John Kounios: The Neuroscience of Creativity
The Science of Creativity
In this episode of The Science of Creativity, Dr. Keith Sawyer interviews cognitive neuroscientist Dr. John Kounios, one of the world’s leading researchers on insight, the “aha moment,” and the neuroscience of creativity. Kounios—coauthor of The Eureka Factor—has spent decades studying how sudden breakthroughs emerge, what’s happening in the brain when insight strikes, and how we can increase the odds of having more creative ideas. Together, Keith and John unpack the mysteries of insight, from Archimedes’ bathtub to shower thoughts, jazz improvisation, and why some kinds of...
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Inside the Creative Brain: How Your Mind Changes When You Create
The Science of Creativity
In this episode, Keith Sawyer speaks with cognitive scientist Liane Gabora. Her work spans creativity research, artificial intelligence, cultural evolution, and complex systems. Dr. Gabora has spent decades developing computational and mathematical models to understand how ideas emerge, evolve, and spread—both within individual minds and across societies. The conversation centers on Gabora’s research showing that creativity is a self-organizing process in the mind that reshapes a person’s entire worldview. Rather than seeing creativity as confined to specific domains, her "honing...
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Exploring the Essence of Creativity in Science and Art: A Conversation with Arthur Miller
The Science of Creativity
In this conversation, Professor Arthur I. Miller discusses artificial intelligence and creativity, including his book The Artist in the Machine. We discuss the essence of creativity, exploring its interdisciplinary nature and the connections between art and science. Dr. Miller emphasizes the importance of visual imagery in both science and art, and he identifies the key characteristics of highly creative individuals. We talk about the role of AI in creativity, the future of human-machine collaboration, and we end with practical advice for enhancing your own creativity. Takeaways Breakthrough...
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The True Story of New Year's Resolutions: Babylon, Ancient Rome, Benjamin Franklin, and the Science of Resolutions that Work
The Science of Creativity
Every January, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions—and just as many abandon them weeks later. But where did this ritual come from? In this episode, Dr. Keith Sawyer traces the surprising 4,000-year history of New Year’s resolutions, from ancient Babylonian vows to Roman civic promises, Christian moral reflection, early American self-engineering, and modern consumer culture. Along the way, he shows that resolutions were never inevitable or instinctive. They're a powerful example of collective creativity: a social tradition that slowly emerged as each generation added something...
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Inventing the iPhone: Myths, Mistakes, and Group Genius
The Science of Creativity
You've heard about Steve Jobs, the Wizard of Cupertino. They say he invented the iPhone. Some people called him the iGod. But the iPhone was not created by a single genius, not Jobs and not anyone else. The real story is more surprising, and more interesting, than a myth about a single man. In this episode, Dr. Keith Sawyer reveals the true history behind Apple’s groundbreaking invention. It was years of secret teams, failed prototypes, competing visions, and the collective creativity of hundreds of people. Before the iPhone, cutting-edge techies carried all sorts of...
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Where Did Santa Claus Come From? The Secret History of Christmas
The Science of Creativity
This is a special Christmas episode of The Science of Creativity. The creation of Christmas is an example of social innovation, a kind of collective creativity where everyone plays a role. Five hundred years ago, Christmas was a wild party, where young men got drunk and roamed in packs around town. Children didn’t start getting gifts until about 200 years ago. The Santa Claus myth was invented, along with the elves and the workshop at the North Pole, in the late 1800s. This episode gives you the history of the secular, non-religious traditions that we celebrate at Christmas. It started...
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Dark Creativity: How People Get Good Ideas to Do Bad Things
The Science of Creativity
In this episode of , Keith Sawyer talks with Dr. Hansika Kapoor about the psychology of dark creativity — how the same cognitive processes that generate brilliant ideas can also lead to deception, manipulation, or harm. Kapoor explains that creativity itself is amoral: it can be directed toward good or bad outcomes depending on intent and context. Their conversation spans the neuroscience of lying, the overlap between moral and creative cognition, and the role of cultural factors in shaping creative expression. They also discuss recent findings on the “art bias,” on using creativity...
