Invention and innovation : a brief history of hype and failure
(Book)

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Published
Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, [2023].
Physical Desc
219 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Status
Northwest Reno Library - Adult Nonfiction - New Arrivals Shelf
600 SMIL 2023
1 available

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Northwest Reno Library - Adult Nonfiction - New Arrivals Shelf600 SMIL 2023On Shelf
Northwest Reno Library - Adult Nonfiction - New Arrivals Shelf600 SMIL 2023Checked OutApril 5, 2024

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Published
Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, [2023].
Format
Book
Language
English

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 185-207) and index.
Description
"Smil presents the long history and modern infatuation with invention and innovation. Meticulous as always, these vast realms of human ingenuity are organized into sensible categories: inventions that went from welcome to undesirable, inventions that dominate and missed the mark, inventions we still dream about, and lastly, the exaggerations, myths, and wise expectations for innovations we need most"--,Provided by publisher.
Description
"From the New York Times-bestselling author, a new volume on the history of human ingenuity—and its attendant breakthroughs and busts. The world is never finished catching up with Vaclav Smil. In his latest and perhaps most readable book, Invention and Innovation, the prolific author—a favorite of Bill Gates—pens an insightful and fact-filled jaunt through the history of human invention. Impatient with the hype that so often accompanies innovation, Smil offers in this book a clear-eyed corrective to the overpromises that accompany everything from new cures for diseases to AI. He reminds us that even after we go quite far along the invention-development-application trajectory, we may never get anything real to deploy. Or worse, even after we have succeeded by introducing an invention, its future may be marked by underperformance, disappointment, demise, or outright harm. Drawing on his vast breadth of scientific and historical knowledge, Smil explains the difference between invention and innovation. He then looks at three different types of inventions. Inventions that failed to dominate as promised: Airships Nuclear fission Supersonic flight Inventions that turned disastrous: Leaded gasoline DDT Chlorofluorocarbons Inventions we have long been promised (and that would be highly beneficial): Travel in vacuum (hyperloop) Nitrogen-fixing cereals Nuclear fusion Finally, he offers a “wish list” of inventions that we most urgently need to confront the staggering challenges of the twenty-first century. Filled with engaging examples and pragmatic approaches, this book is a sobering account of the folly that so often attends human ingenuity—and how we can, and must, better align our expectations with reality."--,Provided by publisher.

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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Smil, V. (2023). Invention and innovation: a brief history of hype and failure . The MIT Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Smil, Vaclav. 2023. Invention and Innovation: A Brief History of Hype and Failure. The MIT Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Smil, Vaclav. Invention and Innovation: A Brief History of Hype and Failure The MIT Press, 2023.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Smil, Vaclav. Invention and Innovation: A Brief History of Hype and Failure The MIT Press, 2023.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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