ME AND MY MOM

May these photos allow you to experience again, the warm feelings of love your Mother,~ and all the Mothers that have nurtured, protected, and supported you, loving you like their own ~ have shown you.
lovu,
Kendke

 

Uh-oh!)

 

Thank you Judy~

Claudia Alexander, NASA Manager Who Led Jupiter Mission, Dies at 56

 

Photo Credit Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times

 
 Claudia Alexander had a pioneering role in the Galileo mission and was NASA’s scientist on the international Rosetta project.  

The New York Times

 By SAM ROBERTS

JULY 19, 2015

 

Claudia Alexander, who played a pioneering role in NASA’s Galileo mission to Jupiter and the international Rosetta space-exploration project, died on July 11 in Arcadia, Calif. She was 56.

The cause was breast cancer, her sister, Suzanne Alexander, said.

Dr. Alexander was a rarity at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for two reasons: She was a woman, and she was black. She was also considered a brilliant scientist.

She joined the Jet Propulsion Laboratory after getting her doctorate and was the last project manager of the 14-year, $1.5 billion Galileo mission, which ended in 2003, and the project scientist for NASA on the European Space Agency’s Rosetta project, which launched more than a decade ago. She was responsible for $35 million in instruments to collect data on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, including its temperature.

Dr. Alexander’s areas of expertise included the evolution and physics of comets, Jupiter and its moons, Venus, plate tectonics and the stream of particles from the sun known as solar wind. She wrote or co-wrote more than a dozen scientific papers, several children’s books (including titles in the “Windows to Adventure” series, “Which of the Mountains Is Greatest of All?” and “Windows to the Morning Star”) and, for fun, science fiction.

Claudia Joan Alexander was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 30, 1959, and raised in Santa Clara, Calif., during the birth of the computer revolution in the Silicon Valley. Her father, Harold, was a social worker. Her mother, the former Gaynelle Williams, was a librarian who worked for Gordon Moore, who became a co-founder of Intel.

In addition to her sister, she is survived by her brother, David.

“At the age of 5 or 6, the film ‘Fantasia’ opened an imaginative pathway of wonder for me about worlds other than Earth — primitive worlds — and how huge geological forces can impact life-forms there,” Dr. Alexander recalled in an interview with a University of Michigan alumni magazine. She also remembered watching Carl Sagan’s television series “Cosmos” a dozen or more times.

She hoped to enroll at the University of California, Berkeley, to study journalism, but her parents would pay only if she majored in “something ‘useful’ like engineering,” she said. She hated it.

She said in another interview, “I found it was a lot more fun to think about the flow of water in a river than water in the city sewer, so I switched to earth science.” But she had already gravitated toward planetary science, and a mentorship with the astronomer Ray T. Reynolds, during a high school summer internship with NASA.

Her favorite college memory, she said, was “staying up all night with friends arguing about which one of us was going to do the most for mankind with the research we were doing.”

She graduated from Berkeley and went on to earn a master’s degree at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a doctorate from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Alexander was so inspired by Johannes Kepler’s research into circular orbits, what she called a lifelong dedication to “searching out a fundamental truth,” that she was thrilled even to be proved wrong when the discovery of a thin atmosphere on Jupiter’s moon Ganymede upended assumptions that it was frozen solid.

“It was an exciting moment to experience something that changed my whole way of thinking,” she recalled. “I’ve never been so happy to be wrong before.”

She was 40 when she joined the Rosetta project. Rosetta’s lander reached the comet last November.

“They said they wanted someone who was young enough who would still be around when Rosetta gets there 10 years from now,” she explained in an interview with US Black Engineer and Information Technology magazine. “And they said they chose me deliberately for my ability to get along with different cultures.”

In an interview last year with The Los Angeles Times, she recalled that as a black woman in a field dominated by white men, “I’m used to walking between two different cultures.”

“For me,” she added, “this is among the purposes of my life — to take us from states of ignorance to states of understanding with bold exploration that you can’t do every day.”

In an interview with Michigan Engineer magazine, she reminded young people that “loving your work can sometimes be as important as how much money you make.”

She also compared a scientist’s effect on society with that of other careers.

