The Origins of Creativity

The Origins of Creativity
Author: Edward O. Wilson
Publisher: Liveright Publishing
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2017-10-03
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1631493191

“Brimming with ideas. . . . The Origins of Creativity approach[es] creativity scientifically but sensitively, feeling its roots without pulling them out.”—Economist In a stirring exploration of human nature recalling his foundational work Consilience, Edward O. Wilson offers a “luminous” (Kirkus Reviews) reflection on the humanities and their integral relationship to science. Both endeavors, Wilson argues, have their roots in human creativity—the defining trait of our species. By studying fields as diverse as paleontology, evolution, and neurobiology, Wilson demonstrates that creative expression began not 10,000 years ago, as we have long assumed, but more than 100,000 years ago in the Paleolithic Age. A provocative investigation into what it means to be human, The Origins of Creativity reveals how the humanities have played an unexamined role in defining our species. With the eloquence, optimism, and pioneering inquiry we have come to expect from our leading biologist, Wilson proposes a transformational “Third Enlightenment” in which the blending of science and humanities will enable a deeper understanding of our human condition, and how it ultimately originated.

The Origins of Creativity

The Origins of Creativity
Author: Edward O Wilson
Publisher: National Geographic Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2018-11-27
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1631494856

“Brimming with ideas. . . . The Origins of Creativity approach[es] creativity scientifically but sensitively, feeling its roots without pulling them out.”—Economist In a stirring exploration of human nature recalling his foundational work Consilience, Edward O. Wilson offers a “luminous” (Kirkus Reviews) reflection on the humanities and their integral relationship to science. Both endeavors, Wilson argues, have their roots in human creativity—the defining trait of our species. By studying fields as diverse as paleontology, evolution, and neurobiology, Wilson demonstrates that creative expression began not 10,000 years ago, as we have long assumed, but more than 100,000 years ago in the Paleolithic Age. A provocative investigation into what it means to be human, The Origins of Creativity reveals how the humanities have played an unexamined role in defining our species. With the eloquence, optimism, and pioneering inquiry we have come to expect from our leading biologist, Wilson proposes a transformational “Third Enlightenment” in which the blending of science and humanities will enable a deeper understanding of our human condition, and how it ultimately originated.

The Origins of Creativity

The Origins of Creativity
Author: Edward O. Wilson
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 175
Release: 2017-10-03
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0241309220

'An intellectual hero ... A superb celebrator of science in all its manifestations' Ian McEwan 'Darwin's great successor' Jeffrey Sachs The legendary biologist Edward O. Wilson offers his most philosophically probing work to date 'Creativity is the unique and defining trait of our species; and its ultimate goal, self-understanding,' begins Edward Wilson's sweeping examination of the humanities and their relationship to the sciences. By studying fields as diverse as paleontology, evolutionary biology and neuroscience, Wilson demonstrates that human creativity began not 10,000 years ago, as we have long assumed, but over 100,000 years ago in the Paleolithic Age. Chronicling the evolution of creativity from primates to humans, Wilson shows how the humanities, in large part spurred on by the invention of language, have played a previously unexamined role in defining our species. Exploring a surprising range of creative endeavors - the instinct to create gardens; the use of metaphors and irony in speech; or the power of music and song - Wilson proposes a transformational 'Third Enlightenment' in which the blending of science and the humanities will enable us to gain a deeper understanding of the human condition, and how it ultimately originated.

The Origin of Ideas

The Origin of Ideas
Author: Mark Turner
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 314
Release: 2014-03
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 019998882X

Humans are unique among all other species in having one cognitive attribute-the ability, almost without conscious effort, to engage in blending. This is the first book that brings the theory of blending to a wide audience and shows how blending is at the heart of the origin of ideas.

Creativity Revealed

Creativity Revealed
Author: Scott Jeffrey
Publisher: Creative Crayon Publishers
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2008-06
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 0971481555

Why do some people seem more creative than others? How do brilliant minds gain key card access to unexplained depths of power and illumination while others struggle simply to choose a tie? Studies have demonstrated that creativity isnt necessarily linked with intelligence, yet our most profound philosophers and academic minds have yet to crack the creative genius code. Until now. The most current research into the nature of consciousnessour sense of existencehas shed new insight into and sparked provocative discussion on the origins of creative genius and the ideal conditions for channeling heightened creativity.

