Curiosity and networks of possibility

Abstract

The concept of possibility has long been intertwined with the discourse of curiosity. The way things might be can disturb the way things are, but we have to be ready for it. Curiosity provides that readiness. There is a kind of critical curiosity that opens the space of possibility by exploiting the instability of the present, second guessing its current contours and exploring how else the world might be constructed or understood. Put differently, it is because of curiosity that revolutions in science, knowledge, and society become possible. The two work in tandem. If curiosity can be a critical comportment toward the possible, then to fully understand possibility one must also understand curiosity. In this brief essay, we take a moment to think that jointure. How might curiosity studies illuminate possibility studies? From our respective vantage points of philosophy and neuroscience, we analyze possibility through curiosity. In doing so, we ultimately illuminate the novelty bias that informs both concepts, the network structures that characterize them, and the adjacent worlds and opportunities they offer.

Embracing difference and cultivating hope: The transformative potential of Possibility Studies

“…The use of speculative fiction is particularly powerful in this regard, allowing us to explore new possibilities and rehearse different futures, as Damhof and Gulmans (2023) demonstrates in the Futures Literacy Labs. This use of speculative fiction also arises in Zurn and Bassett's (2023) paper where they use it to illustrate Bloch's assertion that art is a laboratory of possibles. The point to the disruptive nature of narratives that can allow us to enact our imaginary fantasies.…”

“…Linear notions of time are closely connected to Western ideas of progress and novelty, based on the premise that the past is fixed and causally influences the future. These views rely on the novelty bias discussed by Zurn and Bassett (2023) and are closely associated with colonialist notions that portray 'traditional' people as lacking progress (Meyer, 2023). Moreover, this perspective on progress is rooted in productivity and commercialism, resulting in relentless and irresponsible consequences (Harris, 2023).…”

“…Baron (2023) proposes distinguishing between possibilities and opportunities, with the former referring to potential future outcomes and the latter to possibilities that can evolve into tangible realities. Conversely, Zurn and Bassett (2023) emphasise the concept of real possibility, which is grounded in the present rather than in hypothetical or formal possibilities. Regardless of the specific definition, it is evident that for many possibility necessitates actual manifestation, both for the original thinker and in interactions with others.…”

“…These notions lead to a looping rather than linear notion of the idea of time. As Zurn and Bassett (2023) suggest, drawing from Hobbes, the function of curiosity is to ‘exploit the possibilities implicit in the present moment – to effect a different, more desirable future’.…”

“…It is for this reason that many of the moves we make take place in the realm of the adjacent possible. Both Faggin (2023) and Zurn and Bassett (2023) discuss the importance of the adjacent possible to our understanding of how reality and possibility interact – an incremental creep of the now across the face of the future. Zurn and Bassett (2023) clearly delineate the four ways that we can move from the actual to the possible exploiting the nodes and edges of networks – either modifying a node or edge or changing them entirely.…”