“In the annals of history,” she said, “the athletes and musicians fade, but the ones who make fundamental improvements in humankind’s way of life, and in their understanding of the universe, live on in their discoveries.”

Can I Make You Smile? Maybe Even ...Laugh?

The Serena Slam

 

 Serena Williams 2015 Wimbledon Women's Champion at the 

  Grand Slam Tournament's Annual Champions' Ball

By Erin Carter

It took Serena Williams exactly 83 minutes to win her sixth career Championship and 21st Grand Slam title on Saturday, and just seconds for the world to react to her latest – and most stunning – achievement.

From Kobe Bryant to Billie Jean King, Serena Williams has been hailed a champion and a role model since winning the ladies’ final on Saturday afternoon, her fourth Grand Slam title in a row.

Within the tennis community some of the biggest names in the game raced to congratulate the world No.1 as she edges closer to becoming the most successful ladies’ Grand Slam competitor of all time.

Wimbledon 2014 champion Petra Kvitova was gracious in passing over the mantle to Williams, the new queen of SW19: “Congratulations @serenawilliams on your #Wimbledon title. Too good #21”, she tweeted, while world No.5 and close friend Caroline Wozniacki said: “Congrats Serena @serenawilliams!! What an achievement! 4 slams in a row and 21 in total! Wow!”.

There was no sign of sibling rivalry from five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, who was quick to herald her younger sister’s win: “Another day, another #Wimbledon title. Congrats @serenawilliams.”

Not long after Williams held the Venus Rosewater Dish aloft on Centre Court, tennis legend and 12-time Grand Slam title-holder Billie Jean King was already looking ahead to the next date on the calendar: “21 and counting... congrats @serenawilliams. You are unstoppable! Looking forward to seeing you play @WorldTeamTennis on July 20."

But it wasn’t just the tennis world celebrating Williams’ latest Wimbledon victory; the First Lady of the United States also took notice: “Wow! Huge congrats to @SerenaWilliams for her win at Wimbledon. We're all so proud of you! –mo,” Michelle Obama tweeted.

 
  Truly The Queen of the Ball.
As Stevie says,'Isn't she lovely~'

NBA star Kobe Bryant showed his support for a fellow sporting great, and had a few words of encouragement for seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer ahead of his clash with defending champion Novak Djokovic on Sunday: “Congrats @serenawilliams #differentanimalsamebeast #museon @rogerfederer its ur go #Wimbledon #vinoteam,” he tweeted.

Rapper Drake, who was courtside for Williams’ victory on Centre Court on Saturday, said the win was just reward for her big appetite at SW19: “Showtime Champ. A big plate for all that food you ate at Wimbledon!” he posted.

Musician John Legend, who attended The Championships with wife Chrissy Teigen just days earlier, said it simply: “#SERENASLAM”.

And acclaimed author JK Rowling added her support for the newest Wimbledon title-holder: “#SerenaSlam! I love her. What an athlete, what a role model, what a woman!” she said.

 
J.K. Rowling ‏@jk_rowling Jul 11

I'm #TeamSerena today, because you don't meet many super-talented people nicer than she is. Go @serenawilliams!

 
 


But for all the celebrations Williams was already looking ahead to her shot at a 22nd Grand Slam title and that elusive calendar Grand Slam. The 33-year-old was quick to correct retired tennis champion and now commentator Andy Roddick when he mused she must already be thinking about Flushing Meadows and the opportunity ahead.

“I hear @andyroddick said I'm already thinking about the U.S. Open 5 mins ago? Ummm Andy you are 20 mins late,” Williams quipped.

Elsewhere the BBC lauded Williams as “arguably... the most dominant single athlete in sport over the past 15 years”, while the New York Times reported Williams “has endured as few athletes in any sport have, and at age 33 she is in the midst of the most extended stretch of excellence of her career”. (Their words, my emphasis)

As the messages of congratulations continued to flood in throughout the afternoon, Williams was all but speechless: “No words can describe the feeling I have right now. #SerenaSlam Wow this happened?? It happened in my dreams and its happening again now! Thanks so much for all the support... I love you all so much. We did it... Now you know what I have on my mind now... Let's GOOOOO”.

