Roots of Creativity Found in the Brain

The ability of humans to create art, think rationally or invent new tools has long interested scientists, and a new study reveals how the brain achieves these imaginative feats.

Human imagination stems from a widespread network of brain areas that collectively manipulate ideas, images and symbols, the study finds. This "mental workspace" had been theorized before, but this study provides new empirical evidence, the researchers say.

Creativity in art, science, music and other fields requires the ability to combine different mental representations to form new ones. [Creative Genius: The World's Greatest Minds] Read more...