InnoCentive Innovation Blog

Jon A. Fredrickson – Vice President, Chief Innovation Officer

When we think of how things are invented and how discoveries are made, we tend to picture scientists toiling away in a laboratory, endless creating and meticulously testing their products until they get it right. We think of Ben Franklin and his hundreds of ways to not create a lightbulb. But innovation, invention and discovery are not always intentional. They aren’t always the result of hours of research, development and testing.

The planet's average surface temperature has risen about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century, Antarctica has lost about 119 billion tons of ice from 1993 and 2016, and Global sea levels have rose about 8 inches in the last century. These are just a few of the effects of climate change highlighted by NASA. In addition to rising temperatures and sea levels, researchers have also noted increases in extreme weather events, which include heat waves, drought, heavy rain, flooding, hurricanes and other severe storms. 

With a population of over 7.5 billion, there is no force on this planet more powerful than the human race. When enough people ban together, anything can happen; there is no problem that cannot be solved, and no task that cannot be accomplished.