How invention happens

I think I have worked out why screw top caps for wine bottles were invented.

It has nothing to do with cork quality and the potential for tainted wine. Or the relative expense of producing high quality cork. Or even the frustration associated with watching an old cork disintegrate into your carefully aged wine.

I’m sure it has far more to do with one too many picnics where, with a fabulous spread laid out, in glorious surroundings, and with good friends settled in for a relaxing afternoon, someone asks the inevitable question, “Who brought the corkscrew?”

Picnic bags and baskets are searched furiously, there is mad dash back to the car to check the glovebox, partners blame each other, “I thought you packed it”, “No, I thought you packed it”. Perhaps – if you’re lucky – someone produces a swiss army knife… Or not. I have heard a stick works well in such situations.

The perfect picnic loses its magic.

Do this one too many times, and someone is bound to make the connection and have the ultimate, creative “aha” moment.

This is how inventions happen. Find a problem. Develop a solution. Make it. Market it.

Most of all, tell the story of the problem and how your invention offers the perfect solution.

OK, so I haven’t actually heard the story of embarrassing picnic disasters being the reason why screw top caps were invented. Maybe I’m wrong… but it’s a good story.

This post is inspired by our Weekly Story Starters, selected from the Foodies Story Starter pack. The cards chosen this week were “An embarrassing moment” and “Picnic or El Fresco”