Innovation comes in different forms. This discussion will cover the following: a) serendipity, which is discovering something excellent or useful when you are not seeking it, b) errors, which is finding innovation by mistake, c) exaptation, which represents innovation modifying, adding to, or repurposing an innovation to achieve something new.
The microwave is an
excellent example of serendipity. Copeland (2019) talked about the discovery of
H. pylori and its relationship to ulcers. The author describes the two main events
in a discovering process. The first event is the observation of bacteria in the
stomach, and the second event is the discovery of how to cultivate the bacteria
in the lab. Copeland (2019) mentioned that warren was not searching for
bacteria in the stomach when he discovered it. He discovered it while examining
gastric specimens with a microscope magnification strong enough to make bacteria
visible.
A good example of discovery
by error is penicillin. According to Donnelly (2012), Alexander Fleming discovered
penicillin after he left a pile of dirty Petri dishes at his workstation before
going on vacation. After Fleming returned from his vacation, while sorting
through the dirty petri dishes to salvage some of the dishes, he noticed an
area of a dish that was not covered in bacteria. He concluded that the mold had
blocked the bacteria from spreading and that he could use this discovery to
kill a wide range of bacteria. Thus, penicillin was discovered (Donnelly 2012).
A similar experience also happens in video games (fighting games) where you
mean to make a move and find a new one by mistake.
Exaptation happens a lot in the computer software industry.
An example is developers that will utilize the capability of one software to
create a new one that has a different purpose. An example is the Nmap tool that
is used in other software. In medicine as well, exaptation can be
considered typical because researchers can improve or modify known medications to
cure new diseases. Kastelle (2010) shared the example of GroundProbe, a radar
technology equipment that was intended to be used to locate underground pipes
and power cables turned out to have a lot more use, such as monitoring the
stability or rocks walls in mines (Kastelle 2010).
The discussion covered different types of innovations, such as serendipity,
error, and exaptation. The student shared some personal experiences related to
the various innovation topics and explains what these words mean the student’s
point of view.
Reference
Copeland, S. (2019). On serendipity in science:
discovery at the intersection of chance and wisdom. Synthese, 196(6),
2385-2406.
Donnelly, T. (2012). 9 Brilliant Inventions Made by
Mistake. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/tim-donnelly/brilliant-failures/9-inventions-made-by-mistake.html
Kastelle, K. (2010). Innovation through Exaptation.
Retrieved from https://timkastelle.org/blog/2010/05/innovation-through-exaptation/#:~:text=An%20example%20of%20exaptation%20is,complex%20structures%20come%20to%20exist.
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