They Say It Can’t Be Done is an informational documentary that is directed by Michael Ozias. I found the film to be very interesting, as it is completely different to anything we have been assigned to watch. The documentary covers the innovations and hardships of four different companies that are attempting to change the world. Eat Just, Inc. uses cell culture technology to try and grow real meat in an attempt to combat world hunger. Dr. Anthony Atala used lab grown bladders to try and hurry up the organ transplant industry. From the documentary I found out there are over 120,000 patients currently waiting to receive an organ transplant. Then there is Catalina Sea Ranch in California that helps make the ocean a cleaner place, while also being able to produce superfoods. The last of the four was Klaus Lackner, who was a scientist from Arizona State that is responsible for inventing an artificial tree that is capable of removing atmospheric carbon at 1000x the rate of a normal tree, to combat climate change. However, between all of these companies there was always one common theme that interfered in their work. The key takeaway I gained from this documentary is the power that government regulations have in the business world.
The interviews within the film were fascinating to me, as their breakdowns of how government regulation can control the market are very prominent. One of the key quotes I took from the film that highlighted this idea was, “There is a never ending battle between the forces of regulation and the forces of innovation.” In addition to that quote, it helps prove that regulations tend to freeze models in place. Even though these are revolutionary products that could help innovate the world, and transform the lives of many, they are being constricted by government regulations that are helping keep the “big dogs” in the market at the top.
In class and through readings we have discussed many different topics that can relate to this documentary. One comes from very recently, in the script “What Makes Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurial.” We learned that effectual reasoning begins with a given set of means that allows goals to emerge over time from the varied imagination and diverse aspirations of the founders and the people that interact with them. As a result, this allows for humans to create what was once thought impossible, just like the entrepreneurs in this film. We have also discussed in class, and even in the textbook how government regulations play a huge factor within the economy. This documentary is another example of how regulations have become the best friend of big businesses and corporations. In class, and in the documentary we have come to find out that big businesses love regulation because it helps eliminate creative destruction within the market. The biggest threat to these large corporations is innovation, and by competitors coming into the market and figuring out a way to do something better, and for a cheaper cost. These regulations help stifle innovation, thus keeping the larger companies at the top.
