[Wayne TenBrink]

"You didn't build that" - Barack Obama

We all stand on the shoulders of giants. None of us invented the wheel or Polycarbonate. However, that doesn't downplay the value of the smallest invention, innovation, act of creativity, or plain old hard work. Most people that stand on the shoulders of giants just sit back and enjoy the view. Few are inclined or able to build on what they started with.

There is a difference between "copying" and "innovating". If an idea or relationship is so obscure or remote that we can't even trace it back to its origin, then there is a good chance that some innovation may have been involved. Perhaps not so much if it is something you saw on Youtube yesterday.

FIRST is not about building robots. It is about building thinkers and problem solvers. Even though we often use other peoples ideas or products (our robot is full of stuff from Vex, AM, and Banebots), I still think it is important to encourage "original thought".