Creativity: a phenomenon that goes beyond an individual with a brain

Creativity: Creativity - our ability to imagine and bring into existence something new - is probably the most remarkable feature of human cognition. It is at the core of scientific innovation and drives art in all its forms; it is what explains progress, revolutions, crises and their resolution. But how does it work? What do we know about what creativity is, who has it, and what we can do to enhance it?

With its 14th “Behind and Beyond the Brain” Symposium, the BIAL Foundation seeks to address such questions by gathering prominent neuroscientists, psychologists, philosophers, and artists and engaging them in a profoundly interdisciplinary dialogue throughout a rich program extending over four days.

The Symposium will open on April 3rd with an evening lecture by Todd Lubart (Paris, FR), who will overview creativity inside and outside the boundaries of the mind as a phenomenon that goes beyond an individual with a brain.

Research on creativity over the past century has evolved to focus increasingly on the brain as the epicentre of original thinking. However, a broader perspective developed in Lubart’s presentation suggests that creativity is not only happening inside a person's head.

“Creativity is a contextualized phenomenon that goes beyond an individual with a brain. Indeed, creativity may not require a brain at all”, says Todd Lubart. In this regard, insights offered by recent advances in artificial intelligence will be discussed to complete the brief introduction to creativity.

Todd Lubart is a Professor of Psychology at the University Paris Cité, France. He serves on the editorial board of several journals concerning creativity and innovation, received the Berlyne Award (American Psychological Association), and the NAGC Torrance Award, and was a junior member of the Institut Universitaire de France. He is also president of the International Society for the Study of Creativity and Innovation. AlphaGalileo/SP