The Macroscience Podcast
Metascience 101 - EP8: "Invention vs. Diffusion"
Oct 29, 2024
Derek Thompson, a journalist at The Atlantic, teams up with Eli Dourado, an economist at the Center for Growth and Opportunity. They dive into the challenges surrounding the diffusion of new ideas versus invention. Is it getting harder to find innovative concepts? They discuss how crises can catalyze effective implementation and the significance of navigating obstacles to scientific breakthroughs. Additionally, they analyze the importance of equitable development in technology and the need for innovative approaches to drug approvals.
38:48
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Quick takeaways
- The podcast highlights that while inventing new ideas is essential, effective implementation strategies and cultural shifts are crucial for actualizing progress.
- The discussion emphasizes that crises can serve as catalysts for rapid innovation, revealing the need for proactive approaches in non-crisis scenarios to drive change.
Deep dives
The Challenge of Finding New Ideas
The podcast discusses the increasing difficulty of discovering new ideas and scientific breakthroughs, a phenomenon often attributed to the so-called 'knowledge burden.' For example, advancements in genetics now require extensive collaboration and complex studies, making it harder for individual researchers to make significant contributions. Eli Dorado suggests that this perception may stem from a narrow focus on economic models that primarily emphasize ideas as static entities rather than recognizing the dynamic and multifaceted nature of how these ideas are actually implemented. He emphasizes that broader cultural and bureaucratic factors are also at play, complicating the landscape for innovation and implementation.
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