The big idea: what’s the secret of innovation?

THERE’S a scene in The Simpsons in which Homer’s half-brother Herb unveils his new invention – a machine for translating baby talk – and Homer tells him: “People are afraid of new things. You should have taken an existing product and put a clock in it…”

Edison and his early phonograph, circa 1877

This article first appeared in The Guardian magazine on 7 January 2023. To continue reading, click here.