The world constantly depends on new inventions and discoveries. Without them there would be very little progress and we would all exist in a state of near stasis, forever at the mercy of the elements and the environment.

Ever since the first crude tools, rudimentary weapons and modes of transport came into being at the early dawn of mankind's appearance we have sought new ways, new directions to improve upon what has gone before. And despite many setbacks and errors and after many wrong turnings the ingenuity of our species is such that we have always found the means to accomplish this and more.

Indeed, we have gone, in the space of a few thousand years, from a state of virtual ignorance about our world to splitting the atom and comprehending the origin and ultimate fate of the Universe. We have achieved this through a process of ever greater refinement, both of intellect and of the tools we have created via it.

With new forms of Technology and methods of discovery at our disposal we have overcome virulent diseases, landed on the moon and detected Quasars at the very limit of known space. We have achieved innumerable breakthroughs in many diverse areas and domains where the problems confronting us once seemed insurmountable and intractable. Admittedly, we have still not conquered Cancer, but one day, hopefully not far off, you can be sure that we will.

Invention and ingenuity is never-ending and shows the best (and sometimes the worst) we have to offer as a species.

All of which brings us to the central question: Are you an Inventor? Do you like to concieve and build new things or to attempt to discover a way of doing something that hasn't been done before, at least not in that particular way or perhaps not as well as your own invention?

Of course there are many so-called 'inventions' that don't really qualify as such. These seem to be attempts to create something that one feels should exist but that is denied by the laws of physics, such as a perpetual motion machine, for example. Some inventions are only rudimentarily thought out or lack rigour in their conception. Some look good on paper but would never make it to the construction stage.

But there are other inventions or discoveries that do tick all of the right boxes - are well concieved, diligently constructed and actually have a reason for being, that is: a purpose to which they can be put, which is - and this is the purpose of new inventions, after all - to either supersede some similar extant technology, or to attempt to out-compete it through better or more economical performance.

Are you willing to put your invention or discovery to the test, to allow it to be analysed and criticized, to be judged either to have passed muster or to have fallen by the wayside? If you are we would love to hear from you.