# Don't Delay Your Creativity: The Power of Simultaneous Invention
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Chapter 1: Understanding Simultaneous Invention
The concept of simultaneous invention highlights a crucial truth: waiting to create can lead to missed opportunities.
In college, I began compiling notes for a book on human evolution, focusing on our incredible potential. The working title was Superhuman: The Evolution of Human Potential. After graduating, while browsing a bookstore in Boulder, Colorado, I stumbled upon Superhuman: Life at the Extremes of Our Capacity by Rowan Hooper. To my astonishment, it was the very book I envisioned writing.
While I was lost in thoughts of this future project, someone else had already put pen to paper. Hooper, a seasoned science journalist with a PhD, undoubtedly brought a depth to the subject that I could not have matched at that stage in my life. This experience often resonates with others; many have similar stories of ideas they held, only to see them realized by someone else. My sister once claimed that her concept was appropriated by the ShamWow pitchman, Vince Offer.
This narrative is not new.
On January 7, 1839, Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre astonished the scientific community by announcing the invention of photography. He showcased his groundbreaking images to members of the French Académie des Sciences, sharing his journey of experimentation. For nearly ten years, Daguerre had been working with a “camera obscura,” a simple wooden box that projected images onto frosted glass. Together with Nicéphore Niépce, he developed a method for capturing and fixing images using mercury fumes and a sodium-thiosulfate solution, dubbing his creations “Daguerreotypes.”
Shortly after Daguerre’s revelation, British polymath William Henry Fox Talbot revealed that he too had been developing a way to capture images through light. Unlike Daguerre's method of using silver-plated copper, Talbot used salt and silver nitrate-coated writing paper, resulting in what we now call “negatives.” His technique, known as the “art of photogenic drawing,” primarily focused on landscapes and plant life.
While Daguerreotypes were unique, Talbot's calotypes could be replicated, leading to his method's evolution into modern photography. Ultimately, it was Talbot’s contribution that paved the way for contemporary photographic practices, while Daguerre's work became a historical footnote.
The essence of this story is that two individuals, in different parts of the world, invented photography independently. This occurrence is termed “simultaneous invention,” a concept explored by sociologist Robert Merton, who referred to it as “multiple discovery.” Merton posited that this is a prevalent pattern in scientific advancements, asserting that “all scientific discoveries, in principle, are multiples.”
Numerous examples support Merton’s perspective. Not only did Daguerre and Talbot both create photography, but Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace simultaneously developed the Theory of Evolution. Similarly, Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz both contributed to calculus, while Joseph Priestley and Carl Wilhelm Scheele independently discovered oxygen in adjacent years.
The mechanics behind simultaneous invention remain somewhat enigmatic. Social psychologist Dean Simonton reviewed a multitude of cases and proposed three explanations: genius, chance, and zeitgeist. The latter suggests that sometimes the world is simply "ready" for a particular idea, with solutions emerging from the collective consciousness of a society.
Regardless of the reason, the reality is clear: if you hold a groundbreaking idea, there’s a chance someone else might be pursuing it simultaneously. This is true across all fields, including science and the arts.
Rick Rubin, in his book The Creative Act: A Way of Being, eloquently stated, “If you have an idea you’re excited about and you don’t bring it to life, it’s not uncommon for the idea to find its voice through another maker.” This isn’t necessarily due to theft, but rather an indication that the time for that idea has arrived.
Simultaneous invention, though perplexing, is indeed a real phenomenon. My experience with this concept has imparted two vital lessons about creativity:
- Strive to create something distinctive that only you can offer.
- When inspiration strikes, act swiftly; you never know when someone else might realize a similar vision.
In essence, the lesson of simultaneous invention is straightforward: do not hesitate to bring your ideas to fruition.
Chapter 2: The Impact of Ideas and Creativity
The video titled "Multiple Discovery: The Curious Case of Simultaneous Invention" delves into the intriguing instances of simultaneous inventions throughout history, highlighting the importance of acting on your ideas before someone else does.