As if by design : how creative behaviors really evolve /
Wasserman, Edward A.,author.
"As you watch Michael Phelps swim the butterfly stroke, you marvel at the amazing coordination of his muscular arms, legs, and torso. These powerful motions seem to have been perfectly planned to outpace his rivals in what is the most demanding of all swimming strokes. What you may not appreciate is that the butterfly stroke was never planned. Nor, for decades following its debut, was it even an approved stroke in the Olympic Games. In this book, I'll explore the origin and evolution of the butterfly stroke and a variety of other behavioral innovations which, because of their striking suitability to the situation, appear to have been ingeniously and foresightfully designed. More often than not, however, these creative acts have actually arisen 'as if by design.' This revelation requires a much deeper dive into the histories of these innovations in order to gain a firmer grasp on the very nature of behavioral creativity. What emerges is an intricate web of causation involving three main factors: context, consequence, and coincidence. By concentrating on the process rather than the product of innovation, I hope to elevate behavior to its proper place-at the very center of creative human endeavor-for it is truly behavior that produces the innumerable innovations that have captivated thinkers' imagination. Those most splendid theories, goods, and gadgets would never have come into being without the behaviors of their inventors. This book thus stands apart from the majority of other discussions of creativity which stress 'genius' and 'foresight': two notions that do little more than to name what really needs to be explained"--
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Section 1. Introduction. Prelude -- Setting the stage -- Previewing the vignettes -- Section 2. The vignettes. Part I. Sports. Dick Fosbury's high jump was no flop! -- Shedding fresh light on the history of the butterfly stroke -- The monkey crouch : Jockeying for position -- Riding acey-deucy -- The high five : one singular sensation -- Part II. Medicine. The Apgar Score : "millions have been saved" -- The Ponseti Method : effective treatment for clubfoot only 2,400 years in the making -- The Heimlich Maneuver -- Eating to live : the lifesaving contribution of Stanley Dudrick -- What's in a (drug) name? -- Self-medication by people and animals -- Personalized medicine : the end of trial-and-error treatment? -- Part III. Hygiene. Florence Nightingale : advancing hygiene through data visualization -- Taking mental floss to dental floss -- A very close shave -- Part IV. Arts, entertainment, and culture. Ansel Adams : art for art's sake? -- Basil Twist : "genius" puppeteer -- Moonwalking : and more mundane modes of moving -- Play on words -- Cuatro Festivales Españoles -- Tchaikovsky : puzzles of the Pathétique -- The evolution of the violin : survival of the fittest or the fondest fiddle? Part V. Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa!. The rise and the demise of the Iowa Caucus -- Iowa's blackout plates : artistic license hits the road -- If I write it, they will build it -- Section 3. Putting it together. Context, consequence, and coincidence -- Are we just making it up as we go along?.
"As you watch Michael Phelps swim the butterfly stroke, you marvel at the amazing coordination of his muscular arms, legs, and torso. These powerful motions seem to have been perfectly planned to outpace his rivals in what is the most demanding of all swimming strokes. What you may not appreciate is that the butterfly stroke was never planned. Nor, for decades following its debut, was it even an approved stroke in the Olympic Games. In this book, I'll explore the origin and evolution of the butterfly stroke and a variety of other behavioral innovations which, because of their striking suitability to the situation, appear to have been ingeniously and foresightfully designed. More often than not, however, these creative acts have actually arisen 'as if by design.' This revelation requires a much deeper dive into the histories of these innovations in order to gain a firmer grasp on the very nature of behavioral creativity. What emerges is an intricate web of causation involving three main factors: context, consequence, and coincidence. By concentrating on the process rather than the product of innovation, I hope to elevate behavior to its proper place-at the very center of creative human endeavor-for it is truly behavior that produces the innumerable innovations that have captivated thinkers' imagination. Those most splendid theories, goods, and gadgets would never have come into being without the behaviors of their inventors. This book thus stands apart from the majority of other discussions of creativity which stress 'genius' and 'foresight': two notions that do little more than to name what really needs to be explained"--
Creative ability.
Creative thinking.
Inventions
Technological innovations