The Science of Creativity

- Paradoxes & Complexities: The Science of Creativity -
Archimedes in the bathtub, Newton and the apple, Einstein's theory of special relativity -- Eureka! moments are what happens when hours of work come together in a single “creative"" flash. For most of human history, creativity was something otherworldly, a gift from the muses, only to be bestowed upon a select few. Today, cognitive science has shown this to be false. The real story of creativity is more difficult and strange than one can imagine, but one thing is certain: We are all creative. This talk will tell the story of the brain that gave the world such revolutionary ideas as E=mc² and the Theory of General Relativity, and cover simple techniques you can use to foster your own creativity.

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77% of adults feel that they’ve lost their creativity. A sad statistic, but also a strange one because creativity isn't something you can "find", it's something that we're all capable of if you practice.

“Creativity” is one of those grab-bag terms, like “happiness” and “love,” that can mean so many things it runs the risk of meaning nothing at all. So to start, let’s define what creativity isn’t.

It isn’t raw artistic talent, nor is it mastery of a technical ability, like being able to draw very well or play the piano perfectly. These things have to do with execution, which is a distinct idea by itself. Wanting to go to space, the most hostile environment a human could ever possibly go, is the ...

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