And the festivities continue~
 

LONDON (AP) — After winning titles again on Wimbledon's grass, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams showed they can cut a rug, too.
Reviving a bygone tradition, Djokovic and Williams busted a move at the Grand Slam tournament's annual champions' dinner, dancing together to "Night Fever," the Bee Gees' disco hit from the 1977 movie "Saturday Night Fever" that starred John Travolta.
There used to be a formal ball held each year at the end of the tournament, and the men's and women's singles champions would dance there — but the musical part of the proceedings was discarded decades ago.
Djokovic called it a "tradition that was a bit forgotten," and said he suggested to Williams and the chairman of the All England Club, Philip Brook, that they bring the dancing back.



  “I was very pleased,” Djokovic said at a news conference at the All England Club on Monday, a day after beating Roger Federer in the final to collect his third Wimbledon title and ninth at a major. “Serena is a great dancer.”

Sagrada~ Sacred~ Holy~ Whole

Parishioners attend the first church service four days after a mass shooting that claimed the lives of nine people at the historic 
Emanuel African Methodist Church, downtown Charleston, South Carolina on June 21, 2015. 

Photo: David Goldman-Pool/Getty Image

Sack Full Of Dreams

Exclusive: Dave Chappelle Won’t be Making Jokes about Rachel Dolezal Anytime Soon.

The civil rights activist in Washington state who came under
fire for her racial identity, said she was stepping down June 15, 2015.

March 2, 2015 Rachel Dolezal at her home in Spokane, Wash. 

Colin Mulvany/AP

Dave Chappelle is a very funny guy, but no buffoon. This recent article offers a chance to glimpse the range of life's complex issues that he plays with in both his contemplative moments and his comedic performances. There is definitely a serious mind and a grounded 'method' which draws inward all the input that fuels his 'madness'. Enjoy this straight talk from another example of a Black man that lives true to his unadulterated sense of integrity.

lovu,

Kendke

Here’s why~

By Soraya Nadia McDonald  

June 14 at 9:15 PM

 

Comedian Dave Chappelle takes a selfie with the Duke Ellington School for the Arts seniors at their graduation at the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium on June 14. Chappelle is an alumnus of the high school and gave the commencement address. (Erin Schaff for The Washington Post)

 

Anyone who remembers great comedy from 2003-2006 remembers “Chappelle’s Show,” Dave Chappelle’s eponymous sketch program that aired for just over two glorious seasons on Comedy Central.

One of his most memorable conceits was the racial draft, in which various groups selected celebrities (usually multi-ethnic) before they could get snatched up — for example, the black delegation used their first pick on Tiger Woods, while the Latinos selected Elian Gonzalez “before the white people try to adopt him as one of their own.”

So where would Rachel Dolezal go?

“I think black,” Chappelle said Sunday, referring to the Spokane, Wash., NAACP president who last week was outed by her own parents as a white woman who had been masquerading as black for 10 years. “We would take her all day, right?”
Chappelle, 41, was in town to deliver the commencement address to this year’s graduating class of his alma mater, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. In explaining why artists are important to contextualizing the world, he cited Dolezal.

“The world’s become ridiculous,” he told the awestruck grads at George Washington University’s Lisner auditorium. “There’s a white lady posing as a black lady. There is not one thing that woman accomplished that she couldn’t have done as a white woman. There’s no reason! She just needed the braids! I don’t know what she was doing.”


Despite the mention in his speech, backstage and no longer held to the constraints of a 15-minute time slot, Chappelle revealed why he would wait a while before he incorporated any Dolezal jokes into his act, if he decides to do so at all.

“The thing that the media’s gotta be real careful about, that they’re kind of overlooking, is the emotional context of what she means,” Chappelle said thoughtfully, between drags of American Spirit cigarettes. “There’s something that’s very nuanced where she’s highlighting the difference between personal feeling and what’s construct as far as racism is concerned. I don’t know what her agenda is, but there’s an emotional context for black people when they see her and white people when they see her. There’s a lot of feelings that are going to come out behind what’s happening with this lady.

“And she’s just a person, no matter how we feel about her.” Yes, the man who came up with the  idea of Clayton Bigsby, a blind black Klansman (who doesn’t know he’s black), was reserved when it came to Dolezal.

