RH: Why US produces few IDEAs but many Gizmos, thus bad for world

From: Robert Ho (ho3@pacific.net.sg)
Subject: RH: Why US produces few IDEAS but many GIZMOS, thus bad for world
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Newsgroups: soc.culture.singapore
Date: 2003-04-29 09:30:49 PST


RH: At the dawn of the industrial age, probably a few hundred years
ago, manufacturing was not even a term widely used or understood.
There was little 'manufacturing' capability and what there was, was
primitive by today's standards. Manufactured gizmos were crude and
simple and only a few steps up from the basic human hand work.

In those circumstances, it made sense to encourage invention, by that
I mean, the thinking up of gizmos that made work easier or that solved
a problem.

So, patent laws were legislated that gave a monopoly of about a dozen
years to the inventor to commercially exploit his invention, in making
and selling his gizmo.

It worked and led to a great many inventions. It led to manufacturing,
then mass production, then mass consumption, then to the modern
industrialised world we know today.

In fact, it worked so well that if you were to surf through the patent
office of say, the US, (USPTO), you will find such a vast number of
'inventions' that you could spend years just exploring a small section
of it. But don't waste your time because the vast majority of these
'inventions' are just that -- a waste of time. Most are useless or
solve such obscure problems that they could never be commercially
exploited.

But today, this 'invention of gizmo' culture is bad for the world and
even the US.

Why? Isn't invention good? Aren't inventors ingenious, if not genius?

The answer is no. Not in today's world.

Because the few inventions (of gizmos) frequently brought riches to
inventors or the companies that engaged in the research to invent
them, the entire culture of PROBLEM-SOLVING became skewed towards
GIZMOS instead of IDEAS.

I have in other threads in soc.culture.singapore pointed out that
nowadays, whenever the world, especially the Americans, is faced with
a problem, THEY DO NOT TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM BY THINKING UP IDEAS.
INSTEAD, THEY THROW VAST MONEY AT THE PROBLEM BY DEVELOPING A GIZMO TO
TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

I have called this the American Approach (AA) or the Stupid Approach
or the Thomas Edison Approach, which consisting of 99% perspiration
and 1% inspiration, IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF GENIUS.

Thus, when an American or American company is faced with a problem,
he/it gathers money to develop a gizmo to try to solve the problem.
Along the way, he/it has to pay off the patent drafters, the patent
lawyers, the patent fees, then find investors to invest in the gizmo,
if lucky, he/it is then loaned the money to build prototypes and go
into pilot production, then mass production, then transport and
distribution, and marketing -- and along this tortuous path, many,
many services are employed ALL OF WHICH MAKES THE GIZMO A VERY
EXPENSIVE WAY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

Since, currently, this is the only way a problem-solver can make
money, this thus becomes the world's approach, not just the stupid
American's. BUT IT MEANS THAT PROBLEMS CAN ONLY BE SOLVED WITH MONEY
AND GIZMOS. THERE IS THUS NO ROOM FOR IDEAS THAT MAY SOLVE THAT
PROBLEM WITHOUT THE COSTLY GIZMO. VERY OFTEN, AN IDEA OR IDEAS CAN
SOLVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITHOUT ANY NEED FOR A COSTLY GIZMO, SOMETIMES
BY SIMPLY USING EXISTING GADGETS OR SIMPLE ADAPTATIONS OF EXISTING
GADGETS. IDEAS OFTEN USE EXISTING TECHNOLOGY BUT THE AMERICAN APPROACH
IS ALWAYS TO DEVELOP A NEW ONE, WHICH IS VASTLY MORE EXPENSIVE.

Thus, in today's world, when America wants a solution to a problem, it
is always an expensive one, involving the development of a new gizmo.
This makes solutions to problems very costly. Not just America, but
the world, too, has to pay for all this costly ways of solving
problems, since frequently, the world needs to solve the same
problems, too.

My point? Coming to my point, in today's world, as structured, ideas
cannot be patented and therefore make money. Thus, there is no
incentive to think up ideas to solve problems. On the other hand,
gizmos can be patented and make money. So, although devoping gizmos is
very expensive, as we have seen, it has become the only way forward.
The only way to solve the world's myriad problems.

This expensive way to solve problems may be all right fot the US,
which is rich, but is bad for the rest of the world, especially the
poor countries. Thus, there is a crying need to encourage ideas,
ingenuity, problem-solving that does not require developing expensive
gizmos. Perhaps, a fund to pay problem-solvers whose ideas are adopted
and proven effective, may help.

Also, patent laws and their effects on invention, should be relooked.
Currently, these laws are all skewed towards physical gizmos, not
ideas. In the dawn of the industrial age, it was all right to
encourage the development of physical gizmos. The world needed those
then. Now, there are too many gizmos, many of which fail in the
marketplace and become forgotten, expensive failures. On the other
hand, ideas are few and far between. Thus, we need to encourage
problem-solving ideas and not gizmos.

Already, some countries, especially the poorer ones, have relooked at
international patent laws, especially patented drugs. Some countries
have deliberately 'broken' international patent laws on drugs in order
to thus make cheap copies of patented drugs for their sick and dying.
I stand neutral on this, not knowing enough of the issues. But it
cannot be bad to ease suffering and save lives. Clearly, some review
of patent laws must be done. Perhaps, the United Nations can lead on
this.

We also need a new culture. To break free from this AA or Stupid
Approach. To start people THINKING. And PROBLEM-SOLVING. Without
jumping into developing a gizmo first instead of as a last resort.
Thinking is hard and thinkers who come up with the ideas to solve
problems, especially world problems, deserve some money and
recognition. Otherwise, the AA will continue to dominate the world's
culture and the world will all be poorer for it.

Robert Ho
29 Apr 03
UK 1729 Singapore 0029

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