Dr. Aly, O.
Computer Science
Innovation can refer to a successful novel variant, a novel variant, or any variant (Buchanan, 2013). It can also refer to the ideas underlying an invention or its first implementation (Buchanan, 2013). Innovation can also refer to both the process by which variants are generated and the product (Buchanan, 2013). Innovation introduces new cultural variation into the population through copying error, novel invention, refinement, recombination, and exaptation (Buchanan, 2013). Thus, innovation is not a synonym of variation, as the variation entails a broader category which encompasses diverse forms only some of which are novel (Buchanan, 2013).
Game-changing ideas are the “transformational magic” which takes the organizations from ordinary to exceptional (Myatt, 2012). Game changers focus on pursuing a game-changing idea (Myatt, 2012). They never get satisfied with the ordinary or mundane (Myatt, 2012). They are described as relentless, persistent, committed to pursuing that idea that is hunting them (Myatt, 2012). Moreover, the game changers are originals, and they refuse to allow their organizations to adopt conventional orthodoxy and bureaucracy (Myatt, 2012). They challenge the norm, break the conventions, and encourage diversity of thoughts (Myatt, 2012). They have a clear purpose, and they understand the value of serving something beyond themselves (Myatt, 2012). In (Myatt, 2012), six steps called SMARTS for finding and implementing game-changing ideas; Simple-Meaningful-Actionable-Relational-Transformational-Scalable (Myatt, 2012).
Every game-changing ideas and innovation have driving forces that either supported them or were against them. The driving force is described by (Wade, 2012) as “something with the potential to bring about significant change in the future.” Some of the driving forces include uncertainty, potential impact, stability, risks, benefits, culture (Wade, 2012).
The historical and technological records contain various and numerous examples of innovation (Buchanan, 2013). Some of these innovations were accidental. Some of these accidental inventions include the microwave, Saccharin, Slinky, Play-Doh, Super Glue, Teflon, Bakelite, Pacemaker, Velcro, X-Rays, Stainless Steel, Plastic, Teflon, Corn Flakes (Biddle, 2010; Cyran, 2012). The discussion in this project is limited to two of these accidental inventions, and the driving forces that supported them. The driving forces can be culture, religion, technical complexity, technology and so forth.
- Pacemaker
In 1959, the engineer Wilson Greatbatch and the cardiologist Chardack developed the first fully implantable pacemaker (Haddad & Serdijn, 2009). The accidental innovation of the pacemaker happened when Greatbatch took 1-megaohm variety instead of picking a 10,000-ohm resistor out of a box to use on a heart-recording prototype (Biddle, 2010). The resulting circuit produced a signal which sounded for 1.8 milliseconds, and then paused for a second – a dead ringer for the human heart (Biddle, 2010). Greatbatch realized that the precise current of the resulting circuit could regulate a pulse, overriding the imperfect heartbeat of the person who has an issue with the heartbeat (Biddle, 2010). The pacemaker before this accidental innovation was large and was attached to the person from the outside. However, after this accidental innovation, the effect of the resulting circuit can lead to a small circuit which can be implanted into the person’s heart (Biddle, 2010). Pacemakers have become smaller and lighter over the years (Haddad & Serdijn, 2009).
The pacemaker evolved with time. The complexity and reliability in the modern pacemaker have increased because of the developments in the integrated circuit design (Haddad & Serdijn, 2009). For instance, the early pacemakers did not have the capability of electrogram sensing pacing the ventricles asynchronously (Haddad & Serdijn, 2009). However, the modern devices, called “demand mode pacemakers,” included a sense amplifier measuring cardiac activity, thereby avoiding competition between paced and intrinsic rhythms (Haddad & Serdijn, 2009). The demand pacemaker functional block involves power source, a sense amplifier, timing control, output driver, and electrode, while the earlier pacemaker functional block involved only power source, pulse generator and electrodes (Haddad & Serdijn, 2009).
Since pacing stimuli were only delivered when needed, longevity increase by the introduction of demand pacemakers (Haddad & Serdijn, 2009). In 1963, the pacemakers were introduced to have the capability to synchronize ventricular stimuli to a trial activation (Haddad & Serdijn, 2009). Since that time, the clinical, surgical and technological developments have proceeded at a significant pace providing the highly reliable, extensive therapeutic and diagnostic devices that are available today (Haddad & Serdijn, 2009). Today, the modern pacemaker technologies are extremely complex and include an analog part, comprising the sense amplifier and a pacing output state, and a digital part consisting of a microcontroller, and some memory, implementing diagnostic analysis of sensed electrograms, adaptive rate response and device programmability (Haddad & Serdijn, 2009).
