Just imagine . . . the power of imagination

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Have you ever wished you could:

  • be in two places at once?
  • clone yourself to ensure you get everything done?
  • slow time down so that you could achieve all you wanted?
  • make time stand still so you could stay in the present moment forever?
  • pop back in time to undo that embarrassing moment, or peek forward to see the result of a decision that is pending?
  • choose both options and follow each through consecutively, as in parallel universes?

I have.

Multiple invitations or engagements often occur on the same date. Deciding between desired activities is not always easy. Cloning would make choosing unnecessary. Additionally, sending a clone to an unpleasant but unavoidable engagement could also be desirable.

penguins

Sometimes the number of must-do tasks can be overwhelming. The ability to engage the assistance of clones, especially to complete less desirable tasks would be great.

Time travel, wormholes and parallel universes are the stuff of science fiction; and while I am not a fan of the science fiction genre, I wouldn’t mind having access to some of its features. However, whether any, or which, of those features ever move from science fiction to science fact remains to be seen.

The power of imagination to drive creativity and innovation cannot be overstated. Much of what we now accept as commonplace was once a part of science fiction. Imagination, the stuff of science fiction and scientific exploration and investigation, has brought them to reality.

You are probably familiar with following quote, initially attributed to George Bernard Shaw but also made famous by Robert F. Kennedy:

 “Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not.”

These words highlight the importance of questioning to stimulate imagination, and when paired with creative thinking, innovation can occur.

Einstein said that,

 “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

He also said that,

 “Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school.”

Although I cannot be certain, from those quotes, what Einstein’s attitude to the current trends in schooling would be (he did attend school and was very advanced in maths and sciences but did not perform so well in the humanities) I think he would not favour a content-driven curriculum which excluded opportunities for imagination and creativity.

On the other hand, Thomas Edison, the world’s most prolific inventor, was mostly educated at home by his mother who was able to encourage his experimentation and love of learning. He said,

 “To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.”

If these significant thinkers of the 20th century, each of whom followed different educational pathways, recognise the importance of imagination, why would anyone argue against it?

Charli Mills at Carrot Ranch Communications certainly doesn’t. As a fiction writer she embraces imagination. It is the tool of her trade, creating stories where before there were none. This week her challenge is to In 99 words (no more, no less) craft a multiverse situation, setting or character(s)

Now the term ‘multiverse’ takes me back to the science fiction genre: wormholes, parallel universes and time travel, for example. I’m not sure how well I’ll do with this unfamiliar genre, but I will call upon my imagination and give it a try. See what you think – does my piece fit the criteria?

 

Clone Magic

Clone magic

All night Leone had huddled in line, sleepless with excitement, waiting for the release.

Now she had them! Clone pills!

‘Take one with water. Cloning occurs in 30 minutes and lasts 24 hours.’

Leone swallowed one tablet, then another, and another; ignoring the small print: ‘Do not take multiple tablets. Effects are unpredictable.’ 

When three clones appeared she instructed:

“1. Clean the house. 2. Exercise. 3. Weed the garden.”

She flopped on the couch. “Now to read.”

But — their hands grabbed for her book, pulling her hair and clawing her eyes.

“Me read! Me read! Me read!”

 

Thanks for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts about any aspect of this article or my multiverse flash.

 

 

26 thoughts on “Just imagine . . . the power of imagination”

  2. Nanny Shecando

    Interesting thoughts Norah. I’m always on the hunt for more time, or for it to stand still, or reverse, or slow down. Really just to be able to control it. I do really treasure that quote from Edison, it’s a keeper.

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    1. Norah Post author

      It is a definitely keeper, particularly for we early childhood educators.
      I also love a quote from Einstein ‘The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.’ I think it is brilliant. To me it says that right now is the only time we have. The only way of knowing how long ago in the past or far away in the future an event is, is by a marker of time. Three months in the past can feel equally distant as three years. The same is true for the future. It’s intangible.

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  4. Pingback: Beyond the Universe « Carrot Ranch Communications

  6. Charli Mills

    That would be my circumstances, too–I’d end up doing all the work while my clones enjoyed the books, fishing, rock collecting…What a fun take on the prompt. Imagination is so important but I suppose since it is difficult to measure it doesn’t fit in with the current system. I think it can help us get through tough times by imagining a better world–a vision for the future.

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  8. writersideup

    Very cute interpretation, Norah 🙂

    There’s no question that without imagination, we wouldn’t function as the creative, inventive, reasoning human beings we are 🙂 I can’t IMAGINE life without it! 🙂

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        2. Norah Post author

          Actually that makes me think back to my school days when I was (supposed to be) learning economics. The classes were very boring as the teacher just read from the text. I always read ahead, then would drift off somewhere waiting for the class to catch up. I was always surprised at the number of ‘neither a . . . nor a’ statements that were included in the text. They always startled me from my reverie! 🙂

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    1. Norah Post author

      That’s right. It reminds me a bit of Midas’s Golden Touch – he got what he wished for, but it wasn’t what he wanted. I think we’d all like those clone pills at times though! 🙂

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  10. Annecdotist

    Ah, lovely. Good to see what happened to those clones. I guess your pharmaceutical people are going to have to do a bit more research. Could you get them to concentrate on the clones that would follow different options in a parallel universe? That would really help me.
    Oh, yes, and there’s a novel that addresses this: The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver.

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    1. Norah Post author

      I agree entirely. I can’t wait for the research to be done! I haven’t read the novel. How is the issue addressed? (I love your synopses – I don’t have to do the reading myself. That’s a little like having the benefit a clone would provide?) 🙂

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