Where did all the eccentric inventors go? The men (and women) in sheds, the gadgets with flashing lights, the sense that the future was arriving one bizarre prototype at a time. In this episode of the Cognitive Engineering Podcast, the panel ask whether invention has become boring — or whether our idea of invention is simply out of date.

Starting with Tomorrow’s World, the Innovations catalogue and the golden age of gadgetry, the conversation moves into patents, capital intensity, incremental progress and the shift from lone inventors to teams, firms and platforms. Along the way, the hosts explore whether innovation has moved from atoms to bits, whether low-hanging fruit has already been picked, and why we might be surrounded by astonishing technology while feeling less excited than ever.

The episode closes with personal “inventions”, disappointing gadgets, and a reminder that creativity may be more democratised now than at any point in history — even if it no longer looks like a bearded professor wheeling something dangerous into a TV studio.

Topics covered

Tomorrow’s World, gadgets and the romance of invention
The myth of the lone inventor
Atoms vs bits: physical invention and software
What patent data actually shows about innovation
Capital intensity and “low-hanging fruit”
Incremental vs breakthrough innovation
Why batteries and concrete are more exciting than they sound
Democratisation of invention: GitHub, maker spaces and 3D printing
Falling costs and the invisibility of progress
Why technology might feel boring despite being extraordinary

Key ideas & moments

The heyday of individual inventors may have been the 19th century, not the 1980s
Most inventions today are still physical — just less visible
Incremental progress can be transformative without being dramatic
Cheap, abundant technology dulls our sense of wonder
Why invention may be everywhere, but invention stories are disappearing
Fraser’s dual-glasses “optical breakthrough” (and its controversial reception)

Contributors

Fraser McGruer
Nick Hare
Peter Coghill

About the podcast

The Cognitive Engineering Podcast explores decision-making, technology, creativity and complex systems through thoughtful, wide-ranging conversations. New episodes are released every week or two.

Links

For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- The Innovations Catalogue http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2957409.stm

- Decline of the Independent Inventor https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w11654/w11654.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

- The ‘bungling inventor’ trope https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BunglingInventor