The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos The Surprising Science of Creativity (with Dr. George Newman)
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Jan 26, 2026 
Dr. George Newman, a Rotman School of Management professor and author on creativity, explains how ideas are often found in the world, not conjured in isolation. He discusses exploration before breakthroughs, treating creativity like archaeology, using constraints and transplantation across domains. He also covers systematic search methods, AI as a tool, and how to evaluate and persist with ideas.
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Use Constraints To Spark Ideas
- Embrace constraints and 'think inside the box' to spark new approaches.
- Newman recommends running toward limitations because they can force creative breakthroughs.
Nature And Curiosity Spark Solutions
- The bullet train's nose was redesigned after an engineer copied the kingfisher's beak to stop tunnel booms.
- Janet Stevens replicated Roman hairstyles by stitching hair, revealing historical techniques.
Keep Digging: More Ideas Win
- In idea generation, persist past the expected limit because the 'creative cliff' is illusory.
- Generate many ideas liberally and defer judgment until later sifting.