“I’m probably not going to do any jokes about her or any references to her for awhile ’cause that’s going to be a lot of comedians doing a lot. And I’m sure her rebuttal will be illuminating. Like, once she’s had time to process it and kind of get her wind back and get her message together.”

Even though Sunday’s address marked a warm homecoming for Chappelle, complete with standing ovations as he entered and exited the stage, the comedian said it was “nerve-wracking” to address the students. He was clearly humbled by the honor. Chappelle graduated, “barely,” he said, in 1991.

“It seems like just yesterday, when they announced my name to walk across the stage, it was like I had won a prize,” Chappelle told the crowd. “It didn’t feel like something I had earned. And then — I’ll never forget — I opened up the little book and there was no diploma in it.”

Chappelle asked why.

“They were like, ‘You owe books, man.'”
Chappelle recounted the time his algebra teacher told the students they would need to pay close attention because they would use the information for the rest of their lives.

“I have never needed a single algebraic equation,” Chappelle said. He paused. “And I have made millions of dollars.

“The world’s a changing place. Turns out, you don’t need to be smart because the Internet. Most of the things you need to know — somebody’s already thought about them.”

Chappelle also drew huge laughs when he shot back with his own version of events after he was booed in Detroit earlier this year on his comeback tour.

“Here’s the thing,” he said. “They said I got booed off stage on TMZ. I got booed, but I didn’t leave. I was contracted to do an hour and that’s exactly what I did. And then a few people got mad and said, ‘we want our money back!’ And I said heeell no. I’m Evel Knievel. I get paid for the attempt.”

He started sneaking into comedy clubs when he was 14. His audition for Ellington wasn’t his best work. The night before his audition, he went to a bookstore and asked for a monologue. “Any monologue,” he said. “Just give me something.”

Brilliant, Black and now bald, Dave the man

Dave Chappelle sits backstage after his speech at the Duke Ellington School for the Arts graduation. (Erin Schaff for The Washington Post)

 

“I told them, ‘I don’t!” Big laugh from the crowd. “I hang around comedy clubs and a comedian told me if I wanted to be a successful comedian, I should learn how to act. So, that’s why I’m here.”

It was the first time during the entire process that the teachers smiled. And it was enough. He was in. And 24 years later, he was back, a hometown boy who made good.

In those years, Chappelle learned some things. And one of the most valuable lessons, which he gleaned from another comedian, was that he didn’t have to be constantly funny as long as he was always interesting.

“Most comedians gauge success solely on laughter,” Chappelle said backstage. “But basically, he put me on to the idea that it’s other metrics besides laughter to gauge whether the show is going well. A guy who only thinks about laughs is like having a 64-[crayon] Crayola box but only using about 13 colors.”
So if laughs aren’t the metric, what is?

“Well,” Chappelle said, “I’m not going to give you the secret recipe, but I’ll tell you this: I have done, on many occasions, shows that have gone as long as six hours. Nobody left. They weren’t uproariously laughing the entire six hours, but I was interesting and they were fine with that.”

At its height, before TiVo and other methods of delayed consumption became ubiquitous, “Chappelle’s Show” was appointment television. Sketches such as the racial draft and Clayton Bigsby still hold up as prescient social commentary. Limited to just over two seasons, it became a part of valued pop culture ephemera after Chappelle famously walked away from a $50 million deal with Comedy Central, then jetted off to South Africa and disappeared.

[Dave Chappelle gets real: Does he regret walking away from millions of dollars?]

The years that followed weren’t necessarily the kindest. Everyone wondered if Chappelle had lost his mind. When he started doing the late-night circuit to promote shows at Radio City Music Hall last year, Chappelle had to address what everyone was wondering: What kind of man walks away from $50 million? He told David Letterman he had $10 million in the bank, and that the difference between a life with $10 million and a life with $50 million was “minuscule.”

In April, the industry site Comedy Hype sent Chappelle fans into a tizzy when it deduced that he was taping footage for a comedy special during a tour stop in Austin.
[Could it be? A new comedy special from Dave Chappelle?]
Chappelle wouldn’t confirm or deny whether a special was forthcoming, just that he had in fact been taping.

