A Secret of Discovery

Have you noticed that creativity and discovery seem to arise from noticing odd things? Willis Carrier (1876-1950), while waiting for a train to arrive on a foggy night, noticed that water drops were forming where wisps of fog swept over rain puddles. He instantly had the counter-intuitive idea that moisture could be extracted from air chilled below its dew point. This insight was key to his air conditioners that formed the basis of the Carrier Corporation and the modern air conditioning industry.