuyrityksilla-merkittava-rooli-tk-panostuksissa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vint Cerf is spreading the word about adopting the Internet in service to public good as vice president and chief Internet evangelist at @Google
IEEE Medal of Honor Goes to Vint Cerf He codesigned the Internet protocol and transmission control protocol
https://spectrum.ieee.org/2023-ieee-medal-of-honor?share_id=7442756&socialux=facebook&utm_campaign=RebelMouse&utm_content=IEEE+Spectrum&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook
IEEE Life Fellow Vinton “Vint” Cerf, widely known as the “Father of the Internet,” is the recipient of the 2023 IEEE Medal of Honor. He is being recognized “for co-creating the Internet architecture and providing sustained leadership in its phenomenal growth in becoming society’s critical infrastructure.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
A 500-Year-Old ‘Paradox’ by Leonardo da Vinci Has Finally Been Solved, Study Says
A mystery of fluid physics first noticed by da Vinci has puzzled scientists for centuries, and we now have an answer.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/3ad9eb/a-500-year-old-paradox-by-leonardo-da-vinci-has-finally-been-solved-study-says
More than 500 years ago, Leonardo da Vinci was watching air bubbles float up through water—as you do when you’re a Renaissance-era polymath—when he noticed that some bubbles inexplicably started spiraling or zigzagging instead of making a straight ascent to the surface.
For centuries, nobody has offered a satisfying explanation for this weird periodic deviation in the motion of some bubbles through water, which has been called “Leonardo’s paradox.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Decisions, Wormholes and Extra Dimensions: How To Travel the Multiverse
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a42723859/how-to-travel-the-multiverse/
Other universes might be membranes floating in space. Or, every time we make a decision, we might create new worlds. This is how we’ll traverse them.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scientists Actually Did It: They Built a Real Working Tractor Beam
One that manipulates objects and everything.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a42676079/scientists-build-working-tractor-beam/
Scientists built a working tractor beam—the first example of one that pulls objects visible to the naked eye.
The tests were in highly controlled laboratory experiments.
A tractor beam like this one could manipulate vehicles and aircraft on Mars
Tomi Engdahl says:
A parasite makes wolves more likely to become pack leaders
Toxoplasma gondii infections have a dramatic impact on the social decisions of gray wolves
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/wolves-parasite-pack-leader-toxoplasma-gondii
Tomi Engdahl says:
ITALY INVENTS ROBOT THAT CARVES SCULPTURES OUT OF MARBLE LIKE MICHELANGELO
https://futurism.com/the-byte/italy-robot-carves-sculptures-marble
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Hippies Were Right: It’s All about Vibrations, Man!
A new theory of consciousness
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-hippies-were-right-its-all-about-vibrations-man/
Why are some things conscious and others apparently not? Is a rat conscious? A bat? A cockroach? A bacterium? An electron?
These questions are all aspects of the ancient “mind-body problem,” which has resisted a generally satisfying conclusion for thousands of years.
The mind-body problem enjoyed a major rebranding over the last two decades and is generally known now as the “hard problem” of consciousness (usually capitalized nowadays), after the New York University philosopher David Chalmers coined this term in a now classic 1995 paper and his 1996 book The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Suomalaistutkimus on avaamassa muistisairauksien viimeiset mysteerit – aivopesurin tuoma läpimurto on enää rahasta kiinni
https://yle.fi/a/74-20014787
Aivot puhdistuvat unessa. Jos aivojen oma pesuohjelma ei toimi, voi muisti alkaa sakata. Aivojen tehokkaaseen lääkitsemiseen on olemassa osaamista, mutta laitteet puuttuvat.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This ghostly particle may be why dark matter keeps eluding us
Physicists in Russia think they’re on the trail of a new particle that’s everywhere, but nowhere.
https://www.popsci.com/science/dark-matter-particle-experiment/
Tomi Engdahl says:
New intelligent material could become a “quantum brain”
This new material could be the foundation of future computers and a “quantum brain.”
https://www.freethink.com/technology/intelligent-material#Echobox=1675253800
Tomi Engdahl says:
Space
A very rare pair of stars is behaving extremely ‘weirdly’, scientists say
Pair of stars is a ‘one-in-ten-billion system’, scientists say
https://www.independent.co.uk/space/binary-star-orbit-supernova-universe-nature-b2275605.html#Echobox=1675267658
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scientists release detailed map of everything in the universe
Map is one of the most precise measurements of how ‘stuff’ is distributed through the cosmos
https://www.independent.co.uk/space/matter-map-scientists-space-universe-cosmos-b2273004.html#Echobox=1675188195
Tomi Engdahl says:
Konkariopettaja lataa pöytään syitä oppimistulosten heikentymiseen: “Digitalisaatio on johtanut siihen, että lopetetaan ajatteleminen”
”Suomea toisena kielenä opiskelevat heitetään syvään päähän vailla tarvittavaa koulupohjaa.”
https://yle.fi/a/74-20015100
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.rgu.ac.uk/news/news-2023/5710-raising-a-dram-to-softer-skin
https://www.webmd.com/diet/whiskey-good-for-you
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://innolux.fi/blogs/news/kirkasvalo-punavalo-vai-sarastusvalo
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.analyticsinsight.net/top-5-tech-careers-that-dont-require-coding-skills/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.tekniikanmuseo.fi/tapahtuma/tekniikan-maa-podcastin-ilta/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Performing matrix multiplications at the speed of light for enhanced cybersecurity
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-02-matrix-multiplications-cybersecurity.html
modern electronic AI engines, employing transistors, are approaching their intrinsic limits and can hardly compute at clock-frequencies higher than ~2 GHz.
