# Science and technology advance through the same fundamental mechanism We generally refer to this mechanism as research. [[As a platonic ideal, research is an unscheduled quest for new knowledge and inventions with hard-to-predict outcomes]]. The difference between science and technology is on their *output* - one produces knowledge about the world (discoveries) and one modifies our ability within the world (inventions.) [[Heuretics are either inventions or discoveries]]. The mechanism is by creating new connections in someone’s mind ([[New ideas need to come out of a single mind]] and [[Connections create new knowledge]]) either through idea sex or learning by doing ([[The tech tree creates new nodes either through idea sex or learning by doing]] and [[Learning by doing and idea sex happen through the same mechanism]].) It’s interesting that idea sex/learning by doing + invention (technology)/discovery(science) really do form a good 2x2. ## Related * [[§Tech Tree Model of Heuretics]] * [[narayanamurtiCyclesInventionDiscovery2016]] <!-- #evergreen --> [Web URL for this note](http://notes.benjaminreinhardt.com/Science+and+technology+advance+through+the+same+fundamental+mechanism) [Comment on this note](http://via.hypothes.is/http://notes.benjaminreinhardt.com/Science+and+technology+advance+through+the+same+fundamental+mechanism)