Creativity, Genius and the Brain

Scientists often cite Isaac Newton when crediting the work of others who have come before them:  If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. Who are those “giants”?  We know they are not limited to the sciences.  Music has them. So does art.  As well as literature.   Do these giants possess the characteristics of genius and creativity in larger doses than the rest of us?  What makes a genius?  Why are some people so much more creative than others?  How do people “become” creative or a genius?  What influence do brain and environment have in developing and nurturing genius or creativity?  These and other questions are the focus of this public event.  This event, in Washington, DC, on 27 October 2015, focused on circumstances necessary to produce a cultural environment that nurtures creativity; the role of epiphanies in the creative thinking process; and how science can contribute to enhanced creativity. Speakers: Nancy Andreasen, M.D., Ph.D., Andrew H. Woods Chair of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine; John Kounios, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Drexel University; Roberta B. Ness, M.D., M.P.H., Rockwell Professor of Public Health, Vice President for Innovation, The University of Texas School of Public Health. The Neuroscience and Society series is a partnership between The Dana Foundation and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.