The compelling credentials of light—ultrahigh speeds and significant energy and footprint savings—offer a solution. Recently a team of photonic researchers of the WinPhos Research group, led by Prof. Nikos Pleros from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, harnessed the power of light to develop a compact silicon photonic computer engine capable of computing TMMs at a record-high 50 GHz clock frequency.
Tomi Engdahl says:
PROFESSOR INSISTS THAT WE ACTUALLY DON’T LIVE IN A SIMULATION
https://futurism.com/the-byte/physicist-insists-not-simulation
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scientists engineered “cyborg grasshoppers” to sniff out bombs
The insects could replace Homeland Security’s explosive detection dogs.
https://www.freethink.com/technology/scientists-engineered-cyborg-grasshoppers-to-sniff-out-bombs#Echobox=1675096019
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://mielenihmeet.fi/33-lainausta-einsteinilta-jotka-saavat-sinut-ajattelemaan/
Tomi Engdahl says:
All of the bases in DNA and RNA have now been found in meteorites
The discovery adds to evidence that suggests life’s precursors came from space
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/all-of-the-bases-in-dna-and-rna-have-now-been-found-in-meteorites
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chinese Scientists Claim Ability to Break Encryption With Quantum Computing
https://greekreporter.com/2023/01/21/chinese-scientists-break-encryption-quantum-computing/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Suomalaistutkimus on avaamassa muistisairauksien viimeiset mysteerit – aivopesurin tuoma läpimurto on enää rahasta kiinni
Aivot puhdistuvat unessa. Jos aivojen oma pesuohjelma ei toimi, voi muisti alkaa sakata. Aivojen tehokkaaseen lääkitsemiseen on olemassa osaamista, mutta laitteet puuttuvat.
https://yle.fi/a/74-20014787
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vint Cerf Receives IEEE Medal of Honor
https://circleid.com/posts/20230131-vint-cerf-receives-ieee-medal-of-honor
Vinton Cerf, widely known as the Father of the Internet, has been awarded the IEEE Medal of Honor in 2023 for his contributions to the development of the Internet architecture and for his leadership in its growth as a critical infrastructure for society.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/02/05/hackaday-links-february-5-2023/
If you’ve ever had to scan through a modern scientific paper, one of the hardest bits is coming up against acronyms that you’re not familiar with. This usually means you have to go back in the text to find where the acronym was instantiated to get a translation, or perhaps even Google it in the worst case. But with so many forced and cutesy acronyms — looking at you, NASA; SHERLOC, and WATSON? — the signal-to-noise ratio on a search can make meaningful results difficult to obtain. To look into the prevalence of acronyms in scientific literature and how they might be impacting understanding, a bunch of Danish scientists came up with a paper entitled “SearCh for humourIstic and Extravagant acroNyms and Thoroughly Inappropriate names For Important Clinical trials (SCIENTIFIC): qualitative and quantitative systematic study.” It’s actually a pretty good read, and has some funny bits, like the two criteria they define for acronym quality: a positive factor, known as BEAUTY (Boosting Elegant Acronyms Using a Tally Yardstick), and negative factors, denoted CHEATING (obsCure and awkHward usE of lettArs Trying to spell somethING). Extra points for misspelling “awkward” and making the extra letter the only one from the word to make it into the acronym
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269766218_SearCh_for_humourIstic_and_Extravagant_acroNyms_and_Thoroughly_Inappropriate_names_For_Important_Clinical_trials_SCIENTIFIC_qualitative_and_quantitative_systematic_study
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/02/06/researchers-find-inert-components-in-batteries-lead-to-cell-self-discharge/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/02/06/jupiters-moon-io-could-play-host-to-life/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nasa aikoo kokeilla ydinkäyttöistä rakettia jo 2027 – matka Marsiin voisi joskus sujua parissa kuukaudessa
Petangonin Darpa-tutkimuslaitos rakentaa raketin moottorin sellaiseksi, että ydinfissio käynnistyy vasta avaruudessa.
https://www.hs.fi/tiede/art-2000009352455.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
A transhuman biohacker implanted over 50 chips and magnets in her body
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/transhuman-biohacker-implanted-magnets
Tomi Engdahl says:
Suomalaistutkijat löysivät persoonallisuuspiirteen, joka aiheuttaa työtapaturmia: “Sitä ei ole havaittu eikä juuri tutkittukaan aiemmin” – Myös älykkyys on kaksiteräinen miekka
8.2.202307:30LIIKENNETURVALLISUUSTYÖELÄMÄ
https://www.tekniikkatalous.fi/uutiset/suomalaistutkijat-loysivat-persoonallisuuspiirteen-joka-aiheuttaa-tyotapaturmia-sita-ei-ole-havaittu-eika-juuri-tutkittukaan-aiemmin-myos-alykkyys-on-kaksiterainen-miekka/47ac1017-a2af-4915-93cb-b232ca142d8d
Kielellisen älykkyyden ja narsismin vaikutuksesta työturvallisuuteen saatiin tieteelle uutta tietoa. Älykkyys on kaksiteräinen miekka. Narsismin vaikutus taas yllätti tutkijat.