Some believe that in the age of identikit computer games, mass entertainment and conformity on the supermarket shelves, truly inspired thinking has gone out of the window. But, there are others who hold the view that there is still plenty of scope for innovation, lateral thought and creative solutions. Despite the standardization of modern life, there is an unabated appetite for great ideas, visionary thinking and inspired debate. In the first of a series of monthly debates on contemporary issues, we ask two original thinkers to discuss the nature of creativity. Here is the first one.
Yes. Absolutely. Since I started working as an inventor 10 or 12 years ago, I’ve seen a big change in attitudes to creativity and invention. Back then, there was hardly any support for inventors, apart from the national organization the Institute of Patentees and Inventors. Today, there are lots of little inventors’ clubs popping up all over the place, my last count was 19 nationally and growing. These non-profit clubs, run by inventors for inventors, are an indication that people are once again interested in invention.
I’ve been a project leader, a croupier, an IT consultant and I’ve written a motor mandrel. I spent my teens under a 1950s two-tone Riley RME ear, learning to put it together. Back in the Sixties, kids like me were always out doing things, making go-karts, riding bicycles or exploring. We learned to overcome challenges and solve problems. We weren’t just sitting at a PlayStation, like many kids do today.
But I think, and hope, things are shifting back. There’s a lot more internl in design and creativity and such talents are getting a much higher profile in the media. It’s evident with TV programmes such as Channe14’s?Scrapheap Challenge?or BBC2’s?The Apprentice and Dragon’s Den, where people are given a task to solve or face the challenge of selling their idea to a panel.
And. thankfully, the image of the mad scientist with electrified hair working in the garden shed is long gone—although, there are still a few exceptions!
That’s not to say there aren’t problems. With the decline in manufacturing we are losing the ability to know how to make things. There’s a real skills gap developing. In my opinion, the Government does little or nothing to help innovation at the lone-inventor or small or medium enterprise level. I would love to see more money spent on teaching our school kids how to be inventive. But, despite everything, if you have a good idea and real determination, you can still do very well.
My own specialist area is packaging closures—almost every product needs it. I got the idea for Squeezeopen after looking at an old tin of boot polish when my mother complained she couldn’t get the lid off. If you can do something cheaper, better, and you are 100 percent committed, there is a chance it will be a success.
I see a fantastic amount of innovation and opportunities out there. People don’t realise how much is going on. New materials are coming out all the time and the space programme and scientific research are producing a variety of spin-offs. Innovation doesn’t have to be high-tech: creativity and inventing is about finding the right solution to a problem, whatever it is. There’s a lot of talent out there and, thankfully, some of the more progressive companies are suddenly realizing they don’t want to miss out—it’s an exciting time.
According to the opinion of the interviewer _____.
第二段最后一句提到“These non-profit clubs, run by inventors for inventors, are an indication that people are once again interested in invention.”，这个人认为那些小型非盈利性质的俱乐部正暗示出人们又一次地对创新发明燃起兴趣。可见，其认为发明创新还是仍有发展空间的。所以选B。
下面属于下行沟通的是（ ）。
公共关系社团的类型包括（ ）。
跨文化沟通的障碍主要有（ ）。
横向沟通的目的是（ ）。
从公共关系学的一般意义上说，公众即与公共关系主体利益相关并相互影响和相互作用的（ ）。
根据对象的不同，沟通可划分为（ ）。
电子媒介在信息传播中具有的特征是（ ）。
商务谈判中的交锋阶段最能体现谈判人员的（ ）能力。
能创造良好沟通氛围的基本要素有（ ）。
按物质载体不同类型，媒介分为（ ）。
