Let me talk more about the Indian perspective as i don't have much knowledge on other Asian counterpart. When things comes about India we take pride on invention of Zero, Algebra, some quardatic equation, trignometry. We have mathematics in our gene for sure ;). But all these things happens in some hundreds of year BC. That is when India was rich and prosperous and one of the earlier civilization exist that we know of. We had world famous univerisy (Nalanda) which was demolished by Moughals. So the country was under intruder infulence from 800 to 1900 for almost 100 odd years by the moughals and British followed by poor political vision which made the country further poor. Since years it is fighting to come over that phase. So all these years we are deprived from the basic need of food, cloth and shelter. Till to date there is a huge chunk of people still under proverty line. So a man having no food can't think of Innovation which certainly took birth from the need. Need that doesn't belong to food, cloth and shelter. So one might argue that what about now. When there is a bunch of people in so called middle class why there is no innovation? Question is valid. Now we are in the phase of transformation of poor to not-so-reach. So our mentality is still around focusing on the three basic needs and then securing the three needs for the rest of our lives. So we follow the path of our peers who successfully did the same thing as our inspiration. The inspiration that were budding during our school days to become a Newton end up mugging his formula and jotting down on the exam paper. Everyone did so we followed. Probably that is the reason why Innovation never comes to forefront. Till now.
I remember when i joined Enginnering the idea i was toying around is to make water as fuel. Excited about the fact i was explaining my father how water can be dissociated to Hydrogen and Oxygen, one is combustible and another is a supporter of combustion. The reponse was,
"don't run after all these, make sure you get good grades on your exam".
I don't blame him if i didn't go further as my analysis were never encouraging (Mathematically) nor did i pursue it further. Just wondering if water can be turned to fuel, all the shaiks of Saudi will be dishwasher around the globe for sure :)
So the basic motive of all the education is to ensure future and three basic needs and few luxury stuff during the process. So there is definitely a connectione between poverty and innovation. To make my point further none of the early scientist are from poor family, even though all might not belong to affuluent family.
So the next paradox is about Middle-east. So called oil country. They are rich Yet no innovation? Then the answer is simple. They are rich by nature which is not attained by thriving to it. If you have more resource then your need (Heaven is such a place) you can't be innovative. If America is rich, its not because they are blessed in terms of natural resources, its because they are good businessman. And business demands to be innovative, searching for new opportunity, new market, new product to explore. To do that they have to innovate. One beautiful example is Beer. Beer taste good when served at certain termprature which forced the beer manufacturer to invent something that can make temp come down artificially. Commuting with spped and without muscle force someone (Henery Ford) to think of an alternative which leads to invention of Motor and when there is global demand for the same which evolve further invention that will increase production exponentially. So invention complement or compelled for other invention to take place in turn helps in growing the economy. So Middle east countries inspite of there being rich never have the need to invent.
So what next. So when the Asian countries (excluding Japan, I just thought this name to be excluded) transformed themselves from poor to not-so-rich to rich i am sure it will create a section of businessmen, rich people, not so hungry people to invent new stuff that lead the way to production, industrialization, and further invention. So the transition of the people happeinign in India, China and few other countries from the same region which will create the new set of innovators. Hopefully.
Probably things are changing in India. I am probably the person belong to the category asking, If India is growing, scientifically advanced then where is the Apple, Google or Viagra from India ? But the speaker clarified some of the fact. It gives me a feel we are not genetically any less, we are inching towards there. Remember we have 35 dollar tablet. yes, i know we can debate on user experience ;) Some invisible innovation.
Thanks for reading and watching. Please do comment if you like or otherwise.
