APOLLO-13 CREATIVITY - IN-THE-BOX INNOVATION

A study of the Apollo 13 mission, based on the themes showcased in the acclaimed 1995 film, reveals the grace under pressure that is the con dition of optimal creativity. ''Apollo 13 Creativity'' is a cultural a nd creative problem-solving appreciation of the thinking style that ma de the Apollo mission succeed: creativity under severe limitations. Al though creativity is often considered a ''luxury good,'' of concern ma inly for personal enrichment, the arts, and performance improvement, i n life-or-death situations it is the critical pathway not only to succ ess but to survival. In this case, the original plan for a moon landin g had to be transformed within a matter of hours into a return to eart h. By precluding failure as an option at the outset, both space and gr ound crews were forced to adopt a new perspective on their resources a nd options to solve for a successful landing. This now-classic problem provides a range of principles for creative practice and motivation a pplicable in any situation. The extreme situation makes these points d ramatically.