When trying to generate new ideas, "you have to make sure people feel ok about saying crazy things," says Nathan Myhrvold. His firm, Intellectual Ventures, seeks to profit from inventions. Mr Myhrvold does not need the money; as a former chief technology officer of Microsoft he already has sacks of it. But he believes that "invention is the closest thing to magic we have." Mr Myhrvold convenes "invention sessions", each one including thinkers from a variety of fields. He puts them in a room with gallons of coffee and lets them bounce ideas around.
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