Talking about innovation: The Shanghai World Expo

World's fairs are history, and unlikely to attract the same level of interest as in Chicago in 1893 or New York City in 1964-65. Or so the US government thought, and only at the last minute secured a pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010. Too little, too late. The resulting embarrassment looks like a Wal-Mart. Not so the awe-inspiring UK Pavilion, the "Seed Cathedral", covered in long acrylic rods that enshrine the seeds of biodiversity and feed light into the building. The pavilion, a modern reference to London's first Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851, showcases the Kew Millennium Seed Bank, the largest conservation project ever conceived. If buildings could speak, the UK Pavilion would be saying to the China Pavilion just down the road: "You'd like to discover new ideas? Maybe pirate them? Invent new things? We've got more than enough ideas to share, and we're advancing conservation ethics, too. Save the things you've got!" The majestic red China Pavilion towering over all of the others would smile at this message and reply: "Just you wait!" proudly pointing out its roof gardens and environmentally friendly landscaping.

This is China's show. Over the past 20 years, Shanghai has reclaimed its place as the business, financial, and cultural center of the world's largest country and fastest-growing economy. To balance infrastructure development between its two largest cities, China has spent more getting Shanghai ready for the 2010 World Expo than it did in preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The Expo is a prime showpiece event for this export-oriented global powerhouse. As half of the world's population now lives in cities, the Expo theme "Better City, Better Life" gives China the opportunity to host visions for urban sustainability as it aspires to shed its image as a ruthless economic giant. In its six-month run from 1 May to 31 October, 95 per cent of the visitors to the Expo are expected to be Chinese. The pavilions are telling them: "See the world: come to the World Expo."

Can you use a variety of verbs to present innovative projects and products? This week, we explore the exact definitions of those used here.

Anne Hodgson