It all started from a slow hunch

   It is a common belief that ideas of great innovations come from at the moment when a genius has the so-called 'eureka' moment. Charles Darwin himself wrote in his autobiography that he came up with his theory of natural selection when he was reading a book as usual. In addition, Wills Carrier, who invented the modern air-cooling system, described his eureka moment having seen the fog rolling in across the track when he was waiting for his train. Is it true that great ideas which lead to innovation just fall into the thoughts of genius at a sudden moment?

  

Steven Johnson, an American popular science author argues that it isn't true. In his new book <Where good idea come from> he tells about the shared patterns of the historic inventions including Darwinian evolution, the creation of YouTube, the London cholera epidemic, The Wire and much more. Having a closer look into these cases he found out a rucurring pattern they all shared. It was the 'slow hunch'. It refers to the long incubation period until the ideas are completed. This notion contradicts with the common belief of the eureka moment.

  

A great idea didn't appear in a sudden moment rather it was a result of accumulated hunches that were in the great thinkers mind. Since people want to hear about dramatic things, they are fascinated by the eureka moment. Every great thinkers had slow hunches in their mind. It had remained as an ordinary idea until they found the missing piece of their great ideas. Charles Darwins and Willis Carrier had the whole concept of their great ideas months and months ago when they allegedly had their eureka moment. This shows that ideas do not come from a sudden moment but from a collaborative process.

   What Mr.Johnson also emphasize is the notion of 'adjacent possible'. He argues that invention is dependent on the right circumstances. YouTube, which has changed our Internet media since it's launch in 2005, would have been a failure, if it had come out in 1995, when people used modem system and video cameras with extremely low resolution. Therefore, it can be said that good ideas have relative values regard to the environment.

Then, what can we learn from these theory and how can we apply them to our real life? I came up with ideas that we can follow.

   First, 'cultivate hunches'.

It means that you should consistently think. However, taken the notion of 'adjacent possible' into consideration. you should make sure that what we think is related to our own particular environment. Otherwise it won't appeal to other people. In addition, whether you think it is a bad idea or good idea, you should write everything down, because it could be the last missing piece of your great idea.

   Second, take on multiple hobbies.

It is important to have a multiple hobbies because the more activities you do, the more various information you will have. From these various information you can extend your ideas that you have wrote down on your notebook. This is the collaborative process, which are found in great innovations in the past. The multiple hobbies includes every kind of activity; reading books, doing art, physical activities , surfing the Internet and etc. Among these activities, I want to stress the Internet surfing especially, because Internet in itself is a system consisting of connections which means you can have almost every information that can enrich your ideas.

   Finally, find the missing part of your idea.

In order to complete your idea you should meet various people and talk about your idea. It would be more conducive if you meet people who have different backgrounds from yourself. By having conversation to those people, you are likely to break out of the box and might found the missing piece. Let them build on your ideas and then borrow it, recycle it and reinvent it.