- X-Ray
In 1895, the German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen was performing a routine experiment involving cathode rays (Biddle, 2010; Cyran, 2012; NASA, n.d.). He observed that a piece of fluorescent cardboard was lighting up from across the room (Biddle, 2010; NASA, n.d.). A thick screen was placed between his cathode emitter and the radiated cardboard, demonstrating that particles of light passed through a solid object (Biddle, 2010). He discovered it through arms and hands created detailed images of the bones inside (NASA, n.d.). He experimented with cathode-ray tubes. Glass tubes with the air sucked out and a special gas pumped in (Cyran, 2012). When he ran the electricity through the gas, the tube would glow. However, something strange happened after he surrounded the tube with blackboard. When he turned on the machine, a chemical few feet away started to glow (Cyran, 2012). He was surprised because the cardboard should have prevented any light from escaping (Cyran, 2012). He found out that cathode-ray tube had been sending out more than just visible light (Cyran, 2012). It was sending out invisible rays which could pass right through paper, wood, and even skin (Cyran, 2012). He captured X-Ray images, and the first of the skeletal images was his wife’s hand (Biddle, 2010; Cyran, 2012; NASA, n.d.).
X-Rays have much higher energy and much shorter wavelength than the ultraviolet light. Scientists refer to X-Rays regarding their energy instead of their wavelength, because they have very small wavelengths, and some of them are no bigger than a single atom of many elements (NASA, n.d.). Due to the benefits of the X-Rays, they have been used in many domains such as dental, any part of our body, and even the universe (NASA, n.d.). In the area of radiography, X-Rays have used on dental, chest, mammography which is recommended for early detection of breast cancer. These tests utilize short bursts of X-Ray beams and post little risk (NRPB, n.d.). X-Rays benefit extended to fluoroscopy a technique that uses X-Rays to produce a moving image on a TV screen. More sophisticated method of using X-Rays is found in the computed tomography (CT) scan to produce 3-D pictures of the patients (NRPB, n.d.). Although X-Rays provided many benefits to our lives, they expose some risks as they are a form of electromagnetic radiation, just like light waves and radio waves (NRPB, n.d.). X-Rays can cause damage to cells in the body, which in turn can increase the risk of developing cancer with the increasing number of X-Rays tests (NRPB, n.d.).
In
summary, game-changing ideas and innovation can also be accidental. The key success factor and forces for any
innovation and game-changing ideas rely heavily on the person to process
persistently, patiently, wisely with great commitment to go against the
conventional and the traditional process and be bold. Game changer leaders have
these common attributes which make them game changers, leaders, and
innovators.
References
Biddle, S. (2010). Whoops! The 10 Greatest (Accidental) Inventions of All Time. Retrieved from https://gizmodo.com/5620910/whoops-the-10-greatest-accidental-inventions-of-all-time.
Buchanan, B. (2013). Alex Mesoudi, Kevin N. Laland, Robert Boyd, Briggs Buchanan, Emma Flynn, Robert N. McCauley, Jürgen Renn, Victoria Reyes-García, Stephen Shennan, Dietrich Stout, and Claudio Tennie. Cultural Evolution: Society, Technology, Language, and Religion, 193.
Cyran, P. (2012). The 20 Most Fascinating Accidental Inventions. Retrieved from https://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2012/1005/The-20-most-fascinating-accidental-inventions/X-ray-images.
Haddad, S. A. P., & Serdijn, W. A. (2009). Ultra-low-power biomedical signal processing: an analog wavelet filter approach for pacemakers: Springer Science & Business Media.
Myatt, M. (2012). 6 Steps for Creating a Game Changer. Retrieved January 30, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/10/10/how-great-leaders-create-game-changers/#43ee8019558b, Forbes.
NASA. (n.d.). X-Rays. NASA, Retrieved January 30, 2018, from https://web.archive.org/web/20121122024930/http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/11_xrays.html.
NRPB. (n.d.). X-Rays – Benefits and Risks. National Radiological Protection Board, Retrieved January 30, 2018, from http://www.radiology.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/X-Rays-Benefits-and-Risks.pdf.
Wade, W. (2012). Scenario planning: A field guide to the future: John Wiley & Sons.
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