A Neural Network for Creative Serial Order Cognitive Behavior

If artificial neural networks are ever to form the foundation for higher level cognitive behaviors in machines or to realize their full potential as explanatory devices for human cognition, they must show signs of autonomy, multifunction operation, and intersystem integration that are absent in most existing models. This model begins to address these issues by integrating predictive learning, sequence interleaving, and sequence creation components to simulate a spectrum of higher-order cognitive behaviors which have eluded the grasp of simpler systems. Its capabilities are described based on simulations calling for increasing levels of functionality and are used to show how the model can progress from fundamental sequence learning and recall tasks to sophisticated behaviors such as an ability to solve simple mathematical expressions and a creative capacity for the formation and application of inductive rules.     

中国创意产业初期发展之路

创意产业在现代服务业中,对城市经济起着带动作用。创意产业将成为未来10至20年经济新增长点的重要增长因素,创意集聚区的涌现,让创意产业呈现出一片欣欣向荣景象。文章详细论述了中国创意产业所面临的困境,并阐明了应该如何打造创意产业。     

浅谈电工电子实训教学

电工电子实训对于提高工科院校学生的实践能力和培养学生的创新能力具有重要作用.文章结合教学经验对电工电子实训项目制订、项目讲解、操作示范、实训过程指导、培养学生创新能力、成绩评定等方面进行了阐述和探讨.     

Creative communication for chance discovery in shopping

This study considered an information presentation method to help customers make a concept-articulation type of purchase. When customers follow the concept-articulation type of thinking, they only have vague requirements and try to make a gradual clarification of what they really want through the interaction with salesclerk(s). Skillful salesclerks can communicate with their customers appropriately to discover an opportunity for bringing the customers to their concept-articulation, which often leads to a successful sale. Based on the observations from our analysis of these human behavior in actual purchase activities, we constructed a system called S-Conart (Concept Articulator for Shoppers) to support the concept-articulation type of purchase. The user study conducted using S-Conart shows that using a different method of presenting information can cause a change in the user’s mental world, which is also observed in a real-life shopping situation, although in a different form. The result of this user study suggests the possibility of chance discovery by customers themselves, which is expected to be useful for building support systems for concept-articulation type of shoppers. Hiroko Shoji: She is an associate professor in the Department of Information and Communication Sciences at Kawamura Gakuen Women’s University, and also a doctoral student in the Department of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Tokyo. She received her B.S. in mechanical engineering in 1989 and her M.Eng. in mechanical engineering and engineering synthesis in 1991 from the University of Tokyo. Her current research interests include creativity in real life and chance discovery. She was awarded a Research Promotion Award from Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence (JSAI) in 2000. Koichi Hori, D.Eng.: He received his B.Eng, M.Eng, and Dr.Eng. degrees in electronic engineering from the University of Tokyo, in 1979, 1981, and 1984, respectively. In 1984, he joined National Institute of Japanese Literature, where he developed AI systems for literature studies. Since 1988, he has been with the University of Tokyo. He is currently a professor with Department of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, the University of Tokyo. From September 1989 to January 1990, he also held a visiting position at University of Compiegne, France. His current research interests include AI technology for supporting human creative activities, cognitive engineering and Intelligent CAD systems. Professor Hori is a member of IEEE, ACM, IEICE, IPSJ, JSAI, JSSST, and JCSS.     

Improving problem solving and creativity through use of complex-dynamic simulations

This article presents an instructional method to improve problem solving and creativity by employing computer-based simulations. The instructional method described is based upon empirical research conducted by the authors. The simulation presents contextually meaningful problem situations that require learners to analyze and prepare solution proposal(s). Following the learner input, the simulation assesses the proposal and offers back to the learners the consequences of their decisions while also iteratively updating the situational conditions. This type of simulation, unlike conventional simulations that are used for acquisition of knowledge, is complex-dynamic, requiring the learner to fully employ their knowledge base by constructing solutions to domain-specific problems. The focus of complex-dynamic simulations is to improve and elaborate learner cognitive abilities employed in the service of problem solving and creativity.     

