The Four Lenses of Innovation: A Power Tool for Creative Thinking

A doctor’s office for healthy people

Imagine visiting a doctor’s office that has a modern, friendly interior like an Apple Store, and no waiting room full of sick people—in fact, no sick people or waiting room at all. This is WellnessMart. It’s for healthy customers who only need routine stuff like a travel shot, a vaccination, a physical exam, a lab test, or a tattoo removed. Founded by physician Richard McCauley, WellnessMart offers a radically different healthcare experience.²⁸ It’s open seven days a week, with no appointments or insurance necessary.

A battery on a pin head

Researchers at Harvard University and the University of Illinois have found a way to 3D-print a powerful lithium-ion battery that’s about the size of a grain of sand.²⁹ We’ll need these tiny energy sources to power the next generation of mobile equipment—imagine them inside minuscule medical devices that are implanted in the human body, or woven into the fabric of a flexible smartphone, or in the myriad of smart sensors required by the Internet of Things.

A restaurant suspended in the sky

Getting bored with the same old dining experience at your favorite restaurant? Just for a change, how about eating a gourmet ...