In this article, the problem of understanding multiple layers of complexity in our universe is addressed, with particular emphasis on explaining creative evolutions in the material, biological, and psycho-social layers. Perspectives from physics, biology, psychology, and philosophy are utilized in the discussion. Process philosophy is used to justify the theoretical foundation of the dynamic universal creativity process. The concepts of unified and final theories are discussed from a position that criticizes reductionism. The concept of the adjacent possible is reviewed as introduced by Kauffman to exclude the possibility that a theory from physics could be extended to explain the biological layer. In a similar way, the adjacent possible is shown to be useful but insufficient to explain the psycho-social layer of complexity, missing fundamental human abilities such as thinking of long-term futures, wisdom, and dynamic creativity leaps that use the impossible as an inspiration.
CarrB.EllisG. (2008). Universe or multiverse?Astronomy & Geophysics, 49(2), 2.29–2.33.
5.
Cazzolla GattiR.KopplR.FathB. D.KauffmanS.HordijkW.UlanowiczR. E. (2020). On the emergence of ecological and economic niches. Journal of Bioeconomics, 22(2), 99–127.
6.
ChaissonE. J. (2009). Cosmic evolution. In DickS. J.LupisellaM. L. (Ed.), Cosmos & culture: Cultural evolution in a cosmic context (pp. 3–23). NASA.
ColtonS.Lopez de MantarasR.StockO. (2009). Computational creativity: Coming of age. AI Magazine, 30(3), 11.
9.
CorazzaG. E. (2016). Potential originality and effectiveness: The dynamic definition of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 28(3), 258–267.
10.
CorazzaG. E. (2019). The dynamic universal creativity process. In BeghettoR. A. (Ed.), Dynamic perspectives on creativity (pp. 297–319). Springer.
11.
CorazzaG. E.AgnoliS. (2022). The DA VINCI model for the creative thinking process. In LubartT.BotellaM.BougrineS. B., et al. (Eds.), Homo creativus: The 7 C’s of human creativity (pp. 49–67). Springer.
12.
CorazzaG. E.GlăveanuV. P. (2020). Potential in creativity: Individual, social, material perspectives, and a dynamic integrative framework. Creativity Research Journal, 32, 81–91.
13.
CorazzaG. E.LubartT. (2019). Science and method: Henri Poincaré. In GlaveanuV. P. (Ed.), The creativity reader (pp. 33–47). Oxford University Press.
14.
CorazzaG. E.LubartT. (2020). The big bang of originality and effectiveness: A dynamic creativity framework and its application to scientific missions. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 575067.
15.
CorazzaG. E.LubartT. (in print). Navigating with intelligence, creativity, personality, emotion, and wisdom in the space-time continuum. In SternbergR.AmbroseD.KaramiS. (Ed.), Intelligence, creativity, and wisdom: Are they really distinct?Palgrave Macmillan.
16.
CropleyD. H.CropleyA. J.KaufmanJ. C.RuncoM. A. (Ed.), (2010). The dark side of creativity. Cambridge University Press.
17.
DarwinC. (2004). On the origin of species, 1859. London: Routledge.
18.
EllisG. F. R. (2014). On the philosophy of cosmology. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 46, 5–23.
19.
EnquistM.GhirlandaS.JarrickA.WachtmeisterC. A. (2008). Why does human culture increase exponentially?Theoretical Population Biology, 74(1), 46–55.
20.
FriemanJ. A.TurnerM. S.HutererD. (2008). Dark energy and the accelerating universe. Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 46, 385–432.
21.
GallagherS. (2015). How embodied cognition is being disembodied. The Philosophers Magazine, 68, 96–102.
22.
GlückJ. (2020). Intelligence and wisdom. In SternbergR. (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of intelligence (pp. 1140–1158). Cambridge University Press.
GravinoP.MonechiB.ServedioV. D. P.TriaF.LoretoV. (2016). Crossing the horizon: exploring the adjacent possible in a cultural system. [Conference session]. Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Computational Creativity (ICCC 2016), Paris (pp. 115–122).
25.
HenriquesG. (2003). The tree of knowledge system and the theoretical unification of psychology. Review of General Psychology, 7(2), 150–182.
26.
JudsonO. P. (2017). The energy expansions of evolution. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 1, 0138.
27.
KauffmanS. A. (2000). Investigations. Oxford University Press.
28.
KauffmanS. A. (2014). Prolegomenon to patterns in evolution. Biosystems, 123, 3–8.
29.
KaufmanJ. C.SternbergR. J. (Ed.), (2010). The Cambridge handbook of creativity. Cambridge University Press.
30.
LehmanH. C. (1947). The exponential increase of man’s cultural output. Social Forces, 25(3), 281–290.
MenaryR. (Ed), (2010). The extended mind. MIT Press.
33.
PeeblesP. J.NusserA. (2010). Nearby galaxies as pointers to a better theory of cosmic evolution. Nature, 465(7298), 565–569.
34.
PerlmutterS. (2003). Supernovae, dark energy, and the accelerating universe. Physics Today, 56(4), 53–60.
35.
PoliR. (2019). Handbook of anticipation: Theoretical and applied aspects of the use of future in decision making. Springer Verlag.
36.
PrigogineI. (1967). Introduction to thermodynamics of irreversible processes (3rd ed., p. 1967). Interscience.
37.
PrigogineI. (1996). La fin dès certitudes: Temps, chaos et les lois de la nature. Editions Odile Jacob.
38.
SprugelD. G. (1991). Disturbance, equilibrium, and environmental variability: What is ‘Natural’ vegetation in a changing environment?Biological Conservation, 58(1), 1–18.
39.
StringerC. (2016). The origin and evolution ofHomo sapiens. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, 371(1698), 20150237.
40.
VaughanC. L. (2003). Theories of bipedal walking: An odyssey. Journal of Biomechanics, 36(4), 513–523.
41.
VorosJ. (2007). On the philosophical foundations of futures research. In DuinPatrick van der. (Ed.), Knowing tomorrow?: How science deals with the future (pp. 69–90). Eburon.
42.
WeinbergS. (1992). Dream of a final theory. The scientist’s search for the ultimate laws of nature. Vantage Books.
43.
WhiteheadA. N. (1929). Process and reality: An essay in cosmology (correct ed.). Free Press.
44.
WilsonE. (1998). Consilience: The unity of knowledge. Konpf.
