“Be courageous! Whatever setbacks America has encountered, it has always emerged as a stronger and more prosperous nation….Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith and go forward” Thomas Alva Edison
Sarah Miller Caldicott, the great grand niece of Thomas Edison, is on a mission to reignite the spirit of innovation that drove her uncle.
“He looked at what was needed in the world and how he could meet that need,” Caldicott told MyCentralNewJersey, in an article about her new ebook, What Would Thomas Edison Be Doing Today?”. ”He would look at important trends, the needs in society and the gaps, and how he could meet these needs.”
“He also applied what might be called ‘fanstastical’ thinking or thinking that might be borrowed from science fiction. He was not only inspired by Jules Verne and other science fiction writers, he also wrote science fiction. So then he was inspired by these fantastical ideas that pushed the boundaries of logic — that’s when innovation happens.”
We’re at a critical juncture in society, says Caldicott, that once again requires us to “dig deeply into our innovative DNA.” Check out Caldicott’s great TEDxPeachtree talk below for an inspiring look at Edison’s inventive process.
