I reflect on how our view of innovation has shifted from the 19th‑ and 20th‑century era of long‑term exploration to today’s fastest‑moving era, where tools like AI, the internet, and open research give unprecedented access to knowledge. The pressure to move quickly favors incremental tweaks, yet true breakthroughs still require questioning existing standards.
People often celebrate the 19th and 20th centuries as periods of remarkable innovation.
It wasn't because people were inherently smarter, it was because they were willing to spend years exploring ideas, testing assumptions, and building from scratch.
We have AI, the internet, open research, and access to nearly all of humanity's knowledge.
Gen Z has more tools than any generation before.