TED SAKARYA COLLEGE / 10-A
The
COMMITTED
Two Faces of Innovation
Umut MEMİGÜVEN
Innovation is like sculpting an infinitely large block of marble. The starting point can be defined as the first step of humanity or a new branch in a completely unknown topic.
But regardless of where its starts, the shaping of the marble begins. This process shapes the marble by any means. It can be both destructive and constructive. They both exist at the same time. This coexistence is necessary for continuity. An old idea must be sacrificed for the marble to take shape, and therefore, the loss forms a new part.
A great example of this concept is the invention of the automobile. The first idea of the automobile goes back to the 15th century with Da Vinci’ s designs for transport vehicles. However, the widely accepted invention of the commercial automobile is Carl Benz’ s three-wheeled Benz Patent Motorwagen. It cannot actually be called a true invention because it wasn’ t the first gasoline-powered car. What made it so influential was its innovation. This demonstrates that simply inventing an idea is not enough; it must also be commercialized. This is the fine line that separates invention from innovation.
As I stated, innovation is both destructive and constructive. Up to now, the constructive part of innovation has been discussed, but what about the destructive side?
The destructive side of innovation changed how we transport everything. Before cars, there were horses; however, with the invention of cars, even within the first ten years, horses were nowhere to be found in cities. Today, we ride horses as a hobby.
In conclusion, innovation has shaped society— from how we determine work hours to how we plan holidays and how we urbanize. Society is nowhere near the state it was in 100 years ago.