“I don’t know if I’m going to put it out or not,” Chappelle said. “There’s a few things I filmed I’ve been sitting on. … In an hour on television, it’s hard to encompass everything you’re doing in a particular time in your profession. You’ve got to look at it as a snapshot of a much-larger picture. It’s like taking a class picture. You just want to die when it’s over.”

So, after all that’s happened, is he happier?

“I’m a more mature version of happy,” Chappelle said, contemplative again. “When I was making the show, I was very happy. It was a very difficult show. It was very exciting, it was fun, but I was happy to do it. … But life is like the Crayola box I told you about. I use more crayons now and I have a much rounder, happier experience, a fuller experience, a more interesting experience just for doing it. And I know myself and my preferences better than I did when I was a little younger.

“I’m happier in the way a guy gets happier when he starts to mature,” the comedian said. “It doesn’t make things easier, but I’m so much better at handling them.”

A 10 Year Old Mogul Teaches Others how to ‘BeeSweet’

CBS News June 10, 2015,

Not many people can hold their own against the big dogs, or “sharks” to be politically correct, on the show Shark Tank. They rarely have sympathy for the old and young, and hold nothing back if you come in unprepared. Luckily, one little girl impressed the sharks with her sweet sweet lemonade. She realized she can go further with honey, rather than vinegar.

We’re talking about Austin, Texas native Mikaila Ulmer, who is only 10 years old and the founder of BeeSweet Lemonade. At the early age of four, Ulmer had big plans to be involved in the Action Children’s Business Fair and Austin Lemonade Day.

Mikaila

She was stung twice by bees and instead of complaining, her parents encouraged her to research why honeybees were critical to the ecosystem. And it started from there.

Soon after, her great grandmother Helen mailed Mikaila a 1940s cookbook containing her flax seed lemonade recipe. Mikaila was then inspired to make something that would help honeybees and use her great grandmother’s delicious recipe. Out of that, BeeSweet Lemonade was born.

Mikaila’s recipe is unique from other lemonade recipes because instead of using lots of sugars, she sweetens every batch with honey from local bees. She has started selling BeeSweet Lemonade at youth entrepreneurial events across the country, and a portion of the profits are donated to organizations fighting the preservation of honeybees.




BeeSweet

Shark Tank investor Daymond John was touched by Mikaila’s story, and the former FUBU CEO invested $60,000 for a 25% stake in the lemonade company. John is working closely with Ulmer as her mentor and is helping to expand her professional network.

“Partnering with Mikaila made perfect sense. She’s a great kid with a head for business and branding. She’s got a great idea and I’m happy to help take BeeSweet to the next level.” – Dame Johnson

The investment will allow BeeSweet Lemonade to make larger batches of the lemonade and meet customer demands.

“I’m so excited to have someone with as much experience as Daymond on my team. This is a great opportunity to have more people try my lemonade and save even more bees.” – Mikaila Ulmer

Order Mikaila’s BeeSweet Lemonade here:http://beesweetlemonade.com/
She has a number of flavors and includes recipes as well. BeeSweet Lemonade is also available at multiple Whole Foods and other grocers.

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Wake-Up Everybody! It's Time for a New Conversation at the Dinner Table

Beloveds ~ It's time for a new conversation at the dinner table. All households. From the mansions and gated communities, to the concrete jungles of the inner city, the idyllic suburbs and the stretches of rural regions. And the message must be delivered to both our young men and young women. 

It's obvious that we now have a new demand upon us. It's absolutely clear that in today's atmosphere our young people no longer have time to idle away playing video games, hanging out in malls, or associating with undisciplined folks and friends that are unable to navigate the present climate and conditions of life in America.

Adults, we must protect our young. We must prepare them better to be able to protect themselves. This means insuring that they have the mental understanding and physical training and strength to survive. While we as loving adults and parents may be working to create a brighter future for them, we will not get there, if we do not survive the present. All these current tragedies, resurrecting pain, anger and feelings we thought were behind us, are telling us, we must do more to transform ourselves.

Education and wealth are not sufficient armor, when one is dealing with centuries old hatred and ignorance. Some people refuse to accept what science and human evolution have revealed about the human family. There are some that love being locked into their unenlightened perceptions, and will remain stuck there, this entire lifetime. When possible, avoid these individuals, groups and mindset. 

