Chance Favors the Connected Mind

Steven Johnson asks “Where do good ideas come from? What is the space of creativity and innovation?” He concludes that “chance favors the connected mind” and calls for “fluid networks” of idea-sharing where the interest in connecting ideas trumps the interest in protecting them.

Citing the British coffeehouses of the 1650s as a space where different ideas came together and fostered the creative burst of the Enlightenment, Johnson makes the case for following the “slow hunch” and fostering environments where people can come together to build on ideas and problem solve. According to Johnson, ideas are, even at their basic neurological form, cultivated networks and we needn’t wait on a “eureka moment” for collaborative innovation.

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This  article  originally appeared on PolicyInnovations.org

Photo Credits: Imprensa CampusParty Brasil