They are a product of “liquid networks”. New ideas are truly born out of chaos, actually, chaotic environments, like those of London’s original coffee houses.
They also have notoriously long incubation periods, like Darwin’s theory, for example, which Steven Johnson calls his “slow hunch”.
Learn here how innovation happens. You will find out, “Chance favours the connected mind.”
By Alain Prud’homme
The word paradigm in the scientific or design professions is used to indicate a pattern, model, outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype. These paradigms are the conceptual frameworks that provide a unified perspective over a range of experiences.
Since students mainly learn from and are mentored by others who learned the foundation in their respetive fields from identical models there is seldom any disagreement over the fundamentals. Men whose research is based on shared paradigms are faithful to the same principles, rules and standards in their scientific practice.
Openness to the diversity of thought is generally not welcomed and considered a threat in the majority of professional fields most of which are still dominated by models rooted in old paradigmatic thought.
In the majority of, if not all, scientific fields it is unfortunate that the political and financial institutions that control licensure, standards of ethics, and third-party payments, are rooted in the old paradigms and continue to hold the exclusive rights to define and regulate professional practice.
Most scientists participate in what can be considered as ‘normal science’. ‘Normal Science’ in this context is any activity consistent with the existing paradigm and provides relatively small gains in the field as a rule.
When the existing paradigm fails to explain a number of new phenomena or concepts, the science goes into a time of crisis during which a paradigm shift can occur. These paradigm shifts allows for new growth, new creativity, new ideas, new models—and ultimately a new age.
Throughout the history of the science, paradigm shifts have allowed us to explain previously unexplainable phenomena. Science introduced and continues to introduce a number of paradigm shifts that change our perception of the universe and of who we are. These paradigm shifts opened up new avenues and new fields to explore.
“It’s not easy being seen if you find information that does not support the accepted views because the supporters of the accepted views have publicity, money and power to grant degrees. Going along is how proponents of the accepted view obtained their degrees, how they obtained funding and how they obtained their publicity. So how could so many smart people have got it so wrong? A few got it wrong; the rest went along. Self interest, not science, ensured the status quo.” – C. J. Ransom.
Here is an example of a paradigm shift in physics. In physics the string theory (now M-theory) proponents originally worked in 10-dimensions. There was a minority group of physicists who believed that there should be 11-dimensions. Those who believed that there should be 11-dimensions were practically excommunicated from the ranks of physicists. However the 10-dimensional model of string theory had a problem with the maths something the 11-dimensional model did not have. It took a long time, with considerable infighting, but now the 11-dimensional model is now the accepted model. Even then, like all theoretic models, some scientists have questioned the tangible successes of M-theory given its current incompleteness, and its limited predictive power, after so many years of intense research.
Cosmology is now in the midst of its own paradigm shift. Many scientists (away from universities) have ditched the big bang theory in favor of an electric universe. The electric universe grew out of a broad interdisciplinary approach to science, based more on observations and experiments than abstract theory and recognized the connections between diverse disciplines.
This is a fascinating journey in the world of scientific ideas that are likely to shape the intellectual scenario of the third millennium.
Most revolutions in science have come from people who taught themselves outside the academic system and were not constrained by the fallacies and fashions of the day. It has been well documented that modern institutions of science operate in such a way as to enforce conformity by preventing the research and publication of revolutionary ideas. Enlightenment has to come from outside academia.
Unfortunately science is vulnerable to the vested interests and biases of its practitioners as the ‘Global Warming’ (renamed ‘Climate Change’) scam has show only too clearly.
Regrettably we are in need of a major paradigm shift when it comes to the micro-generation of free energy. The paradigm shift is not only needed in the scientific community but in the political arena as well.
It is unfortunate that our species has a strong tendency towards herding, a dislike to contrariasm and a strong desire for acceptance and popularity. People fear change, our so-called “leaders” even more, and are willing to hang anyone who dares think outside their limited imagination.
Most of what you get taught is lies. It has to be. Sometimes if you get the truth all at once, you can’t understand it. – Terry Pratchett.
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When Edward DeBono conceived his “Six Thinking Hats,” he envisioned a framework that functions well for individuals, for teams, for groups, for communities, and for organizations. However, people, even today, have little experience with thinking. They have even less training. They can memorize. They can understand what they are told. They can disassemble what others have created. They can apply the thinking of others. They can evaluate the work of others. What they cannot do, with any kind of frequency, is think into the future. Therefore, you must prepare them.STARTING POINT — You, yourself, first! Ask yourself what you want to achieve or accomplish. Give yourself a future window of at least three years to achieve. Work on this vision, until you feel comfortable that the vision is clear to you. Then, work on it some more to make it simple for others to share your vision. This step involves one part of “book-ends” or Blue Hat thinking — where do I want to get? This step also involves “new-ideas” or Green Hat thinking. Be as wild and crazy as you want in creating your vision.
When you believe you understand what is involved, try to get others to play the “future” game with you. Family, especially children, are good candidates. You can begin with a possible excursion. Ask them to envision doing something they have never done. Encourage them to be wild and crazy. Encourage them to be very specific so that others share the vision. Their vision must be clear and simple.
Children can be your best teachers because they lack the grown-up reality that tells them they can’t! Their enthusiasm and openness to play spreads to others playing the game. Watch to see how children approach the game. Learn from them. Incorporate their game-playing skills into your own envisioning —into your thinking.
