The Adjacent Possible and Understanding What's Possible

Stuart Kaufman introduced the concept of the Adjacent Possible, a mathematical theory that explains what is possible. The theory focuses on understanding what happens next. It highlights that things can be combined to create new things, leading to the emergence of new possibilities. For example, the Cambrian explosion, which occurred 540 million years ago, saw a burst of creativity resulting in the creation of various phyla. The theory emphasizes that finding new uses for things, also known as jury rigging, is not a deduction but a creative process that the biosphere continually undergoes.