Cave Paintings and the Human Spirit

Cave Paintings and the Human Spirit
Author: David S. Whitley
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Total Pages: 324
Release: 2009-09-25
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1615920560

Whitley, one of the world's leading experts on cave paintings, rewrites the understanding of shamanism and its connection with artistic creativity, myth, and religion by interweaving archaeological evidence with the latest findings of cutting-edge neuroscience.

The Genesis of Creativity and the Origin of the Human Mind

The Genesis of Creativity and the Origin of the Human Mind
Author: Ariela Fradkin Anati
Publisher: Karolinum Press, Charles University
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2015
Genre: Art and anthropology
ISBN: 9788024626772

"Genesis of Creativity and the Origin of the Human Mind" is a collective monograph which comprises scientific studies written by foremost world experts specialising on evolution of the man, culture and art. Seen from the interdisciplinary perspective, the monograph aspires to describe, analyse and interpret the nascence of artistic creativity and the constitution of the anatomically modern man s mind. It also focuses on the origins of art in the Upper Paleolithic as well as on manifestations of artistic creativity in pre-literary societies and tribal cultures that have preserved until present, e.g. in Southern Africa. The fact that the monograph is a result of works by experts with different specialisations enables us to compare their different approaches to the topic and accentuate the wide array of possible approaches and interpretations of artistic manifestations in a particular historic and cultural context."

Origins of Human Innovation and Creativity

Origins of Human Innovation and Creativity
Author: Scott A. Elias
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 141
Release: 2012-12-31
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0444538224

Innovation and creativity are two of the key characteristics that distinguish cultural transmission from biological transmission. This book explores a number of questions concerning the nature and timing of the origins of human creativity. What were the driving factors in the development of new technologies? What caused the stasis in stone tool technological innovation in the Early Pleistocene? Were there specific regions and episodes of enhanced technological development, or did it occur at a steady pace where ancestral humans lived? The authors are archaeologists who address these questions, armed with data from ancient artefacts such as shell beads used as jewelry, primitive musical instruments, and sophisticated techniques required to fashion certain kinds of stone into tools. Providing 'state of art' discussions that step back from the usual archaeological publications that focus mainly on individual site discoveries, this book presents the full picture on how and why creativity in Middle to Late Pleistocene archeology/anthropology evolved. - Gives a full, original and multidisciplinary perspective on how and why creativity evolved in the Middle to Late Pleistocene - Enhances our understanding of the big leaps forward in creativity at certain times - Assesses the intellectual creativity of Homo erectus, H. neanderthalensis, and H. sapiens via their artefacts

How Art Made the World

How Art Made the World
Author: Nigel Spivey
Publisher: Basic Books
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2006-11-27
Genre: Art
ISBN: 0786722134

In the late nineteenth century, the first discoveries of prehistoric painting were greeted with incredulity. How could there have been such deft and skillful artists in the world over 30,000 years ago? Noted art historian Nigel Spivey begins with this puzzle to explore the record of humanity's artistic endeavors, and their impact on our own development. How Art Made the World , in conjunction with the PBS miniseries, reveals how artists from the earliest caveman to the most studied Renaissance master have grappled with the same questions in their work: What is a man? Why must we die? Is there a God? With the help of vivid color illustrations of some of the world's most moving and enduring works of art, Spivey shows how that art has been used as a means of mass persuasion, essential to the creation of hierarchical societies, and finally, the extent to which art has served as a mode of terror management in the face of our inevitable death. Packed with new insights into ancient wonders and fascinating stories from all around the globe, How Art Made the World is a compelling account of how humans made art and how art makes us human.

Handbook of Creativity

Handbook of Creativity
Author: Robert J. Sternberg
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 508
Release: 1999
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 9780521576048

The goal of the Handbook of Creativity is to provide the most comprehensive, definitive, and authoritative single-volume review available in the field of creativity. To this end, the book contains 22 chapters covering a wide range of issues and topics in the field of creativity, all written by distinguished leaders in the field. The chapters have been written to be accessible to all educated readers with an interest in creative thinking. Although the authors are leading behavioral scientists, people in all disciplines will find the coverage of creativity divided in the arts and sciences to be of interest. The volume is divided into six parts. Part I, the Introduction, sets out the major themes and reviews the history of thinking about creativity. Subsequent parts deal with methods, origins, self and environment, special topics and conclusions.