Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
These are the first and last stanzas of Dylan Thomas’ “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” The last was written when his father was going blind, but it’s really the first that is of greatest interest to me. You see, the 21st Century appears to be the province of the young. Youth appear to be creating all of the new inventions that make our lives, if not easier, at least, less complicated. We alarm our houses, talk to the teachers of our children, order food, find mates, teleconference around the world and perform myriad chores simply by tapping icons on a ‘smart’ phone. It seems impossible that less than half a century ago, I heard Kenneth Olsen, the founder of Digital Equipment, ask the question, “Why would anyone ever want a computer in their home?” I later heard that he indicated didn’t it wasn’t what he said…even though these two ears were paying rather close attention. He maintained that his statement was, “There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.” Pure bullcrap, Ken, pure bullcrap.
I am not attempting to downplay what has been created by the likes of Olsen, Jobs, Gates, Wozniak, or Zuckerberg or any others, but I also believe that the elderly who have raged against the dying of the light have made contributions that too many of us take for granted or credit a younger person for the invention. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, (NBER) “Innovative thinkers are innovating later than they used to. While conventional wisdom holds that creative thinkers do their best work when they are young, a study by NBER researcher Benjamin Jones shows that over the past century the average age at which individuals produce notable inventions and ideas has increased steadily. Jones considers data on Nobel Prize winners in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, and Economics over the past 100 years, and on outstanding technological innovations over the same period. For comparative purposes, Jones also considers the ages of track and field record-setters and ball players who have received Most Valuable Player awards.”
Perhaps one of the classic examples of inventions by the elderly is that of bifocals, created by Benjamin Franklin at the ripe old age of 78. Galileo was the same age when he perfected the telescope. At the time he invented the printing press, Gutenberg was in his early 50’s, considered quite elderly for the period in which he was living.
It doesn’t really matter whether one is old or young, just as long as men and women remain curious throughout their lives. Remember the story of Thomas Edison conducting experiment after experiment, until finally an assistant told him, “It just won’t work, Mr. Edison. We’ve tried and failed in all 999 different ways.” Supposedly, Edison succeeded on the 1,000th try. It’s old, it’s tacky, and it’s probably untrue, but it makes a hell of a story. Just think, however, if Edison had stopped inventing when he created the electric light bulb at the age of 22. He went on to invent the phonograph, motion picture cameras, batteries, and during his life received no fewer than 1,093 patents for his inventions.
If you know young people or you yourself have ideas, don’t let anyone stop you from promoting your thoughts. The success of others just might be your springboard to the world’s next great life-saving or life-affirming invention. Don’t forget, even Albert Einstein was once a clerk in a patent office.
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