have you ever imagined what the future would look like 50 years from now what
would look like 50 years from now what
would look like 50 years from now what do you think will change what problems
do you think will change what problems
do you think will change what problems might we anticipate and more importantly
might we anticipate and more importantly
might we anticipate and more importantly how do we innovate for future progress I
how do we innovate for future progress I
how do we innovate for future progress I want you to notice that given enough
want you to notice that given enough
want you to notice that given enough time each and every one of you
time each and every one of you
time each and every one of you regardless of your background or
regardless of your background or
regardless of your background or profession can contribute meaningfully
profession can contribute meaningfully
profession can contribute meaningfully to those questions we have this uniquely
to those questions we have this uniquely
to those questions we have this uniquely human ability called creativity which
human ability called creativity which
human ability called creativity which enables us to imagine possibilities
enables us to imagine possibilities
enables us to imagine possibilities implement them and later share those
implement them and later share those
implement them and later share those ideas with others
ideas with others
ideas with others creativity defines the human race and no
creativity defines the human race and no
creativity defines the human race and no other species on earth can do it quite
other species on earth can do it quite
other species on earth can do it quite like we can not only is it uniquely
like we can not only is it uniquely
like we can not only is it uniquely human it is highly important the fact
human it is highly important the fact
human it is highly important the fact that human society is what it is today
that human society is what it is today
that human society is what it is today compared to our caveman ancestors will
compared to our caveman ancestors will
compared to our caveman ancestors will tell you about the value of creativity
tell you about the value of creativity
tell you about the value of creativity and moving forward it will be your
and moving forward it will be your
and moving forward it will be your creativity that will enable you to be
creativity that will enable you to be
creativity that will enable you to be the game changer to push the boundaries
the game changer to push the boundaries
the game changer to push the boundaries of future progress and so today I’d like
of future progress and so today I’d like
of future progress and so today I’d like to share with you my research on how
to share with you my research on how
to share with you my research on how thinking about the future can enhance
thinking about the future can enhance
thinking about the future can enhance our creativity now despite how exquisite
our creativity now despite how exquisite
our creativity now despite how exquisite human creativity is truly a difficult
human creativity is truly a difficult
human creativity is truly a difficult skill to use now creativity is about
skill to use now creativity is about
skill to use now creativity is about trying to design ideas that are both
trying to design ideas that are both
trying to design ideas that are both original and useful but unfortunately as
original and useful but unfortunately as
original and useful but unfortunately as we try to create those ideas our minds
we try to create those ideas our minds
we try to create those ideas our minds tend to fall back on our pre-existing
tend to fall back on our pre-existing
tend to fall back on our pre-existing knowledge and schemas to create those
knowledge and schemas to create those
knowledge and schemas to create those new ideas now a schema is our
new ideas now a schema is our
new ideas now a schema is our preconceived and stereotypical mental
preconceived and stereotypical mental
preconceived and stereotypical mental model of the world it helps us to think
model of the world it helps us to think
model of the world it helps us to think quickly in everyday situations it has a
quickly in everyday situations it has a
quickly in everyday situations it has a very strong negative impact on
very strong negative impact on
very strong negative impact on creativity like you take you through an
creativity like you take you through an
creativity like you take you through an example I’d like you to imagine yourself
example I’d like you to imagine yourself
example I’d like you to imagine yourself on a different planet right now and as
on a different planet right now and as
on a different planet right now and as you’re on this planet
you’re on this planet
you’re on this planet you encounter an alien animal you notice
you encounter an alien animal you notice
you encounter an alien animal you notice this animal has feathers and I invite
this animal has feathers and I invite
this animal has feathers and I invite you to imagine what the rest of this
you to imagine what the rest of this
you to imagine what the rest of this animal might look like so take a moment
animal might look like so take a moment
animal might look like so take a moment you’re on a different planet he meet an
you’re on a different planet he meet an
you’re on a different planet he meet an alien animal with feathers
alien animal with feathers
alien animal with feathers what would the rest of it look like
how many of you imagined an animal with
how many of you imagined an animal with wings how many of us saw some kind of
wings how many of us saw some kind of
wings how many of us saw some kind of bird if you did then you’re experiencing
bird if you did then you’re experiencing
bird if you did then you’re experiencing your schemas at work so you can do this
your schemas at work so you can do this
your schemas at work so you can do this experiment in many different ways
experiment in many different ways
experiment in many different ways Haas research shows that if you tell
Haas research shows that if you tell
Haas research shows that if you tell people that this alien animal has
people that this alien animal has
people that this alien animal has feathers people on the whole tend to
feathers people on the whole tend to
feathers people on the whole tend to draw wings in them if instead you have
draw wings in them if instead you have
draw wings in them if instead you have told them that this animal has scales
told them that this animal has scales
