Also gone are investments in newfangled gear like superfast folding machines or presses that, in Davis' view, give "just incremental improvements" in profitability.

FORBES: Companies, People, Ideas

He is generous with biographical information and firmly advocates the view that science progresses by incremental steps rather than revolutions or paradigm shifts.

ECONOMIST: History of science: Time's arrow | The

Also gone are investments in such newfangled gear as superfast folding machines or presses that, in Davis' view, give "just incremental improvements" in profitability.

FORBES: Companies & Strategies

In our view, URS stands to benefit from incremental infrastructure investment in the United States and further stimulus spending could provide a boost to revenues over the next couple of years, in our view.

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"Longer-term, we maintain the view platinum holds the better fundamental picture and expect incremental investment demand for gold to start to slow over the next two years, " said Barclays analyst Suki Cooper.

WSJ: Platinum Signals Nagging Economic Worries

Perhaps, progress requires both the ability to opportunistically deliver incremental improvements as well as the capacity to retain the big picture view, and never losing sight of the grander ambition.

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From a marketing point of view, Apple would do well to push for a comprehensive rather than incremental update.

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