But the best action is that we must become a more complete expression of 'Wholeness'. We must be trained and legally armed, and also know how to disarm. We must be rich in inner consciousness, grounded in nature and Her ways, educated and steeped in the best of our own culture. We must love to learn, and always be open to new inspiration and more wholesome ways to express our lives.

Let us each use our rich imagination. Let's play, feel and pretend how each of us, as our own hero or heroine, would have to be transformed ~ changed into a more powerful version of ourselves ~ to Be more secure. It's a process all worked from the 'inside' (our hearts and Highest mind connected) creating a fresh new reality of our outer world existence.

This is enough to tickle your thinking.....

When we are being viciously attacked with unwarranted violence, if necessary, we need to be able to respond like the teen heroine in the image below. I love the artist's creative reaction to the horror of the video above. I'm also serving you some Teddy, Harold and the Blue Notes beneath the image. Just gonna make sure your sweet soul gets all that it needs here at the Oasis....to keep you strong and fortified for the journey.

lovu,
Kendke
I am not familiar with or endorsing the site where I found the image below. Just love the image and caption.

I think I just found my new avatar. RT @markuspr1m3_ pic.twitter.com/5WJSAwlXgw

— Halfrican American (@lenubienne) June 9, 2015

Just Looove Watching Snoop's Evolution - What A MAN!!!

🙏🎤

A photo posted by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) on Jun 3, 2015 at 1:58am PDT

News flash. @akon 👊🌟✨🙏💦💦 tune in to ggn for some real news.

A photo posted by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) on Jun 3, 2015 at 2:15am PDT

A photo posted by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) on Jun 4, 2015 at 4:34pm PDT

So nice I'm blastin' it twice~

News flash. @akon 👊🌟✨🙏💦💦 tune in to ggn for some real news.

A photo posted by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) on Jun 3, 2015 at 2:15am PDT

 And one more because you know I luv to tickle you!

A photo posted by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) on Jun 5, 2015 at 3:27pm PDT

A photo posted by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) on Jun 4, 2015 at 4:35pm PDT

In my book, Snoop and Akon present two examples of men with real class, who are authentic, stylish, connected to their roots and generous in recycling the fruits of their talent back to nourish their roots.  Here we can witness a cycle which is wholesome. Snoop Lion/Dogg's role model work with young men in sports, and Akon's identifying and responding to what's lacking in Africa's infrastructure are awesome demonstrations of the depth of their character. And what's more...they're both having fun letting themselves Be more than what society identifies them as.

This link tells more about Akon's project:http://akonlightingafrica.com/
Here's a brief article on the impact his project will have in Africa:
http://www.inquisitr.com/2154965/akons-solar-panel-academy-in-africa-will-change-lives-video/ 

Have a great week Beloveds~ Have fun and be sure to laugh a lot. It keeps you healthy.
lovu,
Kendke

New Research Reveals Unexpected Brain Regions Contribute to Creativity

Last month I posted several blogs all reflecting different expressions of human creativity. If you missed them, scroll down after reading this post and enjoy some superb examples of human creativity, ingenuity and talent. This post covers new research into what's going on in the brain when the creative spark is firing.

 Relax~

Don't Overthink It, Less Is More When It Comes to Creativity

  May 28, 2015

By Jessica Schmerler |

Most of us have experienced writer’s block at some point, sitting down to write, paint or compose only to find we can’t get the creative juices flowing. Most frustrating of all, the more effort and thought we put into it, the harder it may become. Now, at least, neuroscientists might have found a clue about why it is so hard to force that creative spark.

Researchers at Stanford University recently set out to explore the neural basis of creativity and came up with surprising findings. Their study, published May 28 in Scientific Reports, suggests the cerebellum, the brain region typically associated with movement, is involved in creativity. If so, the discovery could change our understanding of the neurological mechanisms behind some thought processes.

