Invention By Improvement

There are many inventions are not wholly new, but are improvements to existing products. As a matter of fact, many new inventions are not even attributable to a single moment or inventor, but to a succession of advancements made independently or in teams that lead to a product. Then as further advancements are made, the product is improved. This time line of development is at the root of the television invention, as well as the invention of the motorcycle, phone, and radio, among countless others.

Events that can be attributed towards the television invention actually began in 1831 when Joseph Henry and Michael Faraday work with electromagnetism brought about the beginning of electronic communication. Yet it wasn't until 1927 that Philo Farnsworth filed for a patent on the first complete electronic television system. And new innovations are still taking place today.

So next time you feel you need to think something up from scratch, think again. Build a better mousetrap instead.