To recycle from one of my earlier posts about RI3d robots:
Quote:
|
"The hero (inventor) customarily credited with the invention followed previous inventors who had similar aims and had already produced designs, working models, or commercial successful models. Edison's famous "invention" of the incandescent light bulb on the night of October 21,1879, improved on many other incandescent light bulbs patented by other inventors between 1841 and 1878." Diamond, Jared (1999). guns, germs and steel: pg.245
|
The rest of my post is here:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...5&postcount=39
I strongly agree with Jared Diamond that we have a heroic viewpoint of inventors and we deny acknowledging the system that allowed them to be successful: great education, predicate inventions and an environment that fostered trial by error.
My analogy is that is like a increasing the surface of a chemical reaction. By having more knowledge, inspirations and experiments, there more likely a great innovation will come forth.
And here is couple from Dean Kamen's rude realities:
Quote:
Suggestion #3: Invent as a last resort. Almost all of the innovations you can think of didn’t start with a clean piece of paper. Find a way to use existing things and make them better.
Rude Reality #3: Invention does not equal Innovation. Inventions are wonderful technical gizmos, but Innovations are powerful enough ideas that they change the way that people work and live. -Dean Kamen
|
The rest are here:
http://blog.van.fedex.com/dean-kamen-innovation
I think that a team that seeks to be original won't be not guaranteed that they are innovative. However their endeavor can still inspire other ideas.
In essences the topic is about the nature of inspiration: we take in knowledge and experiences from many sources including predicate devices, process it to make connections and create an ensemble of connections called an idea. Inspiration is a funny thing in our minds and it can come in so many forms. sometimes inspiration leads to copying, all the connections point to copying being the best idea.
so the question for copying is moral. That is a personal choice for many people. Why is copying bad in education, because it denies one connections forged through education. Choosing not to be influence by another idea to avoid copying is the same thing, one is choosing to deny potential connections to create ideas. To me copying homework and choosing to not to copy an innovative design are the same thing, your keeping your mind close.