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2.7. Invention 'So What?'

How To Invent (Almost) Anything > 2. Simple Science > 2.7. Invention 'So What?'

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Knowing some simple science is a powerful thing. So is remembering that most (if not all) great innovations came from people who were either outside or new to the area of invention. If you are a scientist, forget or challenge your training. Learn to ask great questions. Spot scientific assumptions and openly question them.

Everything is made up of energy, matter, space and time, so question all aspects of each of these, individually and in combination. Here are just a few of the many questions and considerations you can take into mind.

• What are the energy effects?
• How is energy stored? What other storage could be used?
• How is energy converted? Into what form? Can less be used?
• What are the attributes of energy that can be changed?
• What are the forces involved?
• What are the electromagnetic effects?
• What happens at the atomic or molecular level?
• How can you use less force? Can you trade force for time, space or energy?
• What materials are you using?
• What is happening to the atoms and molecules? How are relationships changing?
• What is happening at the surface? How is it interacting with its environment?
• How heavy and dense is it? Would it help to change these?
• How strong is it? Will it withstand pressure, twisting or stretching?
• How flexible is it? What are the effects of this? What happens when it is stretched?
• How chemically stable is it? Is it reacting with the air or other parts?
• How smooth is it? What are the friction effects?
• What shape is it?
• How big is it? What if you changed the size? Or in one dimension only?
• What happens at the boundaries? Could you change the texture?
• Where are the weak points? Could you strengthen them?
• To what degree is the shape dictated by the way it is made?
• How can you invent with greatest currency of all: time?
• How can you save time? Can you change serial to parallel?
• How do things start and finish? How do they change in between?
• What are the dependencies? Where are the dead spots where things are waiting for one another?
• Can you change the perception of time? Can you make it more enjoyable?

Other sections in this chapter:

• 2.1. What is Science?
• 2.2. Science and Energy
• 2.3. Science and Matter
• 2.4. Science and Space
• 2.5. Science and Time
• 2.6. Simple Science in Non-science
• 2.7. Invention 'So What?'

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