In his very influential book, "Invention and Economic Growth," Jacob Schmookler claims that inventors draw upon preexisting scientific and technological knowledge as they shape their inventions to satisfy some human want or need.  Inventions, therefore, are fusions of an intellectual past with a socioeconomic, functional future.  The crucial question is whether inventions are stimulated by the push of the growing supply of knowledge or by the pull of the increasing demands of the marketplace.  Schmookler marshals a large amount of data to support his case that market forces are the most important ones.

                                                                                    Basalla [1988, 113].

            Schmookler's strong reliance on demand-side explanations and his rejection of supply-side, knowledge-induced inventions weakened the structure of his overall argument.  By stressing the level of investment and the number of patents (inventions), he was led to claim that demand could solve any technological problem as long as it was profitable to do so.  This claim can be refuted by a consideration of the problems unresolved in our day.  The need for cheap and nonpolluting energy sources, pest-resistent grains and trees, or a cure for cancer is clearly evident.  Inventions that would satisfy these needs would be highly desirable and profitable.  Nevertheless, they are not being turned out in regular succession.

                                                                                    Basalla [1988, 115]

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