London Writers' Salon #185: David Eagleman — The Neuroscience of Creativity, Navigating Genres, Protecting Your Brain in the Age of AI, plus The Lazy Susan Method
Mar 15, 2026
David Eagleman, neuroscientist and bestselling author known for work on brain plasticity and time perception. He explains creativity as a default brain remixing process and outlines three core creative algorithms. He unpacks causes of writer's block and practical fixes like Ulysses contracts. He shares his IHOP writing habit, the Lazy Susan method for juggling projects, and why genre-hopping preserves creative flexibility.
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Creativity Is The Brain's Default Remixing
- Creativity is a default brain function where brains constantly absorb and remix the world using bending, breaking, and blending.
- David Eagleman shows every idea has a lineage (e.g., Coleridge's lines traced to books on his shelf), so originality is remixing history.
Apply Bending Breaking And Blending Deliberately
- Use the three creative algorithms deliberately: bend by altering size or form, break by splitting concepts into parts, and blend by combining disparate ideas.
- Eagleman gives concrete examples: umbrella patents for bending, DNA fragmentation for breaking, and mythic hybrids for blending.
Address Needs Not Magic To Beat Writer's Block
- Treat writer's block like unmet basic needs, social fear, or scattered attention rather than a lack of creativity; fix sleep, food, and stress first.
- Eagleman writes at IHOP for four-hour stretches and credits setting aside dedicated time as essential to overcoming blocks.
