Curiosity did not kill the cat | Andreas Steinle | TEDxTUDarmstadt

Summary

The speaker discusses how curiosity is an evolutionary advantage that has brought humans tremendous progress, yet it remains an undervalued and underutilized resource. He shares research on how curiosity predicts career success, reduces workplace conflicts, and leads to innovation. The speaker offers advice to nurture curiosity, such as question brainstorming instead of idea brainstorming, prioritizing hiring curious people, and pushing outside one's comfort zone. He argues organizations and individuals benefit tremendously when they actively foster curiosity, as it makes life richer, sparks innovation, and drives progress despite setbacks.

Takeaways

• 😲 The ratio of ring finger to index finger length predicts financial trading success due to hormone exposure in the womb
• 😃 Curiosity activates the brain's reward system and drives innovation and progress
• 😟 Only 20% of global workers identify themselves as curious; organizations fail to nurture curiosity
• 🤔 Curiosity benefits teams through better listening, empathy, and adapting to change
• 😀 Curiosity can be trained in 4 key dimensions: joy of learning, recognizing knowledge gaps, openness to ideas, and stress tolerance
• 💡 Question storming delivers better creative results than traditional brainstorming
• 😉 Tech companies like Google use puzzling job ads and interview questions to identify curious candidates
• 👍 Hiring for curiosity is more effective than training for curiosity later
• 🤨 Trying activities you hate can spark rewarding curiosity
• 😎 Curiosity enriches life even when attempts fail initially

Q & A

What is the relationship between finger length ratio and success in financial trading?

Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that people with a longer ring finger compared to their index finger, indicating higher prenatal exposure to testosterone, tended to be more successful high frequency financial traders. This is believed to correlate with higher risk taking.

How did human evolution lead to curiosity and innovation?

About 2.5 million years ago, the human brain evolved the "evolutionary engine" of curiosity and the drive to seek out new information and solve problems. This led humans to develop tools, science, and technology instead of merely living in caves.

What are the two main types of curiosity?

Work-related curiosity, also called epistemic curiosity, drives people to seek out knowledge to solve problems. Social curiosity deals with interest in other people's private matters.

What percentage of employees consider themselves curious at work?

Only 20% of employees surveyed identified themselves as curious at work. This suggests that curiosity is often not encouraged in organizational cultures.

How can curiosity benefit organizations?

Organizations with more curious employees tend to have less conflict, better listening and empathy, and an increased ability to adapt to changing market conditions.

How can curiosity be trained?

Curiosity levels can be increased through specific trainings focused on four dimensions: joyous exploration, deprivation sensitivity, openness to ideas, and stress tolerance.

Why is question storming better than brainstorming?

Question storming leads to more unconventional ideas compared to traditional brainstorming. By focusing on asking interesting questions first, more innovative solutions can emerge.

How can curiosity be evaluated in job interviews?

Asking candidates curiosity-based questions like "What would you ask yourself if you were us?" gives insight into their curiosity levels. Google's founders were known to use this technique.

What is an example of an activity one can try to boost curiosity?

The speaker gave the example of a bodybuilder trying an activity he assumes he will dislike, such as knitting. Stepping outside comfort zones sparks curiosity.

How can artificial intelligence aid but not replace human curiosity?

AI can provide answers, but humans are still needed to ask the right questions and direct research. Curiosity is a uniquely human trait.