Addressing the imagination gap through STEAMM+D and indigenous knowledge

Abstract

Alex Manu describes an “imagination gap,” that is, “the gap between current capability and future possibility” [Manu A (2006) The Imagination Challenge: Strategic Foresight and Innovation in the Global Economy]. Merriam-Webster defines imagination as “the act of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality”; imagination combines “creative ability” and “resourcefulness” [Merriam-Webster (2018) Imagination. Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online. Available at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imagination]. This paper considers two interdisciplinary fields in which distinct approaches have sought a solution to the “imagination gap” and have resulted in new research questions, methods, outcomes, and even philosophies. These are science, technology, engineering, arts, math, medicine, and design (STEAMM+D) and Indigenous research that establishes questions and methods from an integrated interdisciplinary worldview and the individual’s responsibilities toward community and land. By intertwining these approaches, it is possible for science and society to apply creative problem solving in addressing complex challenges, thereby fostering sustainable innovation.