Creative entrepreneurs like Edison spent their efforts on things they could observe. This was a manifestation of Protestant ethics. Don't forget concern for the homeland: He also considers creativity in the history of Eastern and Western science from a cultural angle. Regarding that old question, "Why didn't Westerners discover acupuncture and why didn't Chinese discover chloroform?"
對東西方科學史上的創造，他也是從文化角度思考，如對前人所言「為什麼西方人就不會發現針灸，而中國人就不會發現氯仿（麻醉用）呢？