發明

發明，粵拼：faat3 ming4，係指新嘅事物或者技術第一次出現。發明可以分做物件嘅發明同埋方法嘅發明；而物件嘅發明亦都唔限於有形嘅嘢，無形嘅嘢，譬如電腦程式等，都可以係發明。

定位

首先，可以睇睇二零二一年更新嘅不列顛百科全書對工程學一詞畀嘅定義^[1]：

粵譯：工程學係有創意噉應用科學原理，設計或者開發結構、機械、架生以至製造過程，此外工程學又包括將呢啲嘢單一或者結合噉用嘅工作；又包埋喺完全理解呢啲嘢嘅設計下，建造同運作呢啲嘢；又或者係預測呢啲嘢喺特定運作情況下嘅行為；仲有係思考埋呢啲嘢嘅預期功能、運作上嘅經濟考量、同埋係生命同財產嘅安全性。

喺上面段說話中，創意係關鍵詞，反映咗工程學同純科學間嘅分野：工程學同純科學都要建基於已有嘅知識，追求新嘅知識；一種常見觀點認為，兩者一重要分別在於，工程學重視發明全新嘅事物，而純科學就重視發現前所未知嘅事物；舉例說明，世上第一個電燈膽造到出嚟前，世上並冇電燈膽呢樣嘢，所以發明者算係發明咗電燈膽；相比之下，想像海洋生物學家去深海考察，搵到一種前所未知嘅深海魚物種，嗰種魚不溜都存在，只不過係前人唔知佢哋存在噉解，所以班海洋生物學家只係發現咗呢種魚^[2]^[3]。

睇埋

引咗

↑ Engineering. Encyclopedia Britannica. 原版英文："... the creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly or in combination; or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behaviour under specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function, economics of operation and safety to life and property."
↑ The Engineering Design Process 互聯網檔案館嘅歸檔，歸檔日期2019年6月9號，..
↑ Dornfeld, D., & Lee, D. E. (2008). Machine design for precision manufacturing (pp. 37-48). Springer US.

文獻

（英文）Asimov, Isaac. Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery, Harper & Row, 1989. ISBN 0-06-015612-0
（英文）Fuller, Edmund, Tinkers and Genius: The Story of the Yankee Inventors. New York: Hastings House, 1955.

[1] Engineering. Encyclopedia Britannica. 原版英文："... the creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly or in combination; or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behaviour under specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function, economics of operation and safety to life and property."

[2] The Engineering Design Process 互聯網檔案館嘅歸檔，歸檔日期2019年6月9號，..

[3] Dornfeld, D., & Lee, D. E. (2008). Machine design for precision manufacturing (pp. 37-48). Springer US.

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