Problem Statement
The world we have built has become full of “wicked problems” - problems that cannot be solved by divide-and-conquer techniques, problems whose solutions are other problems, problems whose very definition is problematic, and problems in which we are part of the problem.
We live at a time in which there is a great deal of technological innovation with the potential of supporting deep meaning making and reflection but instead seems to have largely made our lives more complex, fragmented and passive. Part of the reason for this state of affairs is that there are significant rifts between those creating the technology, those asking questions about the meaning of such developments, and those exploring the creative possibilities of using the technology to elevate our experiences. Simply put, what is lacking is a true synthesis of thought that could be brought to bear on such questions. In particular, a blending that does not reduce to lowest common factors but also opens a space for rich difference.
Mission Overview
The Synthesis Center at Arizona State University is focused on the central question: How can we make worlds that are richer but not more complicated? Our approach to this question is radically transdisciplinary: Humanities can help us make environments meaningful. Engineering can help us make environments that are effective and resilient. Arts can help us make environments worth living in. The Synthesis Center’s mission is to create a space in which all three may come together to answer our fundamental question.
Our method is to carefully curate multiple research clusters at the same time in a physical space, investing technology to enrich the already unboundedly rich social and conceptual interaction of teams working on their own projects but in a common space at a common time. Each cluster comprises at least two faculty PI’s with grad students and consultant(s) — focused on a proposition or project. A key feature is that these clusters will live in common physical space modelled after an atelier / studio / lab structure housed at Concordia University in Montréal.
An example of our method in action: Under the theme of Place and Atmosphere, Synthesis is co-ordinating a place-based art + business initiative with Concordia University’s David O’Brien Center for Sustainable Enterprise in public spaces in Quebec and Greece.