Japan’s intellectual property strategy

Initiated by a speech by the Japanese Prime Minister in 2002, an improved strategy for the creation, protection and use of intellectual property in the Japanese economy has rapidly evolved. The author outlines the major elements and achievements of the new strategy under five categories:

– Creativity and inventiveness (e.g. facilitating technology transfer from universities to the private sector).

– Protection (e.g. trilateral sharing of search and examination results, speedier examination, and the establishment of an IP high court).

– Exploitation (e.g. widening the range of organisations allowed to assist SMEs).

– Contents (mainly aspects of IP in the movie industry).

– Cultivating human resources (e.g. increased emphasis on IP education in universities).

Future work, in phase 2 through to 2009, in making Japan an ‘IP Rich Country’, will concentrate on building on these changes to integrate IP more fully into business growth.     

Anupama Kundoo

Informed by research into and experimentation with eco-friendly construction methods, the work of Anupama Kundoo adheres to the fundamentals of Indian tectonics in forming its architectural language. In this respect her work is influenced by the experimental environment of Auroville, and the construction innovations of Balkrishna Doshi and Laurie Baker. In 1990 she started her architecture practice in Auroville, a place she describes as an international city in the making in southeast India (see her essay in this issue). From 1992 to 1996 she lived in Berlin and worked in social housing, before returning to Auroville. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

机械科学与工程研究中的创新能力

分析探讨了提高科技创新能力的关键要素。创新教育首先要培养创新意识。要用敏锐的洞察力去发现问题、形成并提出问题。要有丰富的知识,以及获取、处理信息并将其转换为知识的能力。要有科学研究的素质和创造性思维的能力。要善于通过高度的科学或哲学概括,建立不同现象间的内在关联,以获得创新。要善于利用发散或反向思维取得创新成果。     

Innovation in Creative Cities: Evidence from British Small Firms

Creative cities are seen as important sites for the generation of new ideas, products and processes. Yet, beyond case studies of a few high-profile cities, there is little empirical evidence on the link between local creative industries concentration and innovation. This paper addresses this gap with an analysis of around 1,300 UK small- and medium-sized enterprises. The results suggest that firms in local economies with high shares of creative industries employment are significantly more likely to introduce entirely new products and processes than firms elsewhere, but not innovations which are simply new to the firm. This effect is not exclusive to creative industries firms and seems to be largely due to firms in medium-sized, rather than large, cities. The results imply that creative cities may have functional specialisations in new content creation and so firms are more innovative in them.     

The dynamic influence of emotions on game-based creativity: An integrated analysis of emotional valence,activation strength,and regulation focus

Emotion has been identified as an important predictor of creativity, but little attention has been put on investigating how emotion, especially that considers regulation focus, may dynamically influence male and female students' creativity in game-based situations. To explore the dynamic relationship between various types of emotions and creativity during game playing, 266 college students were included and the Creativity Game-based Evaluation System (CGES) was developed in this study. Four types of emotions integrating perspectives of valence (positive vs. negative), activation (high vs. low), and regulatory focus (prevention vs. promotion) were investigated in this study: the positive-low activation-prevention emotion (P-L-Pre) (calm and relaxed), the positive-high activation-promotion emotion (P-H-Pro) (happy and elated), the negative-high activation-prevention emotion (N-H-Pre) (nervous and anxious), and the negative-high activation-promotion emotion (N-H-Pro) (frustrated and angry). The results revealed that, although there was a slight gender difference in game-based creativity, the prediction patterns of emotions in game-based creativity were very similar among participants with different genders. Specifically, emotions during game playing can better predict creativity than those of the baseline; moreover, the P-H-Pro emotion can facilitate performance on creativity, whereas the N-H-Pro emotion can decrease creativity performance. Thus, providing appropriate challenges to induce highly-activated and promotion-focused positive emotions are critical for the success of games designed to improve creativity.