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Why we have our best ideas in the shower: The science of creativity

Why we have our best ideas in the shower: The science of creativity
8.2K Flares Filament.io 8.2K Flares × “I’m not really a creative person”, always struck me as an odd sentence. Could it really be that some of us are born to be more creatively gifted than others? If so, I thought at first, that’s definitely a downer. It bugged me for a while I have to say. And the following science will hopefully prove it, in case you ever had any doubts about your own creativity. “A creative idea will be defined simply as one that is both novel and useful (or influential) in a particular social setting.” – Alice Flaherty This applies to every field Flaherty explains, including programming, business, mathematics together with the more traditional “creative” fields, such as music or drawing. Our brain on creativity: The example of free-style rap So, what is actually active in our brain when we are doing something creatively? Free-style rap is a great example of a creative process that is both relatively easy to track and can be translated into lots of other areas.

Thought experiment A thought experiment or Gedankenexperiment (from German) considers some hypothesis, theory,[1] or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences. Given the structure of the experiment, it may or may not be possible to actually perform it, and, in the case that it is possible for it to be performed, there need be no intention of any kind to actually perform the experiment in question. The common goal of a thought experiment is to explore the potential consequences of the principle in question. Famous examples of thought experiments include Schrödinger's cat, illustrating quantum indeterminacy through the manipulation of a perfectly sealed environment and a tiny bit of radioactive substance, and Maxwell's demon, which attempts to demonstrate the ability of a hypothetical finite being to violate the second law of thermodynamics. Overview[edit] Salviati. Variety[edit] There are many different kinds of thought experiments. Origins and use of the literal term[edit] Uses[edit]

Engineering Serendipity Photo WHEN Yahoo banned its employees from working from home in February, the reasons it gave had less to do with productivity than serendipity. “Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings,” explained the accompanying memo. The message was clear: doing your best work solo can’t compete with lingering around the coffee machine waiting for inspiration — in the form of a colleague — to strike. That same day, Google provided details of its new campus in Mountain View, Calif., to Vanity Fair. Silicon Valley is obsessed with serendipity, the reigning buzzword at last month’s South by Southwest Interactive Festival. As Yahoo and Google see it, serendipity is largely a byproduct of social networks. Whereas Mr. ONE reason structural holes persist is our overwhelming preference for face-to-face interactions. And we get a particular intellectual charge from sharing ideas in person. Dr.

Heroin in brown, black and white: Structural factors and medical consequences in the US heroin market What Marissa Mayer Doesn't (and Does) Get About White-Collar Work | Wired Opinion When Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer banned her employees from working at home earlier this year, she sparked a culture war over How We Work Today. “Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home,” the head of Yahoo HR wrote in a memo. “We need to be one Yahoo!, and that starts with physically being together.” Pundits and executives said Mayer was nuts: Telecommuting offers family-friendly flexibility, and research shows that people who work remotely are far more productive, right? Others shot back in her defense, citing the “water-cooler effect”: You only get innovative, breakthrough ideas when staff work face-to-face and exchange ideas serendipitously. The problem is, both sides are right. When we talk about being “creative,” we usually mean dreaming up bold, weird new ideas. The real challenge for organizations is understanding what type of thinking they want to do, not where to do it. Subsequent work has reproduced his findings. feature photo: Adam Tinworth / Flickr

Yaqui people Yaqui people, c. 1910 The Yaqui or Yoeme are Native Americans whose ancestors originated in the valley of the Río Yaqui in the northern Mexican state of Sonora. Many Yaqui still live in their ancestral homeland. Language[edit] The Yaqui language belongs to the Uto-Aztecan language family. The Yaqui call themselves Hiaki or Yoeme, the Yaqui word for person (yoemem or yo'emem meaning "people").[3] The Yaqui call their homeland Hiakim, from which some say the name "Yaqui" is derived. History[edit] The Yaqui flag Conquistadors and Missionaries[edit] Captain Diego de Guzman, leader of an expedition to discover lands north of the Spanish settlements, encountered the Yaqui in 1533. In 1565, Francisco de Ibarra attempted, but failed, to establish a Spanish settlement in Yaqui territory. The Yaqui lived in a mutually advantageous relationship with the Jesuits for 120 years. Yaqui Wars and the Díaz enslavement[edit] Gen. During this time, Yaqui resistance continued. Lifestyle[edit] Notable Yaqui[edit]

What Storytellers Can Teach You About How to Learn Faster Storytelling is a demanding craft. Not only do you have to be able to write or perform the story accurately, you need to create vivid descriptions. Boring, complex or difficult to understand metaphors can turn an imaginative journey into a lifeless plot. You may not think of it deliberately, but learning is very similar to storytelling. Metaphors and Holistic Learning Awhile back I mentioned about how I use holistic learning to get good grades with little studying. Holistic learning is based on the principle that learning works as a whole and not through rote memorization. The storyteller’s art of metaphor is crucial in holistic learning. How to Create Good Metaphors After writing extensively about holistic learning and metaphors previously, I’ve received comments from people asking how they can find metaphors for math, physics, biology, philosophy or some other subject. Storytellers understand that there is no perfect metaphor. Isolate a Characteristic. Taking Metaphors Further

5 Incredible Ways Dogs Can Read Your Mind #2. Dogs Understand Pointing George Doyle/Photos.com This is another one that might sound completely obvious to your arrogant, top-of-the-food-chain brain, but the fact of the matter is that dogs and humans are the only two species currently clinging to our big blue spaceball who understand the point of pointing. Pointing is much more complicated than it seems. Even after extensive training, chimps, our closest relatives on the evolutionary family tree, don't really "get" it. David De Lossy/Photodisc/GettyPlus a net loss of millions of balls, but those dogs never pass on their genes. Perhaps most amazingly, dogs are so sensitive to our directional cues that they can follow our intent even if we're not actually pointing. Chalabala/Photos.comSo only ogle douches. #1. Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images You and your dog are out for a lovely evening's jaunt, full of exercise and pooping, when you pass by another canine. Interesting. That's some Game of Thrones shit right there.

Why Learning and Multitasking Don’t Mix Living rooms, dens, kitchens, even bedrooms: Investigators followed students into the spaces where homework gets done. Pens poised over their “study observation forms,” the observers watched intently as the students—in middle school, high school, and college, 263 in all—opened their books and turned on their computers. For a quarter of an hour, the investigators from the lab of Larry Rosen, a psychology professor at California State University–Dominguez Hills, marked down once a minute what the students were doing as they studied. A checklist on the form included: reading a book, writing on paper, typing on the computer—and also using email, looking at Facebook, engaging in instant messaging, texting, talking on the phone, watching television, listening to music, surfing the Web. Sitting unobtrusively at the back of the room, the observers counted the number of windows open on the students’ screens and noted whether the students were wearing earbuds. Another study, carried out at St.

Free Audio Books A couple months ago when I wrote about investing time wisely and the concept of multiple positives many readers commented, saying that an excellent way to educate yourself and spice up an otherwise boring workout is listening to audio books and podcasts while you hit the gym. It also works great for beating the boredom while you’re stuck in traffic during your daily commute. To help you find the best audio content the web has to offer, I’ve compiled a list of resources for free audio books and podcasts on a wide range of interesting topics. Enjoy, and you if know of any good sites I’ve overlooked, please leave a link in the comments. Free Audio Books LibriVox, if you don’t know it already, is the king of free audio books. AudioBooksForFree also has a big catalog to sort through, with an emphasis on classic works, but a decent amount of mystery, sci-fi, and thriller as well. If you’re looking specifically for classics, FreeClassicAudioBooks is a nice little resource. Free Podcasts

Printable Alphabet Cards 2 sets of free PDF with 26 printable alphabet cards in upper case and lower case, colored or black & white. Each card is about 2 x 2 inch. Simply print, cut and use for anything you like. Color Alphabet Cards 2 x 2 inch size cards, alphabet in upper case letters A – Z in colors Download the alphabet cards (PDF 36 Kb, 2 pages) 2 x 2 inch size cards, lower case alphabet a – z in colors Download the alphabet cards (PDF 35 Kb, 2 pages) Black Alphabet Cards 2 x 2 inch size cards, upper case alphabet A – Z in black Download the alphabet cards (PDF 35 Kb, 2 pages) 2 x 2 inch size cards, lower case alphabet a – z in black Download the alphabet cards (PDF 35 Kb, 2 pages) Tips Try printing them on card stock paper if you’re going to use them repeatedly.

Learn to Draw Animals Print and enjoy our Learn to Draw Animals pages for kids of all ages. Kids can use our step by step illustrations to discover how to draw all sorts of animals and build up their skills and confidence in the process...plus they are just good fun! You could build up a whole folder of these printable pages for rainy days - teachers might even want to laminate them and keep them ready as a time-filler or reward. And of course many of them tie into classroom themes, too. We have over 80 of these animal drawing pages so you are sure to find one that appeals! By special request, save yourself a lot of clicking and grab all our learn to draw animals, birds, bugs and sea creatures in one easy download! Learn to draw this cute chimpanzee just by following the steps and copying carefully. Whether you are looking at African animals, primates or even Ancient Egyptian Gods, use our learn to draw a baboon guide to add some fun. Have you ever wanted to learn how to draw a badger? Kids love meerkats!

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