AKA inventing something, yet leaving all the $$$ on the table!
Earlier today, I read about this incredibly brilliant physicist, Rafael G. González-Acuña who is a doctoral student at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico.
After what must have been several hours of staring at a math puzzle known since 1949 as the Wasserman-Wolf Problem, Rafael solved it!
This problem certainly wasn’t a cakewalk, and Rafael’s solution now means that all lenses being manufactured going forward, by applying his solution to Wasserman-Wolf, would rid themselves of the optical annoyance known as ‘spherical aberration’.
This, without a doubt, is a good thing. As camera lenses, reading classes, and maybe even lenses on our deep space probes, would become almost perfect.
Yet, as the evening went on, I got more annoyed.
And I know the reason why.
People, Rafael G. González-Acuña will, no doubt, get accolades. For this great achievement. Forever.
However, the monetary rewards will bypass him, and accrue to the lens manufactures and camera OEMs who stand to profit from his brains.
That, offends me.
Think about it: when Irwin Jacobs came up with his discoveries in communications, he didn’t blab it to the world. When [My Favorite Hedonist] Larry Ellison realized something great about structured query languages databases, he started Oracle. When Henry Samueli and Henri Nicholas came up with their brilliant discoveries, they didn’t gift it to the world for free.
These cats have all gone on to live absolutely fabulous lives.
This is why my ongoing training of my kids includes several profound conversations around this issue.
They know, without a doubt, that if they do come up with anything, even in high school or less, their first priority is monetization.
Nothing less.
The altruism there, is the fact that their invention will be released to the world.
However, money first.
If not, someone else will make billions on their work.
Just ask the guy who invented the blue laser or LED or whatever.
Make sure your kids know this.
Original story here.