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What Is ‘Invention’ And Can It Be Taught?

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How to Invent
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Abstract

It is a common fallacy to believe that only one person in several thousand is capable of invention. On the contrary most people at some stages in their life perform genuinely inventive acts; what is rare is for these inventive acts to lead to a new device, process or product which is commercially viable. Whenever we solve a small problem which has no obvious logical solution, by finding an unexpected solution, we are inventing.

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References

  1. Koestler, A., The Act of Creation, Pan Books (1970)

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  2. De Bono, E., The Use of Lateral Thinking, Penguin (1971)

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  3. Thring, M. W., Man, Machines and Tomorrow, Routledge (1973)

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  4. Thring, M. W., Machines: Masters or Slaves of Man?, Peter Peregrinus (1973)

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© 1977 M. W, Thring and E. R. Laithwaite

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Cite this chapter

Thring, M.W. (1977). What Is ‘Invention’ And Can It Be Taught?. In: How to Invent. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-15753-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-15753-2_1

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-333-17794-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-349-15753-2

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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