The past few decades have witnessed enormous growth in the field computer applications.Automation has entered almost every field of human endeavor.With new advances in Applied Electronics supplimented by innovative Software designs,high end computing has been able to mimic human capabilities if not replace them.With the development of Artificial Intellegence applications,computers seem to simulate human decision making capabilities as well.All over the world Neural Network researchers are exploring the possibilities of creating an electronic nervous system which they think(strong AI) would replace human capability.This approach has evoked the intrest of scientests from diverse fields like Psychology,Philosophy,Neurology,Cybernetics...giving birth to an entirely new field called"Cognitive Science".As one explores deep into the human mind and the complex functionings of the brain the very term Artificial Intelligence seems to be a contradiction in terms,these days a newly coined term "Synthetic Intelligence" is much used which clearly reflects the inter disciplinary nature of the field,here Dr.Mervin Minsky's definition of AI holds good:"AI is the science of making machines do things that requires intelligence if done by humans". Dr.Margaret Boden has done extensive research in the field of Cognitive Science at the University of Sussex and is considered as one of the greatest authorities in the field of Cognitive aspects of computing.This is a very delicate area because it involves lot of moral,philosophical and ethical issues.In this pioneering work she examines creativity from the scientific perspective delving deep into the conceptual spaces of mind and goes on to propose with proven convictions that what is the need of the hour is the synthesis of Computational Models of Mind and Computer Designs inspired by the Biological Functionings of the Human Machine.This calls forth for immense interdisciplinary interaction at all levels.While advocating ths she does not forget the essential underlying reality of consciousness,the charm and wonder of spontaneous creativity.Dr.Boden's work removes the walls that seperate different fields of scientific pursuits.I'm just reminded of Dr.john Snyder's words.."If one were to build a computer with as many electronic interconnections as we have in the human brain,that computer will occupy the whole area of the state of Texas!". Dr.Boden approaches the essential gift of being human ie:Human Creativity with deep reverence and precisely for this very reason we get to understand in scientific terms the best in us and machines!

Have tried to order above book this morning and was told
there was a problem could not be shipped .WHY ?

This book is a very good collection of classic papers that you should read before you even think of posting to comp.ai or any of the other AI related groups. If you're interested in AI (or anything for that matter), you need to look to the field's recognized philosophy before you do anything else.

June 30, 1999 What is creativity, is an audio lecture which needs either better focus or a better title. In short it needs to be redevloped to be somewhat more creatively entertaining. When I purchased this audio book I thought I was going to be getting an imaginative fun philosiphical look at the human condition for being able to be creative. What I received was a series of four essays which sounded like they were read by a robot. Too analytical and definitely NOT VERY CREATIVE or interesting. (Special note I've only made it through the first one.) By looking at the copy right date its easy to tell that this is one of Audio Scholars first audio novels so I can't be too critical. They're later ones are much much better especially, T-Rex and the Crater of Doom, which takes a palentology scientific discovery and turns into a really fun adventure of science and discovery. I would really like to see this particular product redeveloped into a fun imaginative philosiphical look at the human condition for being able to be creative, similar to the T-Rex mention above. Leave the analytical discussions of paintings out as they are too specific and I found them oh so boring. It's alright to create an audio lecture on the history of art, but that's the history of art and not creativity and the human condition per say. I would tell listeners to avoid this audio novel and wait for it to be redeveloped properly. Arnold D Veness

What is creativity? I owe an apology to Audio Scholar for my first review. I should have finished listening to the whole whole audio novel before saying anything the whole work. My first review only pertains to essay 1 on tape 1. After abandoning the first tape because of unpredicted content I continued with tape 2 and was pleasently surprised with an engaging discussion on the philisophical nature of creativity and the human condition. One of my favorite readers, Jeff Riggenbach, read the last of the four essays. I would still like the audio book redeveloped to have more emphasis like the content contained in essay's 3 and 4. Arnold D Veness