This one takes a moment to sink in. At first it looks like any other game of hide-and-seek, but once you realise the ‘bots’ have been let loose with no environmental knowledge and learned to play and strategise on their own, it’s truly extraordinary. Advances like this are like gaping into a world of infinite…
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Beavers and the imagination might not seem like an obvious connection, which is why we value the inspiration of authors like Ben Goldfarb. Here, environmentalist, blogger and imagination champion Rob Hopkins explores Ben’s ideas with an interview about his new book and the work behind it. What we found interesting was positioning beavers as the…
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Why do we tell stories? When you think about it, storytelling is a weird activity: Rather than engage in ‘productive’ tasks (such as acquiring money, resources or status), individuals choose to spend much of their time listening to and telling stories which seem to serve little purpose other than to entertain and enthrall. This fascination with stories is not…
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Is imagination all in our heads? Does thinking take more than just the brain? Exploring the possibility that our bodies not only assist cognition but are actually essential to it is exciting. It broadens the scope of the imagination, meaning that it could be more expansive and inclusive than ever. Suppose I give you the…
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At iOi and IM, we campaign for imagination as the tool for driving change and understanding, so this research is really exciting. If how we think can change our perceptions of the world around us, it opens up the possibilities for navigating it in new ways. Imagining something into reality is probably a desire as…
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Full STEAM ahead! An exciting project developed at MIT is not only using creative thinking to link sports science, physiotherapy and psychology with the powerhouse of potential that is 3D printing, but actually making art too. MoSculp‘s creations, 3D-printed motion sculptures, intend to revolutionise the study of movement by making three dimensional records of the paths…
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It’s exciting to find a little-known phenomenon that might give us some insight into the human mind. By studying extreme imagination we might be able to better understand and harness the different ways that we think and visualise. When you are absorbed in a novel, what does your mind’s eye see? For many of us,…
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A great example of STEAM in action, with creativity and science combining to take on one of the biggest technological stories of the moment at AI: More than Human. It’s rare to have this kind of widespread access to AI; inviting people to experience it for themselves rather than read about far off labs and…
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We love learning about the positive effects of simple, creative activities; it’s at the core of what we do at iOi and IM. Even better in this case, dancing is also a naturally communal activity that reinforces social bonds and benefits us all. So, feel the rhythm, catch the beat, and keep it moving. If…
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We read a lot about machines “taking over“, but what’s behind this fear, could it be a lack of trust? We believe in the power of empathy to foster bonds, and it seems a university team in the US is taking this thinking digital. For us it is an important way in which creative thinking…
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