Week 1 Charting the Humming Bird Effect Research Paper

Ideas that Changed the World – Week 1 Assignment

Charting the Humming Bird Effect

This week’s assignment consists of a graphical representation of the evolution of an idea. Begin by doing the necessary research to find an idea whose development can be captured by the hummingbird effect. You then will design a chart in which you illustrate the historical connections that led up to this idea. Do not use artificial cold as your target idea, as it was covered in Chapter 2 of your textbook.

Essentially, you will be tracing the development of an idea backwards, showing the relationship between various kinds of innovation. Begin with your chosen idea, then work backwards and highlight the other ideas or innovations that led to the eventual rise of your chosen idea.

For example, you may start off with modern air-conditioning and move backwards and connect the dots as it pertains to refrigeration, the ice trade, and the need for cooling. Obviously, this is just an example – your diagram should be exhaustive and include as many steps as you can think of. Do not just include three or four steps. Go as far back as you can.

Each step you trace back should include at least a one to two paragraph explanation of how the idea or innovation played a role in producing or necessitating the development of your target idea. Don’t just use pictures and symbols – include annotations.

If you’re unsure about how to go about selecting an idea, consider utilizing the appendix at the back of Where Good Ideas Come From.

In designing your chart, you may use Microsoft Word, a PowerPoint slide, or an online diagramming tool such as https://www.draw.io/ or Lucidchart. Do not hand-draw and scan your diagram.