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Brilliant tinkerers made the American economy. From Thomas Edison to Henry Ford to the Apple computer guys, late nights tinkering in the garage, the basement, the workshop changed the world.

In the late 20th century, big corporate R&D seemed to take over. Bright young Americans headed to Wall Street.

Now, a bunch of them are headed back to the garage. Tinkering again — this time turbocharged by new high-tech tools that put tinkering in high gear.

Could the next big thing, the economy’s turnaround, come out of your garage?

This hour, On Point: The return of the American tinkerer.

You can join the conversation. Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Justin Lahart, reporter for The Wall Street Journal. His article “Tinkering Makes a Comeback Amid Crisis” appeared on Thursday.

Bre Pettis, professional tinkerer. He’s co-founder of NYC Resistor, a tech workshop in Brooklyn, New York and co-founder of MakerBot Industries. More information about his projects at www.brepettis.com.

David Hounshell, David M. Roderick Professor of Technology and Social Change in the Department of History, Social and Decision Sciences and the Department of Engineering and Public Policy, at Carnegie Mellon University.

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If there was ever a time we needed to think outside the box, this is it. On energy, the economy, war, security, America seems boxed.

Maybe your life does, too. So, how to fire up the engines of real out-of-the-box innovation?

Neuroscientist Gregory Berns says it starts with brain chemistry and habits that can break us free of mental ruts. He looks at the biology of how we feel, think, and behave — and points to the exits from tired old patterns, with examples of innovators and iconoclasts from Picasso to Warren Buffet to the Dixie Chicks.

This hour, On Point: Rewiring the brain for change.

You can join the conversation. What does it take to get you thinking outside the box? Do you believe you’re hardwired for it? Or against it? Tell us what you think.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guest:

Gregory Berns, professor in psychiatry, economics, and business, and director of the Center for Neuropolicy at Emory University. His new book is “Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently.”

You can read an excerpt from “Iconoclast” at Amazon.com.

The big GM wobble this week over workers and wages and whether its factories will be built in this country was just one more wake-up call. The old world is gone and the new one is going to require a lot more innovation if America is going to stay at the top of the economic heap.

This hour we’re checking in with three young world-beating American innovators, on the path to breakthroughs right now, about what it takes and how they do it. And we hear from a big-view innovation guru who says we’d better get cracking.

This hour, On Point: message to America — lead, follow, or get out of the way.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Dr. Anita Goel, President, Scientific Director and CEO of Nanobiosysm Labs/ Nanobiosysm Diagnostics, Inc.

David Berry, Principal in Flagship Ventures.

Garrett Camp, founder of StumbleUpon.

John Kao, leading expert on innovation, author of “Innovation Nation: How America is Losing Its Innovation Edge, Why It Matters and How We Can Get it Back.”