The economist Lant Pritchett notes big ideas follow this pattern: silly -> controversial -> progressive -> obvious http://kottke.org/09/06/big-ideas-from-s

The economist Lant Pritchett notes big ideas follow this pattern: silly -> controversial -> progressive -> obvious http://kottke.org/09/06/big-ideas-from-silly-to-obvious http://kottke.org/09/06/big-ideas-from-silly-to-obvious Fred's post touches on the silly part. I haven't been able to find much more of Lant's model other than the slide Kottke links to.