Creating Things That Matter: The Art and Science of Innovations That Last

Most creations lack lasting significance. This book examines how to create things that do matter, drawing on the work of a master innovator who combines science and art in his laboratories. Art and science are typically viewed as opposites, and contemporary innovation usually keeps them separate. David Edwards—a Harvard professor of the practice of idea translation and inventor of breathable insulin, edible food packaging, and digital scents—argues that creating genuinely new things with lasting benefit requires viewing art and science as unified. He demonstrates how this integrated approach to creation transcends traditional disciplines and incorporates aesthetic principles. Edwards introduces cutting-edge practitioners across multiple fields—artists, musicians, architects, physicists, mathematicians, engineers, chefs, choreographers, and novelists—and identifies a three-step cycle they share when creating things that endure. This creator cycle differs from conventional approaches to innovation and connects expressive art with revolutionary science. Edwards and the innovators he profiles are part of an emerging grassroots renaissance developing in special environments that can be created in schools, companies, and homes. This book addresses anyone considering what the future might hold and seeking to understand how their work might create meaningful change.