Cool Science

A long time ago I somehow managed to get into an email conversation with a consultant for an american motor company. I have no idea how - it was totally random. We had recently bought a Chevy Malibu - it was about 5 years ago plus or minus. Chevy was bragging about the driver side drink-holder: it was in fact the first of its kind. Toyota was bragging about hybrid technology; also the first of its kind. Ford was bragging about the horsepower and size of the Explorer. Honda was bragging about hybrid technology. A long time ago -we're talking Clinton here- I pointed out to this consultant that Chevy's idea that a drink hoder was innovation was nonsense. As I remember he continued to point out that the driver side drink holder was the first of its kind. Fast forward to today - Ford and Chevy are on the ropes. Toyota and Honda are surging.

Everybody cashed in on the SUV craze, especially Toyota. But when cash was flowing, did Ford and Chevy try to innovate a next generation of products for the future? It doesn't look like it. The mistake was to substitute marketing for innovation. The cup holder is a genius marketing idea - I actually liked it - but you can't innovate without science and technology. Toyota and Honda divorced themselves of their SUV dependency faster and dug themselves out with hybrid technology.

We have become the marketing generation in America. But marketing can never substitute science and technology when it comes to innovation. So here's my own " Hints to Inventors" : stick to science and technology - there's always room for new ideas that can transform our society for the better by addressing crucial national needs (like lower fuel dependency). And science is the key to true innovation, the kind of innovation that can save a company. I've been sitting on one idea for a long time - maybe it's time to give it a go.

Oh, we replaced our Malibu with a newer model. Our new Malibu doesn't have the cup holder and I actually miss it.