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2005 INVENTION INDEX™
DAILY COMMUTE COULD LEAD
TO THE NEXT GREAT INVENTION
Lemelson-MIT Study Shows Many Americans
Feel Most Creative in the Car
Cambridge, MA, January 12, 2005 — Don’t think
of your commute as being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic; think
of it as a potential breeding ground for your next creative breakthrough!
Nearly 20 percent of American adults say they think most creatively
in their cars, according to the 2005 Lemelson-MIT Invention Index
study, which gauges Americans’ attitudes toward invention
and innovation.
Survey respondents also said the ideal conditions for their creative
thinking were solitude (66 percent) and quiet (47 percent).
“Many Americans feel they spend half their lives in the
car, but we were surprised by just how many people felt their daily
commute was conducive to creative thinking,” Lemelson-MIT
Program Director Merton Flemings said. “But when you stop
to think about it, it makes sense. Daily commutes in this country
are getting longer each year and the car may be one of the last
environments in which we can escape from our over-stimulated lives
and just be alone with our thoughts.”
At the 2004 Lemelson-MIT Invention Assembly, a gathering of the
nation’s top academics and inventors concluded that this type
of “time and ‘space’ to reflect are essential
to invention.”
Supporting this idea, other settings that fared well in the Lemelson-MIT
Invention Index question were workplaces and schools (20 percent);
in bed while falling asleep, waking up or dreaming (16 percent);
and outdoors (14 percent). Survey respondents also cited the bath
or shower (5 percent) and while exercising (5 percent) as settings
that spark their creativity.
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By contrast, watching television (2 percent) and listening to
music (1 percent) were the least likely to lead to creative thoughts.
Americans spend more than 1,000 hours each year, or 11 percent
of the year, in front of television sets, according to a 2004 Bureau
of Labor Statistics report. By contrast, Americans spend an average
260 hours each year commuting, according to a 2004 U.S. Census study.
“Television has an important place in our culture,”
Flemings commented. “However, our society faces significant
challenges that will require fresh and imaginative ideas. Young
people, especially, need to gain real-world experiences and be exposed
to environments that are conducive to creative thought. That means
turning off the TV every so often.”
Fall Survey Results
Where do you do your most creative thinking?
- 20.4 percent – In the car
- 19.9 percent – In my office, workspace or school
- 15.6 percent – In bed (falling asleep, waking up or dreaming)
- 14.4 percent – Outdoors
- 4.9 percent – In the bath or shower
- 4.9 percent – While exercising
- 1.6 percent – Watching television
- 1.0 percent – Listening to music
Choose the response you think best completes this statement: “My
most creative ideas come when…”
- 66.1 percent – I am alone
- 47.1 percent – It’s quiet and there are no disruptions
- 32.3 percent – I’m not stressed
- 24.5 percent – I’m working with others
- 23.3 percent – I’m under pressure
- 15.1 percent – I’m competing against others
- 6.1 percent – There’s a lot of noise and activity
About the Lemelson-MIT Program
The Lemelson-MIT Program provides the resources and inspiration
to make invention and innovation more accessible to today’s
youth. It accomplishes this mission through outreach activities
and annual awards, including the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize, the
largest single award in the United States for invention.
Jerome H. Lemelson, one of the world’s most prolific inventors,
and his wife Dorothy founded the Lemelson-MIT Program at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology in 1994. It is funded by The Lemelson Foundation,
a private philanthropy committed to honoring the contributions of
inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs and to inspiring ingenuity
in others. More information is online at http://web.mit.edu/invent.
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