Probably part of the difference is that, in the case of the transistor, there clearly was a problem there waiting to be solved, and multiple groups worked on that problem
Yeah, I think that’s really the crux there. Whether the problem is legible enough for there to be a way to reliably specify it to anyone with the relevant background knowledge, vs. so vague and hazy you need unusual intuition to even suspect that there may be something in that direction.
Yeah, I think that’s really the crux there. Whether the problem is legible enough for there to be a way to reliably specify it to anyone with the relevant background knowledge, vs. so vague and hazy you need unusual intuition to even suspect that there may be something in that direction.