The power of creative constraints - Brandon Rodriguez
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0:08 - 0:11Imagine you're asked
to invent something new. -
0:11 - 0:13It could be whatever you want
-
0:13 - 0:15made from anything you choose
-
0:15 - 0:17in any shape or size.
-
0:17 - 0:21That kind of creative freedom
sounds so liberating, doesn't it? -
0:21 - 0:23Or does it?
-
0:23 - 0:27If you're like most people,
you'd probably be paralyzed by this task. -
0:27 - 0:30Without more guidance,
where would you even begin? -
0:30 - 0:35As it turns out, boundless freedom
isn't always helpful. -
0:35 - 0:39In reality, any project is restricted
by many factors, -
0:39 - 0:40such as the cost,
-
0:40 - 0:42what materials you have at your disposal,
-
0:42 - 0:45and unbreakable laws of physics.
-
0:45 - 0:48These factors are called
creative constraints, -
0:48 - 0:50and they're the requirements
and limitations -
0:50 - 0:54we have to address
in order to accomplish a goal. -
0:54 - 0:57Creative constraints apply
across professions, -
0:57 - 0:59to architects and artists,
-
0:59 - 1:00writers,
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1:00 - 1:01engineers,
-
1:01 - 1:03and scientists.
-
1:03 - 1:06In many fields, constraints play
a special role -
1:06 - 1:09as drivers of discovery and invention.
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1:09 - 1:12During the scientific process
in particular, -
1:12 - 1:16constraints are an essential part
of experimental design. -
1:16 - 1:20For instance, a scientist studying
a new virus would consider, -
1:20 - 1:23"How can I use the tools
and techniques at hand -
1:23 - 1:29to create an experiment that tells me
how this virus infects the body's cells? -
1:29 - 1:33And what are the limits of my knowledge
that prevent me -
1:33 - 1:36from understanding
this new viral pathway?" -
1:36 - 1:40In engineering, constraints have us
apply our scientific discoveries -
1:40 - 1:43to invent something new and useful.
-
1:43 - 1:47Take, for example,
the landers Viking 1 and 2, -
1:47 - 1:51which relied on thrusters to arrive
safely on the surface of Mars. -
1:51 - 1:53The problem?
-
1:53 - 1:56Those thrusters left foreign chemicals
on the ground, -
1:56 - 1:59contaminating soil samples.
-
1:59 - 2:02So a new constraint was introduced.
-
2:02 - 2:04How can we land a probe on Mars
-
2:04 - 2:07without introducing chemicals
from Earth? -
2:07 - 2:11The next Pathfinder mission used
an airbag system -
2:11 - 2:14to allow the rover to bounce
and roll to a halt -
2:14 - 2:18without burning contaminating fuel.
-
2:18 - 2:23Years later, we wanted to send
a much larger rover: Curiosity. -
2:23 - 2:26However, it was too large
for the airbag design, -
2:26 - 2:29so another constraint was defined.
-
2:29 - 2:33How can we land a large rover
while still keeping rocket fuel -
2:33 - 2:35away from the Martian soil?
-
2:35 - 2:38In response, engineers had a wild idea.
-
2:38 - 2:41They designed a skycrane.
-
2:41 - 2:44Similar to the claw machine at toy stores,
-
2:44 - 2:48it would lower the rover
from high above the surface. -
2:48 - 2:53With each invention, the engineers
demonstrated an essential habit -
2:53 - 2:55of scientific thinking -
-
2:55 - 2:59that solutions must recognize
the limitations of current technology -
2:59 - 3:01in order to advance it.
-
3:01 - 3:04Sometimes this progress is iterative,
-
3:04 - 3:08as in, "How can I make a better
parachute to land my rover?" -
3:08 - 3:11And sometimes, it's innovative,
-
3:11 - 3:12like how to reach our goal
-
3:12 - 3:16when the best possible
parachute isn't going to work. -
3:16 - 3:20In both cases, the constraints
guide decision-making -
3:20 - 3:23to ensure we reach each objective.
-
3:23 - 3:26Here's another Mars
problem yet to be solved. -
3:26 - 3:30Say we want to send astronauts
who will need water. -
3:30 - 3:34They'd rely on a filtration system
that keeps the water very clean -
3:34 - 3:38and enables 100% recovery.
-
3:38 - 3:40Those are some pretty tough constraints,
-
3:40 - 3:43and we may not have
the technology for it now. -
3:43 - 3:46But in the process of trying
to meet these objectives, -
3:46 - 3:51we might discover other applications
of any inventions that result. -
3:51 - 3:54Building an innovative
water filtration system -
3:54 - 3:58could provide a solution for farmers
working in drought-stricken regions, -
3:58 - 4:04or a way to clean municipal water
in polluted cities. -
4:04 - 4:06In fact, many scientific advances
-
4:06 - 4:09have occurred when serendipitous failures
in one field -
4:09 - 4:12address the constraints of another.
-
4:12 - 4:16When scientist Alexander Fleming
mistakenly contaminated -
4:16 - 4:18a Petri dish in the lab,
-
4:18 - 4:23it led to the discovery
of the first antibiotic, penicillin. -
4:23 - 4:25The same is true of synthetic dye,
-
4:25 - 4:26plastic,
-
4:26 - 4:27and gunpowder.
-
4:27 - 4:29All were created mistakenly,
-
4:29 - 4:33but went on to address the constraints
of other problems. -
4:33 - 4:37Understanding constraints guides
scientific progress, -
4:37 - 4:42and what's true in science
is also true in many other fields. -
4:42 - 4:48Constraints aren't the boundaries
of creativity, but the foundation of it.
- Title:
- The power of creative constraints - Brandon Rodriguez
- Speaker:
- Brandon Rodriguez
- Description:
-
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-power-of-creative-constraints-brandon-rodriguez
Imagine you were asked to invent something new. It could be whatever you want, made from anything you choose, in any shape or size. That kind of creative freedom sounds so liberating, doesn’t it? Or ... does it? if you're like most people you’d probably be paralyzed by this task. Why? Brandon Rodriguez explains how creative constraints actually help drive discovery and innovation.
Lesson by Brandon Rodriguez, animation by CUB Animation.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 05:10
Jessica Ruby approved English subtitles for The power of creative constraints | ||
Jessica Ruby accepted English subtitles for The power of creative constraints | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for The power of creative constraints | ||
Jennifer Cody edited English subtitles for The power of creative constraints |