ABSTRACT
Invention is man's oldest occupation. The process by
which our remote forefathers became human began with the
invention of working tools. The first inventions were not
actually created by man, but were provided for him
ready-made. People noticed that with sharp stones it was
possible to cut the skins of dead animals - and they began
thereupon to collect and use stones. After forest fires it
was noticed that fire acts as a provider of warmth and
defence, and they began to keep fires alight. People had
not yet started to identify problems as such, but they
merely discovered ready-made solutions. The creative part
consisted in guessing how to apply these solutions. But
almost instantaneously problems of invention also presented
themselves. How to sharpen a blunted stone? How to make a
stone fit more comfortably in the hand? How to shield a
fire from wind and rain? How to transport fire from place
to place?
