The Invention Factory by Saki Hirose In his lifetime, Thomas Edison had over 1,000 patents on record. Though he possessed amazing ingenuity, he quickly recognized that, as just one person, he didn’t have the capacity to build and test his many inventions. In response, Edison created a laboratory—also known as the Invention Factory—in Menlo Park, New Jersey. It was made up of engineers, machinists, and physicists, and it ensured that numerous inventions were converted from concepts and ideas into products. Some say competition has spurred the most growth in technology, but Edison’s Invention Factory proves that, instead, advantageous partnerships and collaboration are responsible. Edison documented his ideas and thoughts in 3,500 notebooks, which have been studied by historian Paul Israel at Rutgers University. A consistent theme is the importance of continuous collaboration, which Edison put into practice at the Invention Factory. Here, Edison was known for hosting “midnight lunches” where colleagues would get together to share food, questions, and ideas. This tradition brought employees together in an environment where collaboration flourished, enabling small teams to pool knowledge and solve problems. This led to the development of wonders we can’t imagine living without, like alkaline batteries and motion pictures. Edison had numerous teams working at once, and he also assembled “Edison’s Pioneers,” an elite research team. Lewis Latimer, a major Black inventor of the time, was a member of this team and responsible for improving Edison’s lightbulb. Latimer’s bulb was made of a carbon more durable than Edison’s prototype, which kept the filament from burning out too quickly. Latimer is widely credited with making it feasible for the public to use electric light. Jonas Aylsworth also worked at the Invention Factory and is known for pioneering the development of plastic. Reginald Fessenden, a chemist, developed insulation for electrical wires, which led to the first underground electrical system. Other inventions that came out of Menlo Park include the microphone, a prototype electric railway, street lights, and the phonograph. Edison applied for over 400 patents related to the inventions developed at Menlo Park; yet, many historians believe that his greatest invention of all was the Invention Factory itself. This question has two parts. Answer Part A, then Part B. Part A Read this sentence from paragraph 1. “Some say competition has spurred the most growth in technology, but Edison’s Invention Factory proves that, instead, advantageous partnerships and collaboration are responsible.” How does the author support the idea that collaboration is responsible for the greatest growth in technology? Choose 1 (Choice A) A by specifying the number of patents Edison had on record along with the number of notebooks he filled as an inventor (Choice B) B by outlining a timeline with the greatest technological advancements Edison made since becoming an inventor (Choice C) C by describing the failures of other inventors who chose to compete with, instead of collaborate with, Edison (Choice D) D by explaining why Edison formed the Invention Factory and the successes that came out of it Part B Which detail from the passage supports the answer to Part A? Choose 1 (Choice A) A “Edison documented his ideas and thoughts on 3,500 notebooks, which have been studied by historian Paul Israel at Rutgers University.” (Choice B) B “Latimer’s bulb was made of a carbon more durable than Edison’s prototype, which kept the filament from burning out too quickly.” (Choice C) C “Edison applied for over 400 patents related to the inventions developed at Menlo Park; yet, many historians believe that his greatest invention of all was the Invention Factory itself.” (Choice D) D “Though he possessed amazing ingenuity, he quickly recognized that, as just one person, he didn’t have the capacity to build and test his many inventions.” Psst! Don't forget to choose an answer for both questions and explain why:)