told them that this animal has scales they tend to draw fins on them and
they tend to draw fins on them and
they tend to draw fins on them and they’re not very likely to draw legs on
they’re not very likely to draw legs on
they’re not very likely to draw legs on them so much like our typical schemas of
them so much like our typical schemas of
them so much like our typical schemas of birds and fishes in everyday living we
birds and fishes in everyday living we
birds and fishes in everyday living we see this effect because even when trying
see this effect because even when trying
see this effect because even when trying to create something new our minds
to create something new our minds
to create something new our minds automatically retrieve and call up our
automatically retrieve and call up our
automatically retrieve and call up our schemas and that those schemas can shape
schemas and that those schemas can shape
schemas and that those schemas can shape our ideas what this means for you is
our ideas what this means for you is
our ideas what this means for you is that if you’re an inventor and you’re
that if you’re an inventor and you’re
that if you’re an inventor and you’re thinking about inventing a new product
thinking about inventing a new product
thinking about inventing a new product the moment you do that your mind is
the moment you do that your mind is
the moment you do that your mind is automatically calling up the difficult
automatically calling up the difficult
automatically calling up the difficult products of those categories and those
products of those categories and those
products of those categories and those schemas can constrain your ideas and
schemas can constrain your ideas and
schemas can constrain your ideas and this is really problematic with real
this is really problematic with real
this is really problematic with real world inventions for example when trains
world inventions for example when trains
world inventions for example when trains were first designed in the 1830s they
were first designed in the 1830s they
were first designed in the 1830s they looked a bit like this
looked a bit like this
looked a bit like this now this design is terrible for at least
now this design is terrible for at least
now this design is terrible for at least two reasons firstly people did fall off
two reasons firstly people did fall off
two reasons firstly people did fall off the trains and die secondly as the Train
the trains and die secondly as the Train
the trains and die secondly as the Train moves notice that if you’re on the top
moves notice that if you’re on the top
moves notice that if you’re on the top cabin the smoke will be blowing back on
cabin the smoke will be blowing back on
cabin the smoke will be blowing back on your face pretty much the whole way so
your face pretty much the whole way so
your face pretty much the whole way so you can imagine that the inventors
you can imagine that the inventors
you can imagine that the inventors probably didn’t intend this but what
probably didn’t intend this but what
probably didn’t intend this but what probably happened is that the strong
probably happened is that the strong
probably happened is that the strong schema of a horse-drawn transportation
schema of a horse-drawn transportation
schema of a horse-drawn transportation and those times had shaped their designs
and those times had shaped their designs
and those times had shaped their designs even when they were trying to create
even when they were trying to create
even when they were trying to create something that was supposed to be
something that was supposed to be
something that was supposed to be revolutionary in back then so the simple
revolutionary in back then so the simple
revolutionary in back then so the simple message is schemas constrain our
message is schemas constrain our
message is schemas constrain our creativity but we also seem to use them
creativity but we also seem to use them
creativity but we also seem to use them very automatically so how then can we
very automatically so how then can we
very automatically so how then can we break free from those schemas
break free from those schemas
break free from those schemas in my research I discovered that when
in my research I discovered that when
in my research I discovered that when people think about the future they
people think about the future they
people think about the future they automatically envision high levels of
automatically envision high levels of
automatically envision high levels of change and progress they see the future
change and progress they see the future
change and progress they see the future as radically different and so at least
as radically different and so at least
as radically different and so at least momentarily the schema of the world
momentarily the schema of the world
momentarily the schema of the world becomes shifted beyond that the strong
becomes shifted beyond that the strong
becomes shifted beyond that the strong expectation of change and progress also
expectation of change and progress also
expectation of change and progress also seem to shape their ideas to become more
seem to shape their ideas to become more
seem to shape their ideas to become more creative to experiment with this idea I
creative to experiment with this idea I
creative to experiment with this idea I sample a large group of people and split
sample a large group of people and split
sample a large group of people and split them into groups one of these groups
them into groups one of these groups
them into groups one of these groups brought a short essay about human life
brought a short essay about human life
brought a short essay about human life 50 years later in the future whereas the
50 years later in the future whereas the
50 years later in the future whereas the other group writes short essays about
other group writes short essays about
other group writes short essays about human life in the present day and after
human life in the present day and after
human life in the present day and after they did that we asked them to design
they did that we asked them to design
they did that we asked them to design creative new products products such as
creative new products products such as
creative new products products such as toys dining tables and movie characters
toys dining tables and movie characters
toys dining tables and movie characters we didn’t have independent judges rate
we didn’t have independent judges rate
we didn’t have independent judges rate their originality of these ideas and we
their originality of these ideas and we
