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2014 | Buch

Kapitel lesen Erstes Kapitel lesen

Social Networks in the History of Innovation and Invention

verfasst von: Francis C. Moon

Verlag: Springer Netherlands

Buchreihe : History of Mechanism and Machine Science

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

This book integrates history of science and technology with modern social network theory. Using examples from the history of machines, as well as case studies from wireless, radio and chaos theory, the author challenges the genius model of invention. Network analysis concepts are presented to demonstrate the societal nature of invention in areas such as steam power, internal combustion engines, early aviation, air conditioning and more. Using modern measures of network theory, the author demonstrates that the social networks of invention from the 19th and early 20th centuries have similar characteristics to modern 21st C networks such as the World Wide Web. The book provides evidence that exponential growth in technical innovation is linked to the growth of historical innovation networks.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Introduction: James Watt’s Social Network

Abstract

We introduce ideas from network and graph theory and apply them to the evolution and network of contributions of the steam engine. Also discussed are models of growth of social networks, exponential growth and the ’S’ curve. This chapter also reviews earlier work on evolution, diffusion and networks of innovation.

Francis Moon

Chapter 2. Networks in the Machine Age: From Leonardo to Clocks to Reuleaux

Abstract

We apply a network analysis to the history of kinematics theory of machine design from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries beginning with Leonardo da Vinci. As a particular example we construct a network chart for the evolution of precision marine clocks. We also look at the social network of Franz Reuleaux and other kinematics contributors of the nineteenth century. The kinematics network has links to the internal combustion network of Chap. 3.

Francis Moon

Chapter 3. Social Networks of the Internal Combustion Engine and Automobile

Abstract

We describe the network of contributors to the creation of the internal combustion engine and its effects on the early automotive industry. This example has links to the aviation network of invention [Chap. 4] as well as to mathematical Chaos Theory [Chap. 6]

Francis Moon

Chapter 4. Social Networks in Early Aviation History

Abstract

We describe a network of over 80 individuals and institutions covering the period of 1810–1910 from the time of George Cayley to the Wright brothers. This case study will provide examples of the importance of ’weak links’ and the role of what Gladwell calls ’Connectors’ such as Octave Chanute. We also describe in this chapter the use of an influence matrix and statistics of a Link-Node distribution curve.

Francis Moon

Chapter 5. Wireless and Radio Electronics Social Networks

Abstract

The seeds of wireless telegraphy grew out of the network surrounding the magnetic-mechanical telegraph. In addition to Marconi, Deforest and Armstrong, there was a complex set of up to fifty players spanning the work of Maxwell (1865) to the early days of radio and RCA’s David Sarnoff in the 1920s. This technology network has links to modern Chaos Theory in the late twentieth century [Chap. 6]

Francis Moon

Chapter 6. Social Networks in Nonlinear Dynamics, Chaos and Fractals

Abstract

We show how the seeds of twentieth century mathematical Chaos Theory grew in the networks associated with the internal combustion engine and radio electronics. We trace the mathematical discoveries of Henri Poincare in France at the beginning of the twentieth century to the fluid mechanics weather models of Edward Lorenz at MIT and electrical circuits of Yoshisuke Ueda in Kyoto a half-century later. This example was chosen because of the author’s close familiarity with chaotic and nonlinear dynamics. This example and the radio network show that the ideas of a network community for innovation go beyond the examples from mechanical science in Chaps. 1–4.

Francis Moon

Chapter 7. The Last Hero-Inventor: A Theory of Innovation?

Abstract

In our last iconoclastic example of the genius-inventor we construct a social network for Willis Carrier and the beginnings of air conditioning technology. In a summary of exponential knowledge growth in other technologies, we draw the conclusion that human patterns of innovation have been similar across two centuries but that the time scale for explosive growth has been decreasing dramatically. We also review the elements for constructing social networks in the history of technology and speculate on models for innovation.

Francis Moon

Backmatter

Titel: Social Networks in the History of Innovation and Invention
verfasst von: Francis C. Moon
Verlag: Springer Netherlands
Electronic ISBN: 978-94-007-7528-2
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-7527-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7528-2

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