#117—Min Jung: A Neuroscientist's Insights into Unleashing Creativity

Min Jung  is a vice director of the Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions at the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea and a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. He is also the author of A Brain for Innovation: The Neuroscience of Imagination and Abstract Thinking. 

Min’s work gives us scientific insights into the actual foundation working of the brain, specifically how the brain generates innovative ideas. Min believes that everyone has an ability to be creative.

In this discussion, we dive deep into topics from his book, A Brain for Innovation: The Neuroscience of Imagination and Abstract Thinking seeking to uncover what it takes to do just that.

In this episode, Min shares with us: 

• The many complex, dynamic brain networks and how they function and interact in order to create abstract thinking and creativity 
• His concept of the "3 B's" of creativity, the three states that provide space for innovative ideas to emerge in your brain 
• How organizations can foster environments that facilitate creativity  
• The fascinating critical part “place cells,” neurons in the hippocampus, can play in shaping how we think, remember, organize, and enable organizational transformation

_______________________________________________________________________________
Episode Timeline:
00:00—Highlight from today's episode
1:16—Introducing Min + the topic of today’s episode
4:00—If you really know me, you know that...
5:38—What's your definition of strategy?
7:07—Understanding the importance of brain networks
8:16—Min's take on abstract thinking
9:59—Min's object recognition neural network graph
11:08— The default mode network in a relaxed state
13:39—How our brains attaches value to things
14:53—The "3 Bs" for creativity
16:41— Finding the right work-relaxation balance
17:43— Comparing brain and organizational idea generation
20:16— The role of place cells in humans and animals
23:12— Using spatial metaphors in strategy to break down thinking
24:33— Tapping into your natural creativity
25:58—How can people follow you and continue learning from you?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional Resources:
Book site:  A Brain for Innovation: The Neuroscience of Imagination and Abstract Thinking

Thank you to our executive producer Zach Ness, our producer Nazanin Homayoun Jam and our editor James Pearce. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, download, and subscribe. I’m your host, Kaihan Krippendorff—thank you for listening.

Follow us at outthinker.com/podcast