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Research in HCI, particularly as embodied in the CHI conference, focuses largely on novel problems and solutions that push the technology envelope. Most publications describe novel techniques or novel applications of existing techniques. Newman (1994) provides quantitative evidence for this. He compared CHI with five other engineering research fields, such as thermodynamics and aerodynamics, using content analysis to classify abstracts of published papers to identify their research contribution. In other engineering disciplines, over 90 percent of published research built on prior work, contributing (1) better modeling techniques (allowing predictions about designs),(2) better solutions (addressing previously insoluble problems), and (3) better tools and methods (to apply models or build prototypes). However, only about 30 percent of CHI papers fitted these cumulative categories. The majority either reported “radical” solutions (new paradigms, techniques, or applications) or described experience and heuristics relating to radical solutions.