Evolution #2
Reading Time: 2 Minutes
In the 1860s, more often than not, a surgical procedure resulted in death. Why? At the time, many assumed it was the risk of such an intrusive procedure. Doctors tried improving mortality by working on techniques; some experimented with ways to speed up operations. However, with all the shaved seconds and enhanced techniques, death rates were virtually unaffected. That was until a British Surgeon by the name of Joseph Lister developed a solution that changed the practice of medicine forever.
Like most surgeons of his time, Lister also experienced a high rate of death post-surgery. But he started to look for answers beyond the practice of medicine.
Lister discovered a research paper by Louis Pasteur in which Pasteur wrote that the cause of fermentation was microorganisms. Pasteur developed three ways in which you could remove these microorganisms: 1) Filtration, 2) Application of heat, and 3) Exposure to certain chemicals. Lister knew 1 and 2 wouldn't work on humans, so he began experimenting with certain substances. Lister learned about a town trying to remove the smell of sewage through a chemical. He reasoned that the smell must be the same microorganisms causing post-surgery infections. So he started dousing his equipment and patients with carbolic acid. The result? Strikingly lower rates of sepsis and death. Like most surgeons of his time, Lister also experienced a high rate of death post-surgery. But he started to look for answers beyond the practice of medicine.
This story reminds me of an Arthur Schopenhauer quote:
"The task is not so much to see what no one has yet seen, but to think what nobody yet has thought about that which everybody sees."
Some of the most impactful events throughout history, whether it was a technological breakthrough or a huge advancement in the quality of life, usually started with an ideation process that also promoted novel curiosity. Being able to look in unique places for solutions to the most significant problems we all face is the real innovation.
Lister taught us a way to generate something unique is to remove yourself from your iconoclastic environment. Find inspiration outside of what feels familiar. It's easier to look at the massive wave of startups that found success with new behaviors or models, then stretch those improvements to other similar industries or verticals. But the next big solution won't be an extension of those companies; it will be something that affects an entirely new part of our life, maybe through an altogether different medium.