Excerpt from: Anne Marsan
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| January 02, 2009 | | I recently rediscovered an article my father sent to me from a radiology journal that emphasizes the importance of individual creativity and perseverance when it comes to scientific and technological discoveries. The author's primary point is as relevant to computer science and engineering as it is to radiology: Advances may come from a single individual -- often young, often working alone, often with limited resources, often not at what's considered a premier institution -- who perseveres in the face of the conventional wisdom. It's the idea that counts. (Meyers, M. A.; American Journal of Roentgenology, March 2008, pp. 561-564.) The author gives lots of humorous examples from medicine in which the establishment initially rejected history-changing breakthroughs such as the discovery of X-rays and the bacterium that causes peptic ulcers. To me, the article was a reminder that what companies and universities can best do to foster innovation is to provide us with the time and space in which to explore new ideas. SRT does this by giving all of its employees time each week for learning and exploration. They make it a part of the job description and review process, to make sure that we take our RECESS time (as one of my colleagues calls it) seriously. We don't always need a big budget to come up with something new and cool (as the computer industry has proven time and time again), but an environment that encourages discovery and learning definitely does help. | |
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