their originality of these ideas and we also rated just the extent that they
also rated just the extent that they
also rated just the extent that they have broken free from their schematic
have broken free from their schematic
have broken free from their schematic thinking in those ideas let me give you
thinking in those ideas let me give you
thinking in those ideas let me give you an example of that suppose I asked you
an example of that suppose I asked you
an example of that suppose I asked you to design a dining table now this is
to design a dining table now this is
to design a dining table now this is actually a very difficult task because
actually a very difficult task because
actually a very difficult task because we have very strong schemas or what
we have very strong schemas or what
we have very strong schemas or what dining table looks like in our everyday
dining table looks like in our everyday
dining table looks like in our everyday lives dining tables have a flat surface
lives dining tables have a flat surface
lives dining tables have a flat surface has legs typically square or round or at
has legs typically square or round or at
has legs typically square or round or at least symmetrical in design and so when
least symmetrical in design and so when
least symmetrical in design and so when we evaluate people’s designs we can see
we evaluate people’s designs we can see
we evaluate people’s designs we can see the extent that they have deviated from
the extent that they have deviated from
the extent that they have deviated from these features that would be one way to
these features that would be one way to
these features that would be one way to score their creativity and consistently
score their creativity and consistently
score their creativity and consistently we find that people who wrote the short
we find that people who wrote the short
we find that people who wrote the short essay about human life in the future
essay about human life in the future
essay about human life in the future first were much more creative than
first were much more creative than
first were much more creative than people who wrote about the present day
people who wrote about the present day
people who wrote about the present day more than that those who envisioned more
more than that those who envisioned more
more than that those who envisioned more change and progress in the future but
change and progress in the future but
change and progress in the future but also more creative what this tells me is
also more creative what this tells me is
also more creative what this tells me is that it’s not thinking about the future
that it’s not thinking about the future
that it’s not thinking about the future per se but the reason that thinking
per se but the reason that thinking
per se but the reason that thinking about the future can enhance our
about the future can enhance our
about the future can enhance our creativity is because it invokes this
creativity is because it invokes this
creativity is because it invokes this strong hope for change and progress in
strong hope for change and progress in
strong hope for change and progress in the
the
the and this shapes our ideas to become more
and this shapes our ideas to become more
and this shapes our ideas to become more creative
creative
creative it helps us break free from our schemas
it helps us break free from our schemas
it helps us break free from our schemas 2x further experiment on this idea I
2x further experiment on this idea I
2x further experiment on this idea I sample another large group of people
sample another large group of people
sample another large group of people this time they only wrote about what the
this time they only wrote about what the
this time they only wrote about what the future will be like but one group writes
future will be like but one group writes
future will be like but one group writes about the future as radically different
about the future as radically different
about the future as radically different whereas the other group tell me why the
whereas the other group tell me why the
whereas the other group tell me why the future will be fundamentally similar and
future will be fundamentally similar and
future will be fundamentally similar and only when they saw the future as
only when they saw the future as
only when they saw the future as radically different were they more
radically different were they more
radically different were they more creative furthermore I also explored the
creative furthermore I also explored the
creative furthermore I also explored the strategy they took and they were also
strategy they took and they were also
strategy they took and they were also more likely to have explored an idea
more likely to have explored an idea
more likely to have explored an idea completely from scratch rather than
completely from scratch rather than
completely from scratch rather than modify an existing one now this is a
modify an existing one now this is a
modify an existing one now this is a strategy that strongly predisposes
strategy that strongly predisposes
strategy that strongly predisposes creativity it is the approach you will
creativity it is the approach you will
creativity it is the approach you will take if you want to discover a
take if you want to discover a
take if you want to discover a game-changing innovation so with what
game-changing innovation so with what
game-changing innovation so with what I’ve learned the question I would like
I’ve learned the question I would like
I’ve learned the question I would like you to leave you with today is this what
you to leave you with today is this what
you to leave you with today is this what would the future look like 50 years from
would the future look like 50 years from
would the future look like 50 years from now I invite you to contemplate that
now I invite you to contemplate that
now I invite you to contemplate that because psychologically it appears that
because psychologically it appears that
because psychologically it appears that our hopes for the future filled with
our hopes for the future filled with
our hopes for the future filled with change and progress not only inspires
change and progress not only inspires
change and progress not only inspires more creativity but also prepare us to
more creativity but also prepare us to
more creativity but also prepare us to adopt an innovative posture that
adopt an innovative posture that
adopt an innovative posture that embraces change thank you
embraces change thank you
embraces change thank you [Applause]
”
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