This is a discussion of the book "The Lab: Creativity and Culture" by David Edwards (Harvard University Press: 2010).
At THNK, we are driven by the conviction that true innovation can only happen when art and science mix and mingle. We believe this truth should be reflected by our education systems. David Edwards thinks so, too. His recent book is an inspiring exploration of the nature of creativity itself.
In The Lab, David Edwards explores the connections between art and science. He calls for the desegregation of the worlds of art and science and extrapolates on his vision for "art-science laboratories". The art-science laboratory is a new type of laboratory that is to encourage rapid prototyping, transdisciplinary collaboration, and the translation of ideas into products or processes that are beneficial to society at large. The art-science lab is where people from different backgrounds—scientists, artists, and others—work together outside of the comfort zones of all of them, while involving the public by way of co-creation.
The appealing thing about Edwards' vision is the idealism behind it. Edwards argues that art-science labs' ambitions should be grand by definition. His writing is engaging and lively as he brings his unique personal experience in developing art-science labs to the table to convincingly state his case.