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Can Inventiveness in Science Be Taught?
Physics

Can Inventiveness in Science Be Taught?

The case of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving

By Andrei Seryi

The global pact between science and society in the 21st century is much different than it was in the middle of the last century. Back then, science enjoyed access for decades to research funding in the pursuit of fundamental knowledge. This outpouring of investment in pure research was triggered by shocking and tantalising demonstrations of science’s might. Society is rightfully expect science be the driving force of technological innovation. This leads to the question: how can we invent more efficiently? And can the art of inventiveness be taught?

If anything is to be taught, especially art, we would naturally assume that it is best to be done during childhood. I recall an amusing personal story. When I was about ten years old–then, a big fan of magazines about technology for kids–I wrote a letter to the editors of the Junior Technicist magazine describing my invention. It was a car with electric engines including generators that would charge the batteries.

Today, this combination may inspire thoughts about hybrid cars. But at the time, the answer from the editors correctly pointed out that when I start learning physics at school, I will learn about the law of energy conservation and understand that my “car” would not run. Read more via @Euroscientist

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