
At risk of catching the dread disease of definitionitis (see blogpost, 27 October 2010), I think it’s useful to distinguish between some words that are commonly used and confused. For example…
Invention: is the application of creativity to solve a problem, usually involving technology of one sort or another.
Discovery: is usefully applied to productive new insights and new understandings.
Creativity: is the generation of new thinking, ideas that may be quite speculative in nature.
Innovation: is the process of turning new ideas into reality, making them happen. It usually involves problem-solving.
How am I doing?
