Inventive Minds

Six essays by artificial intelligence pioneer Marvin Minsky on how education can foster inventiveness, paired with commentary by Minsky's former colleagues and students.

Marvin Minsky was a pioneering researcher in artificial intelligence whose work led to both theoretical and practical advances. His work was motivated not only by technological advancement but also by the desire to understand the workings of our own minds. Minsky's insights about the mind provide fresh perspectives on education and how children learn. This book collects for the first time six essays by Minsky on children, learning, and the potential of computers in school to enrich children's development. In these essays Minsky discusses the shortcomings of conventional education (particularly in mathematics) and considers alternative approaches; reflects on the role of mentors; describes higher-level strategies for thinking across domains; and suggests projects for children to pursue. Each essay is paired with commentary by one of Minsky's former colleagues or students, which identifies Minsky's key ideas and connects his writings to current research. Minsky once observed that in traditional teaching, "instead of promoting inventiveness, we focus on preventing mistakes." These essays offer Minsky's unique insights into how education can foster inventiveness.

Commentary by Hal Abelson, Walter Bender, Alan Kay, Margaret Minsky, Brian Silverman, Gary Stager, Mike Travers, Patrick Henry Winston

Marvin Minsky (1927-2016) was Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and Donner Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. He was a cofounder of the MIT Media Lab and a consultant for the One Laptop Per Child project. Cynthia Solomon worked with Marvin Minsky at the MIT AI Lab and at the Atari Cambridge Research Lab. She is the author of Computer Environments for Children (MIT Press). Xiao Xiao worked with Marvin Minsky at the MIT Media Lab. She is a computer scientist, artist, pianist, thereminist, and Research Affiliate with the Tangible Media Group at the MIT Media Lab. Xiao Xiao worked with Marvin Minsky at the MIT Media Lab. She is a computer scientist, artist, pianist, thereminist, and Research Affiliate with the Tangible Media Group at the MIT Media Lab. Cynthia Solomon worked with Marvin Minsky at the MIT AI Lab and at the Atari Cambridge Research Lab. She is the author of Computer Environments for Children (MIT Press). Hal Abelson is Class of 1922 Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a fellow of the IEEE. He is a founding director of Creative Commons, Public Knowledge, and theFree Software Foundation. Additionally, he serves as co-chair for the MIT Council on Educational Technology. Patrick Henry Winston (1943-2019) was Ford Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science at MIT.