Creativity in the 2000s and Beyond

The tremendous progress in science and technology in the last millennium and its rapid acceleration in the last century are due to the remarkable creativity of mankind. Yet little is known about creativity - what is it, who has it, how can it be stimulated, is it still needed, and where will it lead in the future? According to the author's understanding, it is the ability to produce or bring into existence something that was not there before, something new, an extension of our base of knowledge. For those of us who have undertaken research as a career, it is a necessary trait for doing our jobs well. Creativity is an intellectual capability of some human beings, something that goes on in the brain, something not yet matched by computers.