This post is part of the Inspiration series, made possible by Veer.com.
In our first post in the Veer series, we observed that inventions flow as iterative progressions built upon previous work more often than they appear as sudden bolts of insight. Even for those fortunate enough to be roused from a pleasant nap or a frolic through wildflowers with a sudden revelation, that singular moment is built upon days or weeks of tedious research. We spoke a bit about Newton in the context of calculus but didn't leave readers with much insight into what to do when they seek inspiration. Fortunately, Newton knew something about this, observing that if he had "seen a little further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants." A major backdrop of our articles in the Veer series has been the availability of information in the digital age. When we have the sum of human knowledge at our fingertips and monitors, it seems appropriate for thinkers seeking inspiration to ask, "Well, whose shoulders should we stand upon?"
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