Flexible Thinking Forum

Just thinking back to the time I went to the ‘Darwin’s Big Idea’ exhibition at the Natural History Museum given my interest in memes and evolutionary theory, how ideas are generated and popularised, and to explore an idea of how Darwinian theory can be applied to the task and challenges inherent in communications practised.

The exhibition got me thinking.

How ‘VISTA friendly’ is your communication?
I love conceptual models and acronyms which can provide a tool for developing your work. Natural selection can described using the acronym of VISTA:

V – variation
I – inheritance
S – selection
T – time
A – adaptation

Using this as a conceptual model for communications it highlights how any message has to:

V – stand out, be different.
I – be adopted by its creator and initial hosts, from managers approving an organizational message
S – be chose by third party media
T – be sufficiently ‘sticky’, memorable to stand the test of time.
A – be copy-able in new context top allow it to flourish in new situations.

Rather than just go out and make noise communicators should reflect on how ‘VISTA-proof’ is their message and use the model to make their communication effective and robust.

Should Darwin be the solo hero?
The most irritating thing about the whole Darwin bi-centenary celebrations is its focus on Darwin as the hero of evolutionary theory. Surely, equal billing must be given to Joseph Wallace who independently came up with the theory of natural selection?

A very British compromise was worked out at the time by Darwin’s friends, where both men’s papers were read out at the same time at a meeting of learned folk.

Shouldn’t the spirit of this compromise be upheld in these current celebrations?

Breadth of learning
Darwin in his years after the Beagle journey spent his time studying domesticated animals closer to home – including pigeons.

Darwin obviously corresponded with m’learned friends high up in Victorian Society. Interestingly, and a sign of great sagacity and recognizing valuable information can come from the unlikeliest of sources, Darwin was also a member of several workingmen’s pigeon clubs.

It strikes a wonderful image of the greatest Victorian scientist nattering, and learning with cockney bird fanciers. Can you seen any modern-day scientists being so wide-ranging in their quest for knowledge?

The power of places
One of Darwin’s books was called ‘The power of place’. Perusing it in the museum bookshop I was profoundly disappointed there were no references to branding and iconic marketing activity!

Overcoming objections to achieve greatness
A real fascinating twist to the Darwin story was how he nearly never made his epic trip on the Beagle.

He was approached by his former Professor and mentor at Cambridge university, J.S.Henslow, if he would be interested in going. Charles’s father, Robert did not approve of the idea and would have stopped Charles from going, but did relent with the chance that if another person of sound judgment supports the idea he would reconsider.

Josiah Wedgwood was Charles’s uncle and it was to him he turned for support. Josiah obviously made a phenomenal contribution to pottery, but his supporting of Charles curiously maybe his most lasting legacy.

Summarising his father’s opposition to the idea Charles identified in his letter to Uncle Josiah the following key objections:

Disreputable to my character as a clergyman hereafter.
A wild scheme.
That they may have offered it [the place of the naturalist on the boat] to many others before me.
And from it not being accepted there must be some serious objections to the vessel or expedition.
That I should never settle down to a steady life thereafter
That my accommodation would be most uncomfortable
That you should consider it as again, changing my profession.
That it would be a useless undertaking

I find the objections make a great creativity tool. How many times have you used any of the excuses listed for not doing something? Could you use these questions to evaluate your next idea?

Did Charles Darwin give up at the first sign of any opposition to what he thought was a good idea?

The Darwin Dynasty
Charles Darwin wasn’t exactly from an unknown family. Apart from the Uncle Josiah Wedgwood connection, Charles’s granddad, Erasmus Darwin was a well known Philomath, poet and scientist. (indeed, described by television scientist Adam Hart-Davies as one of his favourite people.) Perhaps, another factor weighing against poor Joseph Wallace.

A sticker for every book?
One exhibit in the latter part of the exhibition about different responses and reactions to Darwin’s theory caught my eye. It was sticker inserted into books on evolution by an American School Board, with a policy it seemed to uphold creationist teaching.

The plain white sticker read:

“This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory not a fact regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered.”

Approved by Cobb County Board of Education Thursday March 28, 2002.

I use Darwin’s theory as a tool to help me understand my world. I don’t believe in creationist theory, and I describe my religious belief as being ‘on the line between non-believing and believing.’ Yet, should every book have an edited version of the sticker which reads:

“This textbook contains material which should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered.”

Just a thought.

It’s not a big idea
The exhibition was plainly evident that Darwin’s thinking was evolutionary too, based on incremental ideas, from the evolutionary ideas of his grandfather and other great thinkers like Lamarck, what he witnessed during his Beagle voyage, his reading of Malthus and population growth, and further inputs.

I suspect however, the title ‘Darwin’s very messy journey of combining incremental ideas’ is a less punchy, and sticky title of ‘Darwin’s Big Idea’!