At some point, try getting people who report to you or who work with you to play the wild and crazy game of envisioning the future. See what obstacles they manufacture. See where they have lost their sense of play. If they are stiff and fearful, you must inject silliness into the equation. Even though risks to relationships are involved, the sillier the better!
THE MIDDLE STAGE — When you believe your people, including your family, grasp envisioning the future, you can move on to other thinking hats. De Bono identified pairs of hats that work together as partners, not as adversaries. “Informational” (White Hat) thinking and “emotional” (Red Hat) thinking form one partnership. “Cautionary” (Black Hat) thinking and “getting-it-done” (Yellow Hat) thinking form a second partnership. Each partnership creates paths that move thinking from one perspective to another. Nothing magical determines the sequence of the thinking or the hats you choose. Only time will teach you what works for the situations in which you need to think.
Each of these hats reveals steps in the process from your current situation to your future reality. You are free to change hats frequently. Equally, you are free to use the hats in whatever sequence you want. Just recognize and acknowledge what kind of thinking you are doing at any time. Monitor your own process. Identify your comfort and discomfort zones. Strengthen your comfort zones regularly. Master your discomfort zones. Document your own learning so you can understand the struggles of others. Your compassion empowers them.
Do not hurry this middle stage. Details that emerge prevent you from having to “fix-it” later. Be patient. Be thorough. Ask all of the hard questions. Let the map-making take its own course.
IN THE END — With the vision clear and expressed simply and with the details of the processes of getting from where you are to where you want to be solidly in place, you are now at the execute-Execute-EXECUTE stage. Then, for the final hat, return to “book-ends” (Blue Hat) thinking. Identify what you have achieved. How accurate was your vision? What detours did you take? What adjustments did you need to make as you progressed? Document everything you can, especially your learning. Ask your games players to document as well. Celebrate, fully, your achievement. Finally, begin to think about “what next.”
Inside each of us lies a sleeping giant, the part of us that is wild and crazy. We need only to re-position the giant’s energy toward thinking, especially playful thinking, silly thinking. Many of us keep the giant hidden from view because of the unpredictability. With “new-ideas” thinking, the unpredictability is exactly what is needed. You do not want to present the tried and true. Rather, you want to open your brain to exploring alternatives and possibilities. Each new-idea represents a break with your traditional thinking. Each idea, wild and crazy as it might be, reveals a window of opportunity for the future.STARTING POINT — Again, be certain you have selected your thinking-focus. It could be the same focus you used with informational, emotional, cautionary and getting-it-done thinking. However, because you are learning how to think and how to CHANGE your thinking, you are free to choose another focus.
To begin arousing your sleeping giant, I am going to share some things I do to open my wild and silly brain. Some of these come from my work with lateral thinking. Others come from own historical struggles to find ways to release long-held practices. For example, releasing my brain from years of academic writing was a significant journey.
WHAT IF … — Taking my thinking focus, I start the arousing process with some simple “what if” thought exercises — most related to change. These exercises make my brain dance. Sometimes it is an energetic tap dance that begins slowly with simple tap steps. What if I changed the mission for the project? What if I changed the customers I would serve? What if I changed the results I wanted to achieve? What if I changed the values that will be produced by the project?
As my list grows and I stretch my brain, I may delve deeper into the tap-dance what-if questions. The questions may now change slightly from “what if” to “what might happen if.” The dance is now more flowing than energetic, more like the tango. Now the questions refocus the playful side of the giant. What might happen if I changed the objectives of the project? What might happen if I changed the people who are involved in the project?
RATTLING THE BRAIN CAGE — Each “what if” question leads me to explore possible answers. Each answer that surprises or startles me arouses my giant even more. Putting forth these answers forces me out of my comfort-zone. The cage that I built around my own brain is rattled, significantly. As I allow each answer to be a stepping stone to more detailed answers and to newer, more imaginative possibilities, the cage starts dissolving. Each possibility now becomes a dance that moves toward making things better.
GETTING UNSTUCK — Occasionally, my brain refuses to produce anything. Now is the time to call for silliness — a silliness that is quite acceptable under lateral thinking. Sometimes I begin with two unrelated items — a corkscrew and an ambulance. I now look for things that are similar about the two. [I'll let you play with your own version of the similarities!] Then, I look for how the similarities might be related to my thinking-focus. Each similarity may take my thinking in new directions.
For a second silliness, think of any word. Simply ask the word-gods to send you a word that will unstick your silly thinking. Ask yourself all of the relationship questions you want. Let yourself be silly. If these two actions do not get you unstuck, simply look around for any object or any behavior that comes into your view. Then, ask yourself how this object or behavior relates to your thinking-focus. Trust me, the answers will remove you totally from your comfort-zone! You will truly know how to make things better.
IN THE END — De Bono refers to “new-ideas” thinking as “creative thinking” and suggests the metaphor of “seedling thinking.” New ideas need care and protection, much as the seedling. To this kind of thinking de Bono assigns Green Hat status — green which suggests vegetation that needs nurturing. As the Green Hat sits more and more comfortably on your head, share your learning and understanding with others. Then, watch to see how new ideas emerge through your giant’s arousal. You will change things. You will make things better. Be pleased with your awakened giant who will always help you.