Inventing Invention

The two-story wooden framed building was lit by the soft glow of gas lamps—ironic, given who was in charge. The small team huddled around a cluttered workbench was focused and intense, their movements deliberate, as they toiled over their latest endeavor.

The goal of this machine was so audacious as to be almost comical, but it turned out to work. It could record sounds, then recreate them. Like Prometheus stealing fire from the gods, this machine stole sounds from nature and kept them for you to play back whenever you felt like it.

The ground floor of the building was clearly designed more for utility than aesthetics, with a wide open central room, where tinkerers and thinkers could work in a shared space. Large windows punctuated its walls, allowing natural light to flood the interior during the day, creating an environment conducive to meticulous work and study.

The workshop was cluttered, but there was an underlying method to the madness. Workbenches cluttered with prototypes, gears, and wires were everywhere, but shelves and cabinets provided a sense of order.

The exterior of the building was unadorned, save for a single sign that read "Edison’s Menlo Park Laboratory." It was here, in this unpretentious setting, that Thomas Edison and his team challenged the known limits of science and technology, forging inventions that would leave an indelible mark on the world.

In every sense, Menlo Park was more than just a physical space. It was a symbol of the era’s burgeoning spirit of innovation, a crucible where ideas were not only conceived but also brought to life through sheer determination and ingenuity.

It wasn’t just the phonograph, either. Menlo Park also saw the invention of a light bulb that worked, utterly transforming the entire world within decades.

William Dickson, one of Edison’s assistants, invented a motion picture camera that worked in 1890.

Menlo Park also saw the invention of the electric pen, the alkaline storage battery, and the mimeograph, just to name a few of the world-changing innovations produced in this environment.

But what was so different about Menlo Park? Why did all of this happen here? To answer this, let’s look at other hotbeds of invention and innovation.

In the heart of Renaissance Italy, Leonardo da Vinci's workshop was a melting pot of art, science, and engineering. Leonardo's relentless curiosity and diverse interests led him to become a polymath’s polymath. He and his team designed a helicopter, gliding machines, and ridiculously accurate anatomical drawings.

Art and science coalesced in an environment that fostered creative thinking.

Similarly, Baghdad was an unrivaled center for the study of humanities and sciences during the Islamic Golden Age. The “House of Wisdom” may or may not have been a physical place, but the culture centered around Baghdad saw unrivaled advancements in mathematics, astronomy, and medicine, among many other things.

Ideas from all over Eurasia and Africa coalesced and comingled to create a ripe environment for discovery and innovation. A thousand years ago, there was no place more innovative.

China has had more than one moment in the sun, but most notably, the Tang dynasty gave us woodblock printing, movable type, gunpowder, and the compass. China’s long history has seen several inward-looking periods, but the Tang dynasty was open, and traded with its neighbors. Inevitably, ideas were also exchanged, leading to some amazing inventions that it’s hard to imagine living without.

And, of course, there’s Ancient Athens. Democracy, the analog computer, the gear, the screw, and even steam power. Their innovations in philosophy and mathematics are well known and regarded. Because they valued intellectual discussion and philosophy so highly, their Roman neighbors often derided the Athenians for what they perceived as wasting time.

Genius was palpably present in historic centers of innovation, but perhaps it wasn’t the right mix.

Here’s what Edison famously had to say about the concept:

Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.

One really notable thing about Edison’s invention factory at Menlo Park: it was probably closer to a mechanic’s workshop than a place of academic study. It’s not that intellectual ideas or information weren’t highly prized—without the scientific understanding of electromagnetism and other important, relevant fields, few of Edison’s inventions would have been possible.

Instead, it’s more that the tinkering aspect was encouraged.

It was great to have an idea about something, but it was meaningless unless it was put into practice, and so folks would often make discoveries by experimenting with different gadgets or materials, simply by observing what happened and then writing it down.

What Edison and his crew ultimately did was to systematize invention. Instead of a bunch of random discoveries happening, there was a process for invention. It involved a ninety-nine to one ratio of innovation (coming up with the idea) to perspiration (tinkering).

And, while ancient Athens fostered philosophical ideas and thinking, Menlo Park emphasized what came next. While Leonardo’s inventions were astounding, he wasn’t able to bring most of them to fruition (and some would take centuries to become reality).

By turning the process itself into a more specifically identified endeavor, Edison’s invention factory set the stage for later innovation.

At Menlo Park, Edison didn't just invent; he reinvented the very concept of invention. By making it possible to replicate the initial conditions of other inventions—one percent idea, 99 percent tinkering—his team fostered an environment where tinkering and practical experimentation were as valued as intellectual ideas.

Edison’s legacy is tarnished by his human nature. He was ambitious and controlling, and most famously used Nikola Tesla’s ideas without giving the man credit for them.

Yet his contributions to the world are profound, and not just in the devices and technologies he brought into existence, but in the methodical approach to innovation that has become a cornerstone of our technological world. Today’s most innovative companies and teams continue to walk in the footsteps of Edison's groundbreaking vision, systematizing creativity to turn the sparks of imagination into the fires of progress.

What are some other historical hotbeds for innovation? What’s a hotbed of innovation today?