Prompt Cast
Impact of Violence and Inequality on Innovation and Patent Laws
TLDR Research by Lisa Cook shows how violence, inequality, and unequal enforcement of laws can hinder innovation, particularly impacting African American inventors from filing patents due to legal segregation and restrictions. This research highlights the economic implications of lost inventions and the challenges faced by black communities in the United States.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The episode discusses the importance of innovation and patent laws for economic growth, challenging the idea that innovation can simply be achieved by passing patent laws.
03:33
The lack of innovation in certain communities may be linked to violence, inequality, and the unequal enforcement of laws, challenging traditional economic theories.
07:23
Lisa Cook is researching how violence and a lack of rule of law impact innovation by analyzing patent data from 1870 to 1940, focusing on the number of patents filed by black and white inventors during periods of increased violence and lawlessness.
10:52
African American inventors flourished in the period between 1870 and 1900, filing patents at a similar rate as white inventors, but faced a sharp decline in patenting around 1900 due to legal segregation and restrictions that limited their access to resources needed for innovation.
14:34
African American patent filings dropped significantly after the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, reflecting a loss of faith in the protection of their intellectual property and livelihood.
18:19
Lisa Cook's research on lost inventions due to racism, including her cousin Percy Julian's invention of an improved way to make cortisone, highlights the significant economic impact and implications for African Americans and entire nations.
21:59
Lisa Cook faced challenges and resistance in publishing her research on the economic impact of racial violence on black communities in the United States.
