Infatuation with cleverness more than impact

Impact is equal to innovation capital multiplied by habitus and adoption

How do you assess the impact of an innovation? Consider which of these four innovations has made the greatest impact on mankind — invention of anaesthesia, synthesis of urea fertiliser, discovery of penicillin or internet/email. The answer depends on how greatly the innovation has been adopted and how much it has changed people’s lives. Popular reportage considers metrics such as research and development staff employed, technology expenditure, revenue from new products and the number of patents obtained.

Publicity amplifies the “wow” factor through breathless accounts of individual genius. Do you know of the genius who invented the internet/email? You don’t