In this episode, complexity science is applied to creativity. The idea of society as a complex cognitive system is explored, along with simultaneous invention and the concept of the adjacent possible. The role of creativity in a larger ecosystem of ideas and individuals is discussed, as well as the collaborative nature of Steven Hawking's work. The limitations of traditional reductionism are highlighted, showing the emergence of qualitatively different outcomes in complex systems.
Creativity is not solely a product of an individual's brain, but is influenced by the complex cognitive system of society as a whole.
A complex systems perspective of creativity involves examining the interactions between individuals, ideas, and the larger conceptual ecosystem.
Deep dives
Creativity as a Complex Cognitive System
Creativity is often viewed as a mysterious and individualistic process, but applying a complex systems perspective reveals that it is a product of distributed cognitive systems. When examining creativity, it is essential to consider not just the individual's brain, but also the wider society as a complex cognitive system. By looking at society as a whole, we can understand how ideas, discoveries, and innovations emerge and spread. This perspective helps explain the phenomenon of simultaneous invention, where different individuals arrive at similar groundbreaking ideas at the same time. Creativity, when viewed as an emergent property of a complex system, becomes more understandable and predictable.
Thinking Outside the Skull: Creativity in a Complex System
The traditional view of creativity focuses on what happens inside an individual's brain. However, a complex systems perspective allows us to expand our understanding by examining how creativity emerges from the interactions of individuals and the ideas within a larger conceptual ecosystem. By drawing boundaries that go beyond the individual brain, such as including the body and tools used, or even zooming out to consider the entire society as a complex cognitive system, we can better grasp the dynamics of creativity. This broader perspective helps explain why simultaneous invention occurs and why similar ideas emerge across different individuals and locations.
The Role of Collaboration in Creativity
A case study of Stephen Hawking illustrates how creativity involves more than just the individual. Despite his physical limitations, Hawking was able to contribute to theoretical physics through the collaboration and interactions with his students. The complex system of ideas, bodies, and inscriptions on the blackboard collectively produced new insights and results. This highlights the importance of heterogeneous elements and the emergence of creativity from interactions within a distributed complex system. The reductionist approach of studying isolated parts fails to capture the true nature of creativity, which thrives through collaboration and the combination of diverse perspectives and inputs.
In this series so far, we've applied complexity science to a whole range of systems, particularly those more obvious complex systems like economies or cities. In this episode, we're going to do something a little bit different and apply complexity science to something not so obvious: creativity.
To do that, we're joined again by Tyler Marghetis, Assistant Professor of Cognitive and Information Sciences at the University of California, Merced. Tyler has been on the show before to explore tipping points, and tipping points in jazz music. Today, he wants us to take our traditional approach to what makes someone creative, and pull the camera back. Instead of looking at creativity as what happens inside a person's brain, Tyler wants to explore what happens when we consider creativity through the context of society as a complex, cognitive system.