How to think like Successful Inventors and Scientists


by Chris Leung - Date: 2007-02-15 - Word Count: 638 Share This!

Let me tell you a story about Dr. Finsen and the cat. Dr. Niels Ryberg Finsen is the famous "light cure" specialist who started to treat lupus (tuberculosis of the skin) with electric light in 1895. In 1903, he received the Nobel prize in medicine and physiology. One summer day, Dr. Finsen gazed outside his study window and saw a cat sunning itself on the roof of a shed. As he watched, the cat happened to rise and move a little in order to get out of the shadow cast by a house wall. A few minutes later, the cat moved again when the advancing sun lengthened the shadow. Amused and at the same time in a questioning mood, the scientist continued to watch the cat. A third, a fourth, and yet a fifth time he saw it change position to keep in the sunlight. He noted its attitude of complete relaxation, its evident feelings of contentment. The thought occurred to him "It must be that this cat is getting something out of the sunlight of great benefit to it. Would human beings get the same thing?" Thus, the story goes, Dr. Finsen began the studies that led to his Nobel prize winning "light cure."

It is a typical instance called "knowledge by chance" that has happened to many other famous scientists, such as Daguerre, Galileo, and Sir Isaac Newton. Probably thousands of other people had seen cats basking in the sun; Finsen is the only one who raised the practical question about a cat's passion for sunlight. Similarly it is with Newton and the falling apple, and Galileo and the swinging lamp. Chance alone is not sufficient to produce a scientific discovery or create an invention. Without an inquiring-minded observer, chance alone will never produce such a result.

One of the great blessings of childhood is the inquisitive mind. Children are discovering the world, without all of the preconceptions that exist in the adult mind. A child's parents are one of their main sources of information before they begin school, and the endless stream of questions can at times be difficult to endure along with all of the other responsibilities of adult life. If you are a parent, try not to stop your children from asking ¡§why?¡¨ all the time. This ¡§why?¡¨ attitude can help them to want to learn more and be more observant. It helps the development of their thinking process. At the same time, don't always answer the questions with answers. Encourage your child to think through the "why?" themselves.

You can also develop the same mindset as an adult. This mindset can lead to amazing professional opportunities as well as the scientific breakthroughs. Take a look at what people want and what companies are offering. If there is a gap in between, you might be able to find ways to close that gap. For instance, a company like Netflix changed the way many people rent movies. Companies like Paypal provide a service to enable online transactions more easily and securely. These companies found the un-met needs of the market and they fulfill those needs to great success.

I learned about this approach to thinking from Mr. H Addington Bruce in his book ¡§Self Development ¡V A Handbook for the Ambitious.¡¨ Mr. Bruce is the author of several books, including "The Riddle of Personality," and "Nerve Control and How to Gain It.". Mr. Bruce has written numerous articles and books about psychology specifically targeted to the lay reader. At a time when widespread differences existed between psychologists as to subject matter and methods of study, he cultivated a decidedly progressive image of psychology dominated by the concepts of the subconscious and power of suggestion.
For more information and to preview one of the chapters of ¡§Self Development ¡V A Handbook for the Ambitious.¡¨ go to http://www.successwinnerhandbook.com.

Related Tags: money, entrepreneur, thinking, success, business, innovative

Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

© The article above is copyrighted by it's author. You're allowed to distribute this work according to the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs license.
 

Recent articles in this category:



Most viewed articles in this category: