Il Pensiero CreativoProf. Giovanni Emanuele Corazza

VEMFWD 2017

Question #1

Did you sleep well last night?

Default Mode Network (DMD)

Ventromedial prefrontal cortex

(vmPFC)

Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex

(PFC)

Anterior cingulate cortex

(ACC)

Precuneus

Posterior cingulate

cortex (PCC)

Inferior parietal lobe

Hippocampus

Immordino-Yang, M.H., Christodoulou, J.A., & Singh, V. (2012). Rest is no idleness:

Implications of the brain’s default mode for human development and education.

Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7, 352-364

Default Mode Network (DMN)

• Activates

– in resting state

– During REM sleep

• Task related negative

• Associated to

– Mind wandering

– Introspection

– Making sense of the world

• Disfunctionalities may lead to

– ADHD

– Depression

– Alzheimer

Question #2

What would happen if due to an explosion a

13.25 pounds iron bar went through your skull?

Phineas Cage, Sep 13, 1848

Executive Control Network (ECN)

Dorsolateral prefrontal

cortex

(DLPFC)

Hsu, N. S., Novick, J. M., & Jaeggi, S. M. (2014). The development and malleability of

executive control abilities. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 8.

Anterior cingulate cortex

(ACC)

Posterior parietal cortex

(PPC)

Ventrolateral prefrontal

cortex (VLPFC)

Medial temporal lobe (MLT)

Executive Control Network (ECN)

• Performs executive functions involving multiple specific domains

– initiation

– inhibition

– social cognition

– working memory

– flexibility

– planning

– vigilance

• Disfunctionalities can cause/be caused by

– Disinhibition

– Non-adaptive social behavior

– Frontotemporal dementia

DMN & ECN collaboration

Organic Creativity (OC)

DMN & ECN: organic creativity process

DM

NE

CN ECN >> DMN (conformism)

DMN >> ECN (impulsivity)

time

Evolving society and human skills

INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY

STANDARDIZATION

CONCENTRATION

SYNCHRONIZATION

INFORMATION SOCIETY

PERSONALIZATION

DISTRIBUTION

S/T DESTRUCTURING

POST-HUMAN SOCIETY

HYPER-INTELLIGENCE

HYPER-CONNECTIVITY

EDUCATIONxIND

ROTE LEARNING

SPECIALIZATION

CREATIVITY FOR GENIUS

EDUCATIONxINFO

FLEXIBILITY

FILTERING

CREATIVITY FOR DIGNITY

EDUCATIONxPOST-INFO

A.I. CONTROL

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

CREATIVITY FOR SURVIVAL

Creativity is a necessity

for our survival !

The main take-away...

Marconi Institute for Creativity

mic.fgm.it

research education application

Challenging the state-of-the-art

Why is it so difficult?

Brain vs. Supercomputer

38 petaflops

15 W

20 petaflops

3 MW

Energy saving: threshold lowering

Consequences of energy saving

• Most of the brain processes are automatic and unaware

• Reason works with models, prototypes, heuristics

• Only strictly necessary areas are activated

• This is absolutely great, but it has a few drawbacks...

– Cultural blocks

– Perceptual blocks

– Emotional blocks

Divergent exploration

When the sun sets

we can see the other stars

Typical R&D: Maximizing ROI

Any alternative balance?

• Exploration of innovative concepts

Short range 95-99% Long range 1-5%

car : engine = innovation : creativity

The dimensions of climate for change and

creativity (Ekvall, 1997; Isaksen, 2007)

• Climate that supports creativity and innovation has

been defined with 9 dimensions:

1. Challenge/Involvement

2. Freedom

3. Trust/Openness

4. Idea-Time

5. Playfulness/Humor

6. Conflict

7. Idea-Support

8. Debate

9. Risk-taking

1927: Gifford lectures in Edinburgh...

• Alfred North Whitehead

– Creativity is the universal of universals

– Creativity is the ultimate principle by which the many, which are the

universe disjunctively, become the one actual occasion, which is the

universe conjunctively

=> Creativity is the ultimate metaphysical principle!

Thank you!

giovanni.corazza@unibo.it