Discovery and Invention

Discovery is the act of detecting something new or something old that had been unknown. This is the process of learning something that was not known before, or if finding something or someone that was missing or hidden. 

Invention is a new useful process that did not exist previously and that is recognised as the product of some unique intuition or genius, as distinguished from ordinary mechanical skill or craftsmanship is called the invention. 

Growth Led by Discovery

• 1900: The Milky Way galaxy is the known universe. Newton’s law explains the physical world. Matter is composed of atoms 
• Today: The Milky Way is just one galaxy among countless millions we have already observed in the universe. Atoms are made up of many subatomic particles

Growth by Invention

• 1900: the only way to view the Olympic Games in Paris is in person. News about the games travel to America via telegraph and is printed in newspapers

• Today: millions worldwide will watch the Olympics on television, transmitted instantly by satellite. The news will spread as well as by radio, newspapers and world wide web

Discovery Vs Invention

• Discoveries apply to those that have been long existent, while inventions to those that have never existed in the past

• Discovery is made by providing observational evidence and attempts to develop an initial, rough understanding of some phenomenon. To invent is to plan and produce something to meet a specific reason

• Invention does not necessarily involve exploration, whereas discovery involves obvious exploration

• Invention is something to create by experimental methods. Whereas discovery is finding out something that already existed but unknown

• Invention has nothing to do with nature but discovery has everything to do with nature

• Invention is scientific but discovery is natural

• Discovery pertains to natural occurrences while an invention to man made artifacts, tools, processes etc 

• The result of an invention is an artifact but the result of a discovery is a theory

• The term invention is synonymous with creation. But discovery is synonymous with a famous finding

• Invention is done by upgrading technology while discovery doesn’t have any one particular purpose

• Discovery is much more respected by the scientific community than invention

• The number of invention prizes and discovery prizes by decade on average, 77 percent of all Nobel prizes and 23 percent for inventions

Examples of Invention

• Bulb

• Telephone 

• Wheel

• Computer 

• Mobile

• Electric gadgets 

Example of Discovery

• The concept of black hole in outer space 

• Genetic theory of relativity by Einstein

• Land present on the moon

• America that was discovered by Columbus

Conclusion

Discovery and invention are neither totally depending nor independent of each other. Rather discovery may be regarded as a subset of invention. Invention is a result of so many failed attempts and partially successful experiments of an individual. Whereas discovery is the result of determination as well as strong will of an individual.