Tom’s board spun out from under his feet as he attempted to surf the large wave. As he plunged backward into the roiling surf, he was frustrated once again by the lack of stability from his traditional Hawaiian-style surfboard.
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A few days later as he was walking along the beach, he came across a wrecked and abandoned speedboat lying upside down. His eyes were drawn to the small metal keel on the bottom. He knew that keels were placed on boats to stabilize them during hard turns. He wondered what would happen if he put one on his surfboard. So, he pried the 12 in. × 4 in. keel off the boat, took it home, and attached it to his board.
As he paddled out to the waves, he noticed that his board didn’t move around as much. When he caught his first wave he was amazed, not only by the board’s increased stability, but also by an increased maneuverability. Before long, other surfers noticed his ability to stay up longer on the larger waves, and copied his idea. It was 1935, and Tom Blake’s fin revolutionized surfing.
In 1946, Percy Spencer was running some experiments with a magnetron radar system for Raytheon Corp. when he noticed that the microwaves had melted a candy bar in his pocket. Curious, he placed some popcorn kernels near the tube and cranked it up. The kernels exploded into perfect popcorn that went flying about the room. Next he placed an egg in front of the tube. Seconds later, it exploded, too, but the egg was completely cooked.
He turned his new discovery over to company engineers who, over the next two years, developed the world’s first microwave oven. They called it the Radarange.
Curiosity is key to creativity and innovation. For me, curiosity emerges when I’m cooking or writing. A favorite indulgence of mine is to spread peanut butter on toasted whole grain bread. One day while preparing this treat, I spotted a jar of sliced jalapenos, and thought, “Hmm, I wonder what that would taste like?” So, I pressed several slices into the peanut butter on top of my toast. It was delicious, and now it’s the only way I’ll eat a peanut butter sandwich.
My curiosity is most active when I’m writing fiction. I usually begin with a “What if?” question. It’s here where I allow my unbridled curiosity to run free. One day I asked, “What if I could re-create a famous Biblical miracle using science?” and “What would I use it for?” then “How about fighting injustice?” Thus my yet-to-be-published science-fiction novella No Heresy was born.
Children are naturally curious, which is why they ask so many questions. They want to explore the world around them and learn how everything works. Beating a wooden spoon on pots and pans to create new sounds, making mud pies, building snowmen, and catching fireflies—all are activities that nurture curiosity. Exploration and discovery are pleasurable pursuits that stimulate a child’s mind and encourage creativity.
Unfortunately, that curiosity wanes over time, in part because children acquire knowledge and put it to practical use, but more so because it’s socialized out of them. In school children are taught to conform. Today, with rigid standards like “No Child Left Behind” and “Common Core,” curiosity is suppressed. Time is no longer allowed for exploration and discovery except in controlled situations. Following their own interests, just to see where it takes them, isn’t allowed.
I’d like to see a looser structure in schools that empowers children to research things that fascinate them, and then encourages them to see how their discoveries connect with the core subjects of reading, writing, arithmetic, and history.
As adults we don’t have to abandon our curiosity in favor of practical pursuits. It can always be reawakened. Let it run free. Turn down a road you’ve never been on just to see where it goes. Toss some unusual seasoning or some fruit into your next omelet. Pick two items off of your desk and imagine how you might combine those into a new product. Go ahead: Be curious. Have fun! While you’re at it, maybe you'll come up with the next great idea.
First published at The Un-Comfort Zone.
Comments
Curiosity - - Stories & Exploration
Your January 6 "I Wonder What Will Happen If..." is thought provoking. Right On as 2015 Gets Rolling! We need thoughts, & that leads us to imagination. You reference stories in the elementary classroom. As an "old guy" retired from the classroom I agree with your insights. But, I suggest the concepts of the classroom be expanded.
The university classroom accommodates story telling, creating fiction (based on facts), & allows for pushing forward in the exploration of ideas. Putting forward a quality-as-process & quality-as-result scene puts thinkers on their toes as they ponder what if.... That same situation of learning through stories, elementary class stories for older folks, can even be successful in adult continuing education.
Our successes continue as we push forward into 2015. Happy New Year!
++ Jerry Brong ++
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