Invention as Exploration
18 days ago
- #systematic-exploration
- #combinatorial-complexity
- #innovation
- Richard Sutton's Bitter Lesson highlights that general methods leveraging computation outperform domain-specific algorithms relying on human intuition.
- Invention is fundamentally about exploring combinatorial complexity rather than cleverness or expertise.
- Chess and computer vision evolved from expert systems to methods relying on vast computational searches.
- Optimal solutions in high-dimensional spaces are sparse and require systematic exploration over human intuition.
- Go and neural networks exemplify vast combinatorial spaces where human intuition is inadequate.
- Thomas Edison, Luther Burbank, and Henry Ford succeeded through relentless systematic experimentation, not just intelligence.
- Edison tested thousands of materials to invent the light bulb, emphasizing speed and systematic search.
- Burbank revolutionized agriculture by exploring over 100,000 plant variations, leading to breakthroughs like the Russet Burbank potato.
- Ford optimized manufacturing through iterative experimentation, reducing production time drastically.
- Breakthroughs often come from outsiders or young minds unconstrained by expert biases.
- The future of innovation lies in combining human and machine capabilities to explore solution spaces efficiently.