A disruptive hypothesis is an intentionally unreasonable statement that gets your thinking flowing in a different direction. It’s kind of like the evolutionary biology theory of “punctuated equilibrium,” which states that evolution proceeds slowly and every once in a while is interrupted by sudden change. Disruptive hypotheses are designed to upset your comfortable business equilibrium and bring about an accelerated change in your own thinking.

via Innovation Starts With Disruptive Hypotheses. Here’s How To Create One | Co.Design.

Call it faux-tosynthesis. An MIT research team lead by Daniel Nocera revealed this week an “artificial leaf” that uses the sun’s rays to produce energy. Developing an energy source modeled on photosynthesis like this has long been a goal of energy science.

via Faux-tosynthesis: The Artificial Leaf that Could Power Your Home – Environment – GOOD.

Comedy, especially stand-up, is widely regarded as the most difficult gig in show business. Similarly, successful product innovation is so difficult, it could be regarded as the stand-up comedy of the business world.

Method: Eight Things Stand-Up Comedy Teaches Us About Innovation | Co.Design.

The new EPA clean air standards call for new plant construction, investments in pollution controls, and the phasing out of older, inefficient coal plants. A report by environmental group CERES and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, (“New Jobs–Cleaner Air: Employment Effects under Planned Changes to EPA’s Air Pollution Rules”) argues that the jobs created will be high-paying, skilled labor positions and intensive professional jobs. On average, 290,000 jobs will be created in each of the next five years.

via Green Is Good? Study Says New EPA Regs Clean Air While Fattening Wallets | Fast Company.

In most companies, there’s a profound tension between the right-brainers (for lack of a better term) espousing design, design thinking and user-centered approaches to innovation and the left-brained, more spreadsheet-minded among us. Most C-suites are dominated by the latter, all of whom are big fans of nice neat processes and who pay good money to get them implemented rigorously. So often, the innovation process is treated as a simple, neat little machine. Put in a little cash and install the right process, and six months later, out pops your new game-changing innovation — just like toast, right from the toaster. But that, of course, is wrong.

via The Seven Deadly Sins That Choke Out Innovation | Co.Design.