The Age of
Innovation
Fulfilling Our Wants and N eeds
The age of innovation will continue to flourish as long as there is a demand to fulfill basic
necessities. “It isn't all over; everything has not been invented; the human adventure is just
beginning” Gene Roddenberry
1
"Everything that can be invented has been invented” was the statement that U.S. patent
Commissioner, Charles H. Duell, proclaimed in 1899. This false accusation by Charles Duell
caused the U.S. Patent Office to temporarily close. As the dynamics of the world change, so will
the necessity for new ideas and innovation. The age of innovation will continue to flourish as
long as there is a demand to fulfill the needs that are essential to our existence. Those who
innovate, do so to solve economic, global, and social matters.
Innovation is initiated by those who are willing to quantify and finance consumers’ wants
and needs. Consumer demand often collides with a supply deficit. Currently, two major issues
the world faces are climate change and water shortages. Johnny Georges, a Florida farmer,
created a cone-shaped guard (Tree-T-Pee) that is positioned at the base of premature trees to
protect them from harsh climates. “Instead of using 10,000 gallons of water per tree per year
without the Tree-T-Pee, with it we are now using only 800 gallons per tree, per year and
watering more efficiently,” said Georges. Water shortages in Florida initiated Georges’ need to
create a more efficient and sustainable form of irrigation that preserved water. Simple
innovations such as the Tree-T-Pee are economical and play its role in revolutionizing
agriculture.
As the world becomes more aware that nonrenewable forms of energy are being depleted,
more innovations will be created to solve these issues. The only inexhaustible energy resource on
earth is the sun. Solar energy indirectly creates wind, hydropower, and biomass. Biomass is solar
energy that is converted to chemical energy and stored in living organisms. Eighty-two percent
of the earth’s commercial energy is produced through nonrenewable resources (fossil fuels and
nuclear power). Eighteen percent of the commercial energy used indirectly comes from the sun.
2
Innovations that harvest and provide alternative sources of energy will be efficient sources of
power that expand the lifespan of energy.
We now live in the most exciting time in human history for innovation. As we become
more technologically advanced, we expect to employ products that are not only effective but
efficient. Webster’s dictionary defines efficiency as the ability to do something or produce
something without wasting materials, time or energy. Socially, innovations such as social media
and application have allowed users to have global access. Social media is changing the way that
people connect with each other around the world. Education is more accessible than ever before.
Technological advancements give us leverage to fulfill our wants and needs. Some argue
that there will be a time when things that are created will become unbreakable and selfrepairable. Therefore, there will not be a need to produce anything else. However, no matter how
advanced society becomes, new technology can contain error, because technology responds to
the encryptions humans use. There are multiple products on today’s market that have been
reinvented multiple times to meet the needs of consumers. For example, first there was a corded
telephone. Then there was a cordless telephone. Cellular phones came next. Now we are in the
smart-phone era.
All things that can be created have not yet been created. Gene Roddenberry, screenwriter
and creator of the original Star Trek series said, “It isn't all over; everything has not been
invented; the human adventure is just beginning.” As former inventions become obsolete,
innovators will make new products to meet the demands of the current cultures. As long as there
are needs, innovation will advance society. The age of innovation will not come to a standstill. It
will progress and change with the world’s dynamics.
3
Work Cited
Bellis, Mary. "Appendix - Patent Office Gives Up On New Inventions." About.com Inventors.
About.com, 05 Mar. 2014. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
Flannigan, Will. "Tree-T-Pee." Farm and Dairy RSS. ABC News/Shark Tank, 17 Jan. 2014.
Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
Miller, Tyler G., Richard Brewer, and Scott Spoolman. Living in the Environment: Principles,
Connections, and Solutions. 16th ed. N.p.: Cengage Learning, 2008. Print.