There is a scientific belief that the cerebral cortex is the part of the brain that “makes us human,” and that the two hemispheres of the cortex differentiate the creative thinkers from the logical thinkers (the “right-brained” from the “left-brained”). This has fostered the view that “neurological processes can be divided into “higher” cognitive functions and “lower” basic sensory-motor, functions,” says Robert Barton, an evolutionary biologist at Durham University in England who was not involved in this study—but the latest research calls that understanding into question.

Three and a half years ago, Grace Hawthorne, an associate professor of design at Stanford University Institute of Design, known as the d.school, approached Allan Reiss, a behavioral scientist at Stanford’s School of Medicine. Hawthorne wanted to find a way to objectively measure whether or not her design class enhanced students’ creativity and Reiss, inspired by the game Pictionary, developed an experiment.

Participants in the study were placed into a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine with a nonmagnetic tablet and asked to draw a series of pictures based on action words (for example, vote, exhaust, salute) with 30 seconds for each word. (They also drew a zigzag line to establish baseline brain function for the task of drawing.) The participants later ranked each word picture based on its difficulty to draw. The tablet transmitted the drawings to researchers at the d.school who scored them on a 5-point scale of creativity, and researchers at the School of Medicine analyzed the fMRI scans for brain activity patterns.

The results were surprising: the prefrontal cortex, traditionally associated with thinking, was most active for the drawings the participants ranked as most difficult; the cerebellum was most active for the drawings the participants scored highest on for creativity. Essentially, the less the participants thought about what they were drawing, the more creative their drawings were. Manish Saggar, a psychiatrist at Stanford and the study’s lead author, summarized the findings: “The more you think about it, the more you mess it up.”

 

If the cerebellum plays a role in creativity, it could alter our understanding of how the brain functions. The traditional belief that the cerebellum is involved only in motor control stems from studies in monkeys that indicate it is an anatomically separate structure at the base of the brain lacking connectivity to the rest of the organ. Recent studies in human brain anatomy, however, have indicated that over the course of human evolution the cerebellum established connections with a wide array of brain regions. One such study by Narendar Ramnani, a neuroscientist at the University of London, proposed that it is this connectivity that may allow the cerebellum to participate in cognitive tasks, not just motor tasks, and may help explain the development of higher cognition in humans. As such, a meta-analysis of literature referencing cerebellar activity in the human brain might reveal its role in other cognitive tasks, Barton suggests, and might uncover new directions for research in cognitive neuroscience.

Whereas cerebellar activity observed in the study is significant due to the fact it was unexpected, the fMRI data measured activity changes in a variety of other brain regions as well. According to Lisa Azziz-Zadeh, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Southern California who was not involved in the study, the findings are “representative of the interconnectivity of the different regions of the brain” and demonstrate the need to develop new neurological models of higher cognition, including creativity.

In particular, the study provided evidence for the “practice-makes-perfect” mechanism of brain function, by which “cerebellar circuits run subconsciously once they are learned,” Ramnani says. We know, for instance, that the cerebrum’s motor cortex is active when we are learning new movements, then the cerebellum assumes responsibility for coordinating the movement in order to free up the cerebral motor cortex for further learning. The fact that cerebellar activity decreased when study participants faced a cognitively challenging task but increased when the task required little conscious thought supports the hypothesis that the cerebellum functions in cognition in much the same way it functions in motor control. If so, according to Reiss, “it’s likely the cerebellum is the coordination center of the brain, allowing other regions to be more efficient.”

The study did have a number of limitations, however. First, there is little consensus in the scientific community about how to define creativity.

Consequently, to objectively measure it researchers must develop a working definition. Second, because the cerebellum is associated with motion “the creativity of the drawings could have been correlated to the complexity of the physical movements required to draw them,” says John Kounios, a cognitive neuroscientist at Drexel University not involved in the study. The control used in the experiment, drawing a zigzag, likely involved less complexity than the drawings of the words, so future experiments should attempt to align the creative tasks more closely with the control. Finally, the study measured only visual creativity. In order to better understand specific brain regions’ involvement in creativity, future research will have to examine brain activity patterns associated with other forms of creativity, such as verbal or musical.

If the Stanford experiment can be replicated and refined, however, it will have advanced our understanding of the cognitive neuroscience of creativity and other forms of higher cognition.
(Scientific American and Scientific Reports are both parts of Nature Publishing Group.)