Tuesday, May 21

Tag: innovation

Here’s How Technology Innovation Gives Government Leverage To Drive Down Emissions Fast
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ENVIRONMENT

Here’s How Technology Innovation Gives Government Leverage To Drive Down Emissions Fast

To avert the worst effects of climate change, global greenhouse gas emissions should fall at faster rates than they have risen for over a century. Economies must essentially turn on a dime and then move quickly toward a carbon-free future. In the U.S., the Biden-Harris administration has recommitted the country to this goal and recently announced plans for major investments in clean energy infrastructure and research. To succeed, they should use their most powerful tool for amplifying the benefits of each investment: technology innovation. As my research on technology innovation shows, government policies can kick off fast progress. The examples of solar energy, wind energy and lithium-ion batteries show how the process works. All three technologies improved at exponential rates alongsid...
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It’s Designed To Encourage But The Patent System Often Stifles Innovation
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BUSINESS

It’s Designed To Encourage But The Patent System Often Stifles Innovation

Over his career Thomas Edison garnered more U.S. patents than anyone in his time. Edison profited from his patents, but he was also exposed to the dark side of the patent system. He had to contend with lawsuits by other patentees who sought – and sometimes won – a piece of his success. While the patent system is designed to spur innovation like Edison’s, it also hampers it. Easy copying and imitation discourage innovation, because why make the effort if someone else will profit from it? The patent system works by enabling inventors to block unauthorized use of patented technology. Most technologies are developed by many inventors over many years, a process called “cumulative” innovation. Too often, however, early inventors get a patent on a small and perhaps insignificant piece of the te...
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In The US Intense Scrutiny Of Chinese-Born Researchers Threatens Innovation
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TECHNOLOGY

In The US Intense Scrutiny Of Chinese-Born Researchers Threatens Innovation

The arrest of MIT engineering professor Gang Chen on Jan. 14 has drawn attention to the role of China in U.S. science and technology system. It’s not the first time suspicions have fallen on a Chinese-born scientist – Chen is a naturalized U.S. citizen – for work they conduct openly in the United States. The charges against Gang Chen – wire fraud, failing to report a foreign bank account and a false statement on a tax return – stem from failing to disclose Chinese funding for his research. MIT called the allegations “distressing,” and the school’s president and 100 faculty members are defending a Chinese university’s investment in MIT research. No evidence of spying has been made public, but a Department of Justice criminal complaint expressed suspicions that Chen’s loyalty may not be ali...
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How the Civil War drove medical innovation – and the pandemic could, too
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COVID-19, HEALTH & WELLNESS

How the Civil War drove medical innovation – and the pandemic could, too

The current COVID-19 pandemic, the largest public health crisis in a century, threatens the health of people across the globe. The U.S. has had the most diagnosed cases – surpassing 6 million – and more than 180,000 deaths. But six months into the pandemic, the U.S. still faces shortages of personal protective equipment for both front-line medical workers and the general public. There is also great need for widely available inexpensive, rapid tests; the infrastructure to administer them; and most importantly, safe, effective vaccines. Moving forward, medical innovation can play a substantial role in controlling and preventing infection – and treating those who have contracted the virus. But what’s the best way to catalyze and accelerate public health developments? Research and history sh...
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When states pass social liberalization laws, they create regional advantages for innovation
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POLITICS

When states pass social liberalization laws, they create regional advantages for innovation

What conditions lead to world-changing innovation? It’s an important question for business and government leaders. Contrary to the traditional notion of the solitary scientist, new products, services and technologies are rarely conceived by a single person. Instead, they’re developed and refined through feedback from colleagues, end users and collaborators. So it’s not surprising that characteristics of the social context can influence innovation. But how can you create the social context that facilitates innovation? My collaborator and I zeroed in on the idea of looking at social liberalization policies – laws like those that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, for instance – as a measure for a more open and diverse social environment. We found that states that impleme...
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