Innovation cascades: artefacts, organization and attributions

Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2016 Mar 19;371(1690):20150194. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0194.

Abstract

Innovation cascades inextricably link the introduction of new artefacts, transformations in social organization, and the emergence of new functionalities and new needs. This paper describes a positive feedback dynamic, exaptive bootstrapping, through which these cascades proceed, and the characteristics of the relationships in which the new attributions that drive this dynamic are generated. It concludes by arguing that the exaptive bootstrapping dynamic is the principal driver of our current Innovation Society.

Keywords: Innovation Society; artefact innovation; attributions of functionality; exaptive bootstrapping; generative relationships.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Artifacts*
  • Cultural Evolution*
  • Humans
  • Inventions*
  • Social Behavior*