This document discusses various topics related to innovation including the adjacent possible, exaptation, error, serendipity, and more. It provides examples of innovations that resulted from mistakes or errors such as Post-it notes and Silly Putty. It also discusses how new possibilities can emerge from exploring adjacent spaces and how exaptations can help discover new doors. Mutation, error, and serendipity are said to help unlock new possibilities lurking behind doors in the adjacent possible.

1. www.amazon.com
By: Susan Fioretti http://www.musictherapymaven.com/5-important-facts-about-neurodevelopment/neurons-2/

3. www.mongabay.com

4. Photograph: Doug Steley B/Alamy
www.k12.hi.us

5. Waves on
Reefwww.flickr.com
“Skeletons” left by
coral polyps
www.tropicalfishdata.com

6. Problem: 19th Century incubator
High Infant
Mortality
Solution:
Build a
Device That
Keeps
Babies
Warm www.neonatology.org

7. NeoNature incubator made from CAR PARTS!
EASY to fix, not a high-tech device.
HEADLIGHTS
FOR
WARMTH!
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/neonurtures-car-parts-baby-incubator/

8. Lev Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development
www.innovativelearning.com

9. www.scientificamerican.com
www.usingenglish.com
www.amazon.com

10. An undeveloped idea.
WRITE IT DOWN – go back to it.
Most great ideas are NOT epiphanies!
www.discoveryeducation.com https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Light_bulb_icon_tips.svg

11. www.isoc-ny.org
Tim Berners-Lee
www.wilsondan.co.uk

12. Unexpected
revelations while…
• Dreaming
• Walking
• Reading
www.chemistryland.com

13. Clear your mind…
www.blogs.psychcentral.com

14. Have you ever made a wrong
turn and found a shortcut?
www.startherenewyork.com

15. Ben Franklin:
Error is endlessly diversified
ACCIDENTS…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin
Post-it Notes
X Rays
Silly Putty
Viagra
The Slinky
The Pacemaker
Microwave Ovens
http://www.businessinsider.com/mistake-inventions-2011-8?op=1

16. 16th Century wine press Gutenberg’s printing press
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:16th_century_wine_press.jpg www.historyguide.org
Photo by Chris Lake

17. Mutation – Error – Serendipity
Unlock new doors in the adjacent possible
Exaptations help us explore
New possibilities
Lurking behind those doors

18. Plans – Designs – Greater heights
From Wikipedia home page links:
www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com
www.wikipedia.org
Artwork by Jan Sovak

19. Bloom’s Taxonomy
Subway car reef
www.educationdx.com/lesson-plan.html
http://njscuba.net/reefs/site_nj_redbirds.html

20. The 7 Patterns of Innovation:
Where Good Ideas Come From
The Adjacent Possible
Liquid Networks
The Slow Hunch
Serendipity
Error
Exaptation
Platforms