Invention is necessary due to the fact that this area is, remarkably, almost entirely unexplored.
Development of these or existing inventions is required in order to provide an interface between the powerful kernel of an idea and the human beings that those ideas are trying to reach.
Dissemination is often the missing piece in this type of project. A tragically large amount of work has gone into products which currently sit beyond the reach of anyone due to failed models of distribution.
We use the phrase "tools, techniques, and technologies" as a bit of shorthand for conveying the breadth of what we are interested in producing--a teaching method, a movie, a piece of software, a toy--all of these can be used to further our purpose. Is there a new way to use an existing tool? A better tool that could be built in support of an existing teaching method? A mixture of both? Anything that can be invented, explained, designed, written, coded, acted, filmed or thought of is fair game.
However, when all three of these principles are working together, we find that the average human who is exposed to the environment will become proficient in the relevant subject area with nearly one hundred percent certainty. In fact, you probably learned two of the hardest things you know how to do--walking an talking--in precisely this type of setting.
We do not think of these as highly complex and difficult skills to master, but that is only because we don't remember learning them. Those who have brain injuries which require them to re-learn these things, as well as those who attempt to use computers or robotics to simulate them, know very well that these tasks are far more demanding than mastering a few algebra or calculus concepts. Despite the extreme mental and physical effort involved, we all learned these things, we learned them very well, and we did it without forced drill sessions, standardized tests, or money-for-grades deals.
In contrast, basic algebra, which is a thousand times less complicated than speech, is mastered by (comparatively) almost nobody. It is a near certainty that anyone who has learned to talk has the mental capacity to master basic algebra. Is it possible to develop an environment in which the mastery of basic algebra is as much a near-certainty as the ability to walk and talk are currently?
In fact, it is our view that any topic which is truly enriching can be presented in a way that is also stimulating and engaging, with the end result that the vast majority of those who are exposed to it will master the material. Topics such as mathematics, philosophy, and history are viewed by most as boring or esoteric precisely because exposure to them is almost always boring and esoteric. The topics themselves are quite fascinating, and not just to those who are "naturally gifted in" or "naturally drawn to" the area.
It is more than a matter of enriching the lives of individuals--a society in which the average person truly understood such topics could accomplish anything. We have a lever and a place to stand. We have but to develop a fulcrum, and we will be able to move the world.