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The Art of Motion: Capturing Life on Paper an Interview with Carol Fabricatore
The Science of Creativity
Based in New York City, Carol prefers to leave the studio and seek out the immediacy of city life, whether sidewalks, parks, boxing studios, or Coney Island. In this conversation, Carol Fabricatore shares her extensive experience as a professional illustrator and how she teaches advanced MFA students to advance on their creative journey. She talks about the mystery of capturing motion and energy in drawing, the role of fearlessness in artistic practice, and the transformative journey of students in MFA programs. She emphasizes the value of leaving the computer and drawing by hand, the...
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How AI Hinders Creativity in Education: Matt Worwood on The Convenience Trap
The Science of Creativity
Matthew Worwood is a full-time Digital Media Design faculty member at the University of Connecticut. He has research interests in Creativity, Design Thinking, and Co-Creativity using Generative AI tools and Digital Media. Outside of his research, Matthew is an experienced learning experience designer who works closely with K-12 educators on professional growth and teacher creativity. He is co-host of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast and has produced two low-budget documentary films that explore topics related to creativity in education. For further information: Teacher Roundtables: ...
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Art, Design, and the Creative Process with Lorne Buchman
The Science of Creativity
In this conversation, Lorne Buchman discusses his book . It’s based on interviews he did with creators in a range of fields. These interviews connect with the same themes in my book --powerful features of creativity like iteration, uncertainty, engaging with materials, and an improvisational dialogue with the unfolding work. He shares his personal journey in discovering creativity, emphasizing the importance of engaging with uncertainty and the role of improvisation in art and life. Buchman highlights how constraints can stimulate creativity, and the significance of fostering a...
info_outlineIn this episode of The Science of Creativity, Dr. Keith Sawyer interviews cognitive neuroscientist Dr. John Kounios, one of the world’s leading researchers on insight, the “aha moment,” and the neuroscience of creativity. Kounios—coauthor of The Eureka Factor—has spent decades studying how sudden breakthroughs emerge, what’s happening in the brain when insight strikes, and how we can increase the odds of having more creative ideas. Together, Keith and John unpack the mysteries of insight, from Archimedes’ bathtub to shower thoughts, jazz improvisation, and why some kinds of creativity flourish only when we’re relaxed, a little fuzzy, and not trying too hard. You’ll learn what brain areas activate during an aha moment, how EEG and fMRI reveal the timing and location of insight, and why creativity requires both hard analytical work and moments of letting go. This wide-ranging conversation covers the neuroscience of insight, the psychology of mind-wandering, the power of sleep, the secrets of flow states, improvisation, ADHD and creativity, and practical techniques anyone can use to boost creative thinking.
In This Episode
- What the “Eureka effect” really is—and what makes an insight different from everyday thinking
- Why most people have many small insights they never notice
- How researchers trigger and measure insights in the lab
- The brain signature of an aha moment (and why it’s like a sudden electrical “pop”)
- Why insight and analytical thinking rely on different brain systems
- How positive mood, low pressure, and “psychological safety” expand thought
- Why we get ideas in the shower—and why Thomas Edison napped with steel balls
- How sleep reorganizes memory and produces breakthrough ideas
- Why creativity is a “strong spice”—powerful, but only useful at the right moment
- The surprising connection between ADHD symptoms and insight-based problem solving
- The neuroscience of flow and why expertise makes effortless creativity possible
- What jazz improvisation teaches us about creative brain states
- Practical steps for becoming more creative this week
Five Key Takeaways
- Insight is sudden, non-obvious, and comes with a burst of neural activity. It’s a different cognitive process than deliberate problem-solving, and each mode has strengths.
- Positive mood, reduced pressure, and mind-wandering increase insight. Psychological safety and relaxation widen the scope of thought, allowing remote associations to surface.
- You can’t have insights without preparation. Expertise and hard work load the mind with the building blocks that insights rearrange in new ways.
- Sleep is one of the most powerful creativity boosters. It consolidates memory, breaks fixation, and often produces solutions you couldn’t find the day before.
- Flow emerges from expertise and reduced frontal-lobe control. In high-skill improvisation (like jazz), creativity becomes automatic, effortless, and deeply absorbing.
Practical Advice from John Kounios
- Get more sleep. It improves mood, reorganizes memory, removes fixation, and dramatically increases insight.
- Make time for creativity. Insights won’t happen if you never give yourself space to think, wander, or play.
Music by license from SoundStripe:
"Uptown Lovers Instrumental" by AFTERNOONZ
"Miss Missy" by AFTERNOONZ
"What's the Big Deal" by Ryan Saranich
Copyright (c) 2026 Keith Sawyer