Much of my over fifty-year career has been spent in research. This is where you try risky projects which are likely to fail with the hope that one will eventually succeed and give birth to a new revenue stream. Many see research as a glamorous occupation, until there is a layoff and only those with a direct connection to the bottom line survive. Methodically searching existing sources for new knowledge, interpretations and conclusions is essential for long term growth and survival, but today’s bills still must be paid.
The word “research” comes from the French “recherché” which means “carefully sought out.”
The Latin word “circare” (to go around) gave rise to the French “cerchier” (to search) - adding the prefix “re” leaves us with “to continue searching.” The noun form evolved to the modern notion of diligent, systematic searching. As an adjective, “recherché” came to mean rare, obscure, and avant-garde. The young woman in the photo above may or may not be a researcher, but she is looking very recherché.
Research does not just happen in secure labs where intellectual property is highly coveted and tightly guarded. We are all researchers in our own right, often experimenting with ideas to find better methods or sometimes just any workable solution. Anyone who has ever raised kids has diligently sought ways to calm a screaming baby at 3:00 am, potty train a stubborn toddler, or get a second mortgage to pay for childcare. As parents we may have job security, but today’s bills still must be paid.
One potential pitfall of research is “analysis paralysis” – fueled by the nagging fear that the most essential stone of all is being left unturned. My wife is afraid to tell me we need a new washing machine, knowing that after weeks of research and a large spreadsheet comparing tub size, energy consumption, customer ratings, price, etc., I will still struggle to make a choice.
The history of research includes some unforgettable successes along with many spectacular duds. Success is not only about maximizing revenue or creating billionaires – sometimes the good projects change the course of history in unforeseen ways.
Any list of the greatest inventions of all time will include the wheel and the printing press. The wheel is straightforward to imagine, but it took the Sumerians many years to reduce the concept to practice. While Gutenberg’s name is synonymous with the printing press, he is not the original inventor. The idea gained some traction when he printed 200 Bibles in record time (3 years), but it remained an invention ahead of its time. Although wheels and printing presses were history-changing products of research, Gutenberg died broke and there are no recorded Sumerian unicorns.
For a clearer picture of breakthrough research that generated huge returns, consider more recent examples like smartphones, social media, and the Internet. Smartphones revolutionized communication and personal technology, social media changed our interaction with others, and the Internet transformed how we access and share information. The inventors of the first two have become incredibly wealthy, and the third has spawned countless profitable businesses.
What about promising research that had unexpected consequences? Plastics and cigarettes generated significant revenue but were later found harmful to health and the environment. Intensive research also led to nuclear weapons, solving short-term issues but causing massive destruction and ongoing global tension.
The success of smartphones has enticed many entrepreneurs and investors to pursue research on potential breakthrough personal technologies. Google Glass, launched in 2013, offered web access, photos, and directions but failed due to privacy concerns, social awkwardness, and prohibitive cost. Sony's Betamax had better video quality than VHS, but VHS won with longer recording time. Apple's Newton, a personal digital assistant with handwriting recognition, was expensive and glitchy, leading to its failure.
The historical narrative of research highlights its significant challenges and impacts across wide-ranging fields. The Sumerians doggedly pursued the wheel and Gutenberg kept printing Bibles, shaping civilization despite early setbacks. Modern inventions such as smartphones, social media and the Internet remind us just how much potential research has for producing massive revenue while transforming society. History also cautions against unforeseen consequences, as we learned from plastics, cigarettes, and nuclear weapons.
Research involves risks, but it will always be recherché.
Author Profile - Paul W. Smith - leader, educator, technologist, writer - has a lifelong interest in the countless ways that technology changes the course of our journey through life. In addition to being a regular contributor to NetworkDataPedia, he maintains the website Technology for the Journey and occasionally writes for Blogcritics. Paul has over 50 years of experience in research and advanced development for companies ranging from small startups to industry leaders. His other passion is teaching - he is a former Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. Paul holds a doctorate in Applied Mechanics from the California Institute of Technology, as well as Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
