National Academy of Inventors

Last night I was inducted into the National Academy of Inventors. It was a wonderful affair, and it all took place at the John F Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum in Boston, which I had never visited.

Coincidentally, our new NYU President, Andrew Hamilton, was also inducted into the NAI last night. So he and I got to hang out for a bit over dinner, something he and I rarely do back at work. 🙂

To most people, it might be the case that a scientist is a scientist. It’s a kind of cultural type, like “athlete” or “musician”.

But inventors are an intriguing sub-branch of scientist. Whereas science, as a field, is generally focused on discovery — learning things about how the universe around us operates — inventors actively seek to put new things into that universe.

There is a certain practical mind-set, often accompanied by a privileging of practice over theory. The scientist in general tends to ask “How does reality work?”. The inventor asks “How can I make reality work differently?”

They are both important questions. But they are not the same.