What is a Thing(s)?

What is a thing? Every action and practice involves physical things — this could be our bodies, a tool or some aspect of the environment. In each of these cases a thing has three qualities:

1. It has Necessary Physical Properties: those parts of itself that were deliberately made.
2. Necessary Physical By-Products: To make anything there will always be many necessary by-products. The thickness of a coffee cup is a by-product of developing a cup that insulates.
3. Chance physical by-products: When that same ceramic coffee cup accidentally falls — the shards are chance physical by-products.

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Definition of Things

An active X.

Things are not passive nor are they our intentions.

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Additional Glossary Terms Related to Thing

Intentional Features, X, Chance, Thing Thinking, Intention, Unintended Effects

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For More On Thing

• Vol 186: Technology’s Perspectival Creativity
• Vol 43: Defining Exaptations
• Vol 38: Sustaining What? Ethical Innovation and Mystery
• Vol 77: Scratching Discovery
• Vol 33: Collaboration Made You
• Vol 119: 14 Vignettes to Keep Your Creativity Going
• Vol 41: Resituating Agency and the Mental in Creativity
• Vol 44: Folding In And Out Of Exaptations
• Vol 39: Creativity after Individuality, Innovation after Nature
• Vol 56: “A Picture Held Us Captive…” On Embracing Process