Where Good Ideas Come From

In this chapter, Johnson discusses the concept of “stacked platforms” and their role in fostering innovation. He begins by discussing Charles Darwin’s observations of coral reefs in the Keeling Islands, which led to Darwin’s theory of atoll formation. Darwin realized that coral polyps were creating the very ground he stood on, building up layers of calcium carbonate skeletons over time as volcanic islands slowly subsided. This serves as an analogy for how ideas build upon one another in layers, with each innovation providing a foundation for future developments.

The author then transitions to the story of how two physicists, William Guier and George Weiffenbach, discovered a method to track the Soviet satellite Sputnik using the Doppler effect. Their work at the Applied Physics Laboratory led to the development of the Transit System, which eventually evolved into the Global Positioning System (GPS). Johnson uses this example to illustrate how innovations can emerge from unexpected sources and build upon existing platforms. He emphasizes that GPS, like many technological breakthroughs, was rooted in public sector research and benefited from an environment that encouraged cross-disciplinary collaboration.

The chapter delves into the concept of “ecosystem engineers” in nature, such as beavers and coral polyps, which create environments that support diverse life forms.