What makes us creative?
Simplifying Complexity
The Adjacent Possible: System's Only Produce New Things Adjacent to Existing Things
The concept of the adjacent possible, coined by biologist Stuart Kauffman, suggests that within complex systems, evolution occurs incrementally by taking steps to adjacent possibilities. Similar to being in a space of valleys, hills, and mountains, species can only take steps to nearby locations rather than making giant leaps. This idea also underlies the groundbreaking insights of Darwin and Wallace, who were able to recognize and step towards new possibilities adjacent to the existing ideas in circulation.
00:00
Transcript
Play full episode
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
