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What’s the difference between an invention and an idea?
by monochromatic 8y ago
What’s the difference between an invention and an idea?
- pbhjpbhj 8y agoAn invention is the implementation of an idea, it can in theory be made. An idea can't be made. A faster than light drive is an idea. A detailed description of a working physical device that can propel a vehicle faster than light; with sufficient detail that experts can make the device from the description is a potentially patentable invention.
- ajnin 8y agoAn invention is an actual thing that implements the idea.
- pmontra 8y agoIt can be a kind of gray area. Leonardo da Vinci had the idea of a human powered flying machine. I pretty sure nobody would say that his sketches are an invention. On a second thought, there are so many people around, probably somebody would claim it. http://www.flyingmachines.org/davi.html http://www.flyingmachines.org/davi.html The South Hampton University eventually made it happen centuries later in 1961. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SUMPAC https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SUMPAC Did they invent it or "just" built it? Probably they could patent parts of the final